The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-06-07

lis~ton by - kanchinnn.
Coming east over the Atchisor
road from Las Vegas, ~ NJ, 10 Kan,
sas City" said j. 7. Eankinc of Eliz,
abeth, n j.. Our train was do
tanned west of Dodge City two days
by washout. There was a crowd
Of the toughest sort aboard. some OF
them cattl,incn from the ranges and
others railroad men returning from
the construction work of a railroad
just completed. 1t was hungry
time. for there was nothing to eat.
but there were plenty of beer and liq-
uor aboard, and the passengers in
the intervals of drinking amused
themselves with cards and betting
and by firing pistols from the car
windows at the telegraph poles.
In one seat next window sat n
very young and innocent man from
Boston, one of the many from that
locality sent out to points along the
line of the Atchison road by the ia
vor Of the management to grow up
with the country. He had come to
the conclusion that the Back Bay
and Cambridge were western enough
for his tastes and was on his way to
the east. Beside him sat a stranger,
n biz ranchman wearing black
sombrcro. Inspired by the example
of some men who We're firing from
the car windows, the Bostonian took
from his travelling bag u pistol that
must have been gift Of n doting fe-
male relative. 1t was an elegant lit
tie pearl handled affair, its tiny
barrel beautifully chased and orna-
mentcd. 1t looked more fit to be
hung on watch guard than to use
as weapon, but the owner, in imi-
tation of the others, blazed away
with 1t at a telegraph pole with
about the noise and effect that fire.
cracker would have produced.
THE ranchman beside him looked
with surprise and then with grim |
at the Boston mans
shooting and for the first time SEEM
ell To take an interest in what his
seatmate was doing.
Let me look at that thing,
stranger, he said
The Bostonian passed the pistol to
him with an expression of satisfac-
ton on his face, as much as to say,
This Il rather neat thing, don't
vou know, and I'm III the shooting
A. well as the others The ranch
man handled the wee weapon with
IN aifectation Of admiring awe and
it with grave curiosity.
It's great firearm and no mis-
take he pronounced If twas
mine. would you like to know how
[ d fire it,
THE Bostonian looked pleased
md nodded. The ranchman drew
ais own pistol, an immense long
,arreled affair which looked as if it
,ught TO be mounted on a gun car
'iage. Calmly he stuck the barrel
# the small pistol into its capacious
and thrusting the big weapon
through the open window took a de-
iberate shot at the telegraph pole.
The butt and barrel of the little pis-
ol flew two ways as it struck the
pole in the center, while
he big bullet behind sent splinters
lying as it plowed through the tim
)er.
Upon this worse than contemp-
uous treatment Of his property the
3ostonian looked with CONSERVATION
md at first was indignant. But no
rad some tact and a sense Of humor
lespite his nativity, and there being
nothing better to do he soon joined
IL with the Others in the laugh that
vas raised. His big neighbor passed
him peace Offering in the shape of
! flask approaching an army canteen
n size. The Bostonian pulled man
ully at it. and for the rest of the
rip the two were most friendly CON-
The ranchman took the
under his protection and
would suffer no one to impose Oh
lin. A grand rush followed our ar
ival at tho first railroad dining sta.
ion, wher, after our two days
asting n meal for 80 persons was
crvcd to the $50 famished passen.
,ers. 1t was grab, everybody, and
no big man doomed above the crowd
$ hc strobe. holding aloft a whole
'oilcd han i'll one hand and a loaf I
# bread iii the other, back to the !
ar to join his friend from Boston"
New York Sun.
Jaw Breakers.