The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1895-07-12

D9AOe's
toughest of US. He taught US some
thing before ever we started. Victoria
was full of men with California ways
to 'em that first winter, and there was
muses. now and agin, but the city gov.
ment put Oh more officers. till you
couldn't even look like fghtin man,
much less carry revolver in your
clothes, but you was hailed up before
the old man, and it was ten dollars or
a fortnight every time, and all the
boys laughing at you in the bargain.
Now, you bet when there's judges
like that in country menn be careful
how they NEEDLE with things thatu
give the law hold of EN-, and expect
that's how II was that there wasn't
one of US so much as mentioned that
these same traders ought to be shot,
though every man Of US felt just like
doing it.
But, anyhow, we soon saw that
something had got to be done. So it
got whispered about and the boys all
met quietly to consider. and fixed up
plan that was carried out as neatly
as possible on New Years day, with no
fuss or bother. Half a dozen Of US
goes careless like to one store and half
dozen to the other-not all at once,
but just dropping in quite accidental,
and placed ourselves where we'd be
usefulest In case of any kicking, and
then the man that was agreed on opens
out quite innocent-like and wants to
know what price -four was to-day. :
'Gettin' very scarce indeed says
the thief of a trader, an I've been
obliged to put up the price again. Six
bits pound it is to-day, and won't
sell much at that
"'Oh, blazes to your six bitsr says
our cap. Didn't you hear -four had
gone down sudden in this camp? Why,
actually they're sellin now at the other
store at twenty cents, and that's the
proper market price, and we aren't the
men to allow any swindling, either
well, the trader looked round from
one to another of US, and we all gives
him pleasant smile and nod, and he
saw then what the matter was and
groaned and sorter turned over In his
mind if there was any way out Of 1t,
but couldn't find one. 1t turned him
all white and shaky. Boys, seq he, its
darned robbery, and nothin' else; lots
of that -four cost me thirty and forty
cents.
more fool you, to go and pay more'n
thing Is worth. We can't afford to do
1t, can we, boys?' seq our cap
And with that one of us fixes up q
paper on the wall near the door, all
ready written out:
"BARKERvILLE CANP.-Price OF -four. eec.;
ditto sugar, 4oc-; ditto coffee II dol; ditto
tea. dol.
Every man may take $50 lbs -four, s lbs
sugar, 40 lbs. bacon, lbs tea, 5 lbs coffee at
above prices; but not more By order Of the
trading stores committee
And then the boys came crowdin'
in. and two of US stood by the scales
over the trader, and made him sarve
out the quantities, good weight: and
when he wouldn't we did It for him.
and our cap took pay OF every man for
what he got before it was fetched away,
and we carried on the game as long as
there was any stock left. They were
doing just the same thing at the other
store, and before the morning was over
we'd distributed supplies for the rest
OF the winter to the whole camp; and
just as we expected, there was plenty
and to spare. Then we handed over
our takings to the traders-every cent
and made 'em sign proper receipts
that it was all right what we had done,
and finished up with telling 'em to
stand US whisky round for putting em
into such a good wav of trade. and