Lawrence democrat. (Lawrenceburg, Tenn.) 1884-1925, 1895-11-15
TOLD BY AN ENGINEER.
"Reminiscences Of tho Doings of Tough
Men In u Tough Town Out West.

when the railroad was new had ac-
cumulated history faster than it could
be recorded. The engineer entertained
some of the passengers by telling about
it.
~ don't know" said he, whether
you have heard the famous grape
story, but this is the original station
and there is the barroom,' indicating
a shanty ahead. when the Grand
Duke Alexis was over here the gov
eminent paid him a good deal of at
tention. They got up big hunts
and detailed troops of cavalry to
guard them, and gave the visitors a
great send off. 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
in here one morning and walked up to
the bar, where Jimmy Fogarty was
selling red-eye whisky, and ordered
drinks. It's tough place now, and
then there wasn't blade of grass or a
green thing in sight except the man
at the bar. Seeing the floor Uttered
with grape skins the visitor said to
Jimmy:
els it possible you raise grapes in
this desert spot|
mo, your Highness, said Jimmy;
them amt grapes, they're eyes that
was gouged out in the fight at the
ball here last night
What the Russian said the story
don't tell, but they say in book he
VIZ : on American customs in the far
wes mentioned gougin' as the ma.
tional method of fighting, and gave
that case as an example.
"In the old days every man carried
his life in his hands, and what with
jumping claims and other things there
was u good big death rate every day.
Every man went armed, and there was
only one word to describe it, and that
was, tough. was on the late run one
night. and was about twenty miles
outside OF the town, when saw man
on the track signalling with lantern.
slowed up and jumped down with
the fireman to see what was the mat
ter.
'Nothings the matter said the
man; me and my friends merely want
to ride into town. and with that four
men stepped out, leading their horses,
and began to tie them with long lari-
ats to the baggage car Now said
the leader, poking a six-shooter into
my neck, steam on, and if You &c
fast enough to trip up them broncos,
why, it will be question of planting
you in the sand
$50 we started ahead at rate OF
about five miles an hour. and every
once in awhile bullet would whiz7
through the cab and one of the party
would come along and intimate that
we had better give the horses rest
and once they made us water them.
Meanwhile they had gone into the
sleeper and found there were some min
listers there who were coming from
some convention. They made the porter
outr everybody out and fix up table,
and then they forced the ministers tc
open up game of poker Some
wouldn't play at first, but ball free
six inches from your ear is good per
suaoer, and soon they were playing al
if they had been at it all their days
The boys showed them how, and mad,
them bet their money, watches ant
other things. AS the car got full o
smoke from the cigars, the boys woult
pull out their six-shooters, and will
one in each hand fire shots though tn,
roof to let the smoke out. BY the tim,
the train rolled into town every minis
ter was dead broke and some wer
rugged out in old cordu.'oys. The au
tborities tried to find out who did tn
mischief, and finally caught one Of tn
: boys; but when the case came up, tn
Judge, who was tough citizen him
self, asked one of the ministers If i
was square game. The minister sal
he supposed it was, but he was force
into it. The Judge wouldn't believ
that, so they failed to convict.
II never saw the gang here phase
, but once. There was a fandango, an
, all the boys from the camps were in
about the toughest crowd the sun eve
, set upon. About half the men wer
sitting around the dancing ring, whe
r in walked a small-sized man, thin bu
t wiry. You could see from his dress h
! was tenderfoot, just in on No. 4
that stopped there to water. TIL
I minute he got inside the door We
r of grass went up, and half a dozen {
Q the boys asked him to drink. For
+ second the stranger seemed mol
4 plussed, then he said:
Much obliged, gents, but l don
9 drink.
Y "'What! don't drink?. yelled I'll
!. boys.
: mo, he said, jerking away fro
+ one who had him by the arm.
q "'Oh, yes you will said anothe
hauling out shooting iron. 'Yc
n drink whisky or lead, and take yo,
+ choice quick"
l. "By this time the place was in a
/ uproar, and Red Jack, who was lea
G er, sung out:
: ""renderfoot wants to speak; gi'
d him a show, and pushed him into IL
dancing ring. The stranger took G
h his hat and said:
o Gentlemen, you have invited me
drink and have declined, and wal
II TO say right now that the man don
Il live that can make me drink If dor
It want to. I'm an invalid, seeking heal
>. in this country, and have no sliootir
d irons; but as some of you insist on II
= drinking I'll make proposition. Gle
n the ring and give me fair show, al
g if there is any man with his fists TIL
can make me drink, why, I'll drink
is AS there were a dozen or mo
d spelling for fight the tenderfoot W
s, soon accommodated. They formed