Greenbrier independent. [volume] (Lewisburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1980, 1895-11-21
Mr.. RObinson's Ability.

COULD NOT SHOOT, BUT WAS !
FAMOUS PITCHER.
lone Of the best men that / eveI
knew at adapting himself to circum
cumstances," observed Major Hotch
KISS, was a young fellow that wei
call Robinson. He was q Yale mar
and, 1 fancy, bit of black sheep
He came of a good New England
family, and one brother went into
the ministry and another came tc
this city and prospered in law; but
these pursuits were too prosaic fol
him. After he left college he went
to Cuba for a few months and then
became reporter on the Chicago
Times. This was in the old Storey
days, when Tines reporter, In
the event of man refusing to give
him news, was expected to take the
man down and hammer it out OF
him. ...-.--
Robinson made a 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 I'm the
West. Homicides was a pastime,
like lawn-tennis or croquet in other
parts OF the country. Mining and
gambling were the only two recog-
nized industries, with the preference
given to gambling as a gentlemanly
vocation Robinson got immediate
employment on q morning paper
called by its owner, with fine IRONY,
the Daily Doue. 1t was the worst
sheet In town which. is saying great
deal. The exciting nature of a con-
nection with it may be best realized
when l say that the papers strong
point was abusive personals in a
country where all personals are dan
gerous. ~.
When Robinson came to town he
fouLd the post of the city editor va
cant, and applied for the place. The
owner, Notwithstanding his belliger-
ency, was a fair man to his EN-.
ployees. He slipped his arm into
Robinson's and led him half a mile
up the mountain to the little ceme.
terry. Pointing to three white wooden
headboards, he said: Young man
there sleep your three predecessOrs.' -
"There's room for another between
that end and the fence" answered
Robinson, and he took the position
of. city editor. ,,..s - 7 =
But the worst thing about the out
look for the young man l have not
yet mentioned. He could not shoot.
He had tried to learn many times,
butt in his own words, he couldn't
nit flock of barns.' When he ex-
planned this popularity to his en-
ployer this individual was for hav-
ing him Inn nediately throw up the
position. 49, <-1s8-&. ~ .g -. : ~
Why" he exclaimed, "they'll
get you inside of a week. Quick
and accurate shooting is the only
chance for a man on this paper. I'd
rather have man that can't write
than one that can't shoot.' Z . I,
"Just let me alone" answered
Robinson. If you are not satisfied
at the end of month I'll resign"
"Give me the address of the
friend you want notified, please, -
said the man, whipping out a pencil,
but Robinson only laughed, picked
up the shears, cut the lapels off the
side-pockets of his coat, walked out,
and wandered away up the gulch.
Now, something the owner of the
Daily D0Ue didn't know was that
Robinson had pitched for three years
on the college base ball club. He
had been the best pitcher that the
club ever had. He could throw a
ball harder and straighter Tor crook.
eder, as the circumstances might re.
quire) than almost any man who ur
to that time had stood in the center
of the diamond. He had made ur
his mind to utilize his talent in this
direction. Up the gulch he began
selecting stones about the size OF
hens eggs, hard and Jagged.
think he picked out galena specimens
largely, as being the heaviest, and
frequently rough and square cor
nered. He dropped half a dozer
nuggets in each side-pocket and tool
of his hat and filed that and re
turned. At the Office he emptiet
the hat on his desk and went to work
| The second day after this his en-
ployer said to- him, Robinson
a man named Wash Galley has com,
to town.. He is ascriminal and
1deadbeat who has killed five or 81!
men. He is now drunk and goin,
about townldestroying the propert!
Of some of our best advertisers -
Just touch him up tomorrow morn
Ing" Robinson wrote rippin,
item, In which he called the man
'coward' ',ftramp,' chicken-thief,
etc., and warned him to get out o
town under pain of further disclos
ures In the fearless columns of tn
Doue.' 1t was a hot paragraph, an,