Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-30
TOLD BY AN ENGINEER.
"Reminiscences of the Doings of Tough Men in
 Tough Town Out West.

be laid up above the Cajon Pass. It was at a little town that in old times when the railroad was new and accumulated history faster than it could be recorded. The engineer entertained some of the pas senSers by telling about It.
 Il don't know" he said, "whether you have heard the famous grape story, but thIs k the original station and there is the barroom," indicating a shanty ahead. "Wben the Grand Duke Alexis was over here the government paid him a good deal of attention. They got up big hunts and detailed troops of cavalry lo eualu them. and gave the visitors great send nff After it was all over they separated and some of the big guns came this way. So the story goes, one of the noblemen wandered out here one morning anu walked up to the bar where Jimmy fp- garty was selling red eye whisky ana ordered drinks. It's tough place now and then there wasn't blade of grass or a green thing in sight except the man af the bar Seeing the floor Uttered with grape skins the visitor said to Jimmy
 t.5Is 1t possible you raise grapes in th's dessert spot?' ,..,,..
 "sNo. vour hghness,' said Jimmy; them ain't grapes, they're eyes that was eougel out in the fight at the ball here last night
 What the Russian said the story don tell but they say in a book ne WTotf oli American customs III ll6 A''i mentioned gougin' as the national fheth- od of fighting and gave that case as an example. ,,;
 Tn the old days every man carried ms life in his hands, and what with Jump ing claims and other things there was good big death rate every day. t-Nery man went armed and there was only one word to describe it and that was, toush. l was on the late run one night ana was about twenty minutes outside the town when l saw a man on the track sislla ing with a lantern. l slowed up ana j,lmned down with the fireman to see what was the matter.
 'Nothing's the matter said the man; me and my friends merely want to fIae into town and with that four men stepped out. leading their horses, and be- gan to tie them with long lariats to the baggage car Now said the leader, pol{ing a six-shooter into my neck, led on. and if you go fast enough to trip up them hronchos, why it will be serious question of planting you in the sand.
 50 we started ahead at the rate or about five miles an hour, and every once in a while bullet would whizz through the cab and one of the party would come along and intimate that we had better give the horses a rest ana once they made us water them.
 "Meanvhile they had gone into the sleeper and found there were some min isters there who were coming from some convention. They made the porter rout everybody out and fix up table, ana then they forced the ministers to open up a game of poker. Some wouldn't play at first. but a ball fired inches from your ear is a good persuader and soon they were playing as if they had been at It all their days I he boys showed them how and made them bet their money watches and other things. As the car got tull or smoke from the cigars, the boys would pull out their six shooters and with one in each hand fire shots through the roof to let the smoke out. By the time the train rolled into town every minister was dead broke and some were rigged out Tn old corduroys The authorities tried to find out who did the mischief, and finally caught one of the boys; but when the case came up, the judge, who was tough citizen himself, asked one of the minis ters if it was a square game The mn ister said he supposed it was, but he was forced into it. The judge wouldn't believe that, so they failed to convict. q
 "I never saw the gang here phased but once. There was a fandago ana all the boys from the camps were in-aDout the toughest crowd the sun ever set upon About half the men were sitting around the dancing ring, when in walked small sized man. thin, but wiry. You could see from his dress he was a tender-foot, just in on No. IA that stopped there to water. The minute he got inside the door yell of grass went up, and half dozen of the boys asked him to drink. For a second the stranger seemed nonplused, then he said
 Much obliged, gents but l don't drink
 What Don't drink?' yelled the boys
 No he said, jerking away from one who had him by the arm.
 oh, yes, you wilt said another, hauling out shooting iron. You drink whisky or lead, and take your choice quick
 By this time the place was in an up- roar and Red Jack who was q leader, sung out:
 srenderfoot wants to speak; give him a show and pushed him into the dancing ring. The stranger took off his hat and said
 Gentlemen, you have invited me drink and I have declined. and l want say right now that the man don't that can make me drink if l don't to. I'm an invalid, seeking health in country, and l have no shooting if,. but as some of you insist on my drinking I'll make proposition. Clear the ring and give me fair show, and if there is any man with his fists that can make me drink, why, I'll drink.
 As there were a dozen or more spoil-' ing for a fight the tenderfoot was soon accommodated. They formed a ring and Red Jack claimed the honor of cleaning
 
 off his coat shirt and shoes, turned mp his pants and stood, the prettiest looking picture you ever see. and after minute they came together. Red Jack sailed al him like a wild bull, but the stranger stepped back, lodged him quick as a beam of light. and as Jack went by he socked it to him right under the jaw and simply drove him head first into the ground. Then another fellow jumped in one of the best fighters in the country. He made a feint and tried to grab the tenderfoot by the legs, but before he could move the little man battered him on the forehead so hard that he dropped like a log. Two others he laid ont at quick notice; his fists seemed to glance from one to another and they never hit him. In this way he topped off six men. and when no one else entered the ring he asked if they were satisfied that he didn't want to drink; you may be sure they were The joke of it was that he was champion middle-weieht fighter of Australia and it was all practice to him"
 LADIES, ATTENTION!
 Fail not in observing oDf