The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1895-08-09

n Lesson In It~fots Given 10 = MAN from
BOSTON by = ltsnchnasn.
Coming east over tho Atchison
road from Las Vegas, N. NJ, to Kan
sas City" said j. +. Rankine of Eliz-
abcth, n. j., ''our train was de-
tanned west of Dodge City two days
by u washout. There was q crowd
Of tho toughest sort aboard, some Of
them cattlcmcn from the ranges and
others railroad men returning from
tho construction work of u railroad
just completed. 1t was hungry
time, for there was nothing to eat
but there were plenty of beerhnd liq-
nor aboard, and tho passengers in
the intervals Of drinking amused
themselves with cards and betting
and by firing pistols from tho car
windows at the telegraph poles.
I'm one seat next a window sat
very young and innocent man from
Boston, one of the many from that
locality sent out to points along tho
line of the Atchison road by the ia
vor of the management to grow up
with tho 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 cast. Beside him sat u stranger.
a big ranchman wearing black
sombrcro. Inspired by the example
of some men who We're firing from
tho car windows, the Bostonian took
from his travelling bag pistol that
must have been gift of n doting fc-
male relative. Ii was an elegant lit
tic pearl handled affair. its tiny
barrel beautifully chased and orna-
mentcd. 1t looked more fit to be
hung on a watch guard than to use
as weapon, but the owner. in imi-
tation of the others, blazcd away
with it at telegraph pole with
about the noise and effect thata fire.
cracker would have produced
THE ranchman beside him looked
with surprise and then with grim
amusement 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 Mt that thing,
stranger, he said.
The Bostonian passed the pistol to
him with an expression of satisfac.
tion on his face, as much as to say,
This is rather neat thing, don't
you know, and I'm in the shooting
as well as tho others. The ranch
man handled the wee weapon with
an atfectation of admiril.g awe and
examined ID with grave curiosity.
Its great fircarm and no mis-
take, he pronounced. If twas
mine, would you like to know how
I'd fire it?'
THE Bostonian looked pleased
and nodded. The ranchman drew
his own pistol, an immense long
barreled affair which looked as if it
ought to be mounted on gun car
riage Calmly he stuck the barrel
of tie small pistol into its capacious
and thrusting the big weapon
through the open window took de-
liberate shot at the telegraph pole.
The butt and barrel of the little pis-
tol flew two ways as it struck the
telegraph polo in the ceptcr, while
the big bullet behind sent splinters
flying as it plowcd through the tim
Der.
Upon this worse than contemp-
tuous treatment of his property tho
Bostonian looked with CONSERVATION
and ut first was indignant. But he
had some tact and a sense of hurnor
despite his nativity, and there being
nothing better to do he soon joined
III with the others in tho laugh that
was raised. His big ncighbor passed
him peace offering in the shape of
a flask approaching an army canteen
in size. The Bostonian pulled man.
fully at it. and for the rest Of the
trip the two were most friendly CON-
panions. The ranchman took the
tenderfoot under his protection and
would suffer no one to impose OH
him. A grand rush followed our mr.
rival at tho first railroad dining sta.
ton, where after our two days
fasting meal for so persons was
served to tho $50 famished passcn.
gers. 1t was grab, everybody, and
tho big man doomed above the crowd
as he strobe. holding aloft whole
boiled ham in one hand and loaf
Of bread in tho other. back to tho
cur to iOin his friend from Bostx,n. "