The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1895-08-28
ROBINSON'S ABILITY.
He Was a Famous Pitcher.

Stances" observed Major Hotchkiss,
to a Tribune writer, "was young
fellow that we'll call Robinson. He
was Yale man and, 1 fancy, a bit of
black sheep. He came of good
New England family, and one brother
went into the ministry, and another
came to this city and prospcred in the
law, but these pursuits were to prosaic
for him. After he left college he went
to Cuba for few months, and then
came back and drifted to Chicago and
became reporter on the Chicago
Times. This was in the old Storey
days, when a Times reporter, in the
event of man refusing to give him
news, was expected to take the man
down and then hammer it out of him.
"Robinson made mistake one day.
He hammered the city editor and had
to leave town. He promptly came out
to Badger Rock, Montana.
Badger Rock, at that time, was one
of the hardest towns in the West.
Homicide was a pastime, like lawn
tennis or croquet in other parts of the
country. Mining and gambling were
the only two recognized industries,
with the preference given to gambling
as a gentlemauly occasion. Robinson
got immediate employment on morn
ing paper called by its owner with a
fine irony the Daily Dove. 1t was
the worst sheet in town, which is say
ing great deal. The exciting nature
of a connection with it may be best
realized when I say that the paper s
strong point was abusive personals in
country where all personals are dan
gerous.
"NYhen Robinson came to town he
found the post of city editor vacant,
and applied for the place. The owner
Notwithstanding his beligerency, was
fair man to his employees. He slip
| ped his arm into Robinson's, and led
him half a mile up the mountain to
the little cemetery. Pointing to three
white wooden headboards, he said /:
"Youug man, there sleep your three
| predecessors. There's room for an
other between that end and the fence, -
answered Robinson, andi he took the
position of city editor.
"But the worst thing about the out
look for the young man l have not yet
mentioned. He could not shoot. lie
had tried to learn many times, but, in
his own words, he 'couldn hit flock
| of barns When he explained this
popularity to his employer, this indi-
vidual was for having him Immediate
ly throw up the position.
"'Why,' he explained, they'll get
you inside Of a week. Quick and ac-
curate shooting is the only chance for
man on this paper. I'd rather have a
man that can't write than one who
can't shoot
"tJust let me alonc,' answered
Robinson. If you are not satisfied
at the end of month II resign.
"'Give me the address of the friend
you want notified, please, said the
man, whipping out pencil but Rob
inson only laughed, picked up the
shears, cutthe lapels off the side pock-
cts of his coat, walked out and wander
ed away up the gulch.
"Now, something the owner OF the
Daily Dorc didn't know was that
Robinson had pitched for three years
the college baseball club. He had
been the best pitcher the club ever
had. He could throw ball harder
and straighter (or crookeder, as the
circumstances might require), than
almost any man who up to that time
had stood in the centre of the dla-
mond. He had made up his mind to
utilize his talent in this direction.
Up the gulch he began selecting stones
about the size of hen s eggs, hard and
Jagged. think he picked out galena
specimens largely, as being the heav-
lest, and frequently rough and square
cornered. He dropped half a dozen
nuggets in each side pocket, and took
off his hat and filled that, and return
cd. At the office he emptied the hat
on his desk and went to work.
"Thc second day after this his en-
ployer said to him: Robinson, there s
man come to town named Wash
Gazely. He is criminal and dead
beat who has killed five or six men.
| He is now drunk and going about
town destroying the property OF some
Of our best advertisers. Just touch
him up tomorrow morning. Robin
son wrote ripping item, in which he
called the man "a coward, tramp,
chicken thief and so forth, and
warned him to get out Of town under
pain of further disclosures in the
fearless columns of the Dore. 1t was
a hot paragraph, and when the fore
man read it, he simply remarked
"Wcll, I hope the man that takes the
city cditorship tomorrow will write
palmer hand.
"About ten clock the next morn
inr Robinson was walking quietly
along the main street of the town with
his right~hand resting carelcssly in
his coat pocket. Suddenly Mr.. Gaze
ley stepped out of the door OF sa'
loon. lie reached for his revolver.