Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-10-07
ITWASATOUGH TOWN
AN ENGINEERS "REMINISCENCES OF
THE OLD DAYS OUT WEST.
The Famous Grape Story-How the Min
listers Played Poker and Lost About Ev-
erything They Had With Them-The
Stranger Who Declined to Drink.

Coming down through the California
desert. the train was disabled and had 70
be laid UP above the Cajon pass. 1t was
AT a little town that in old times when the
railroad was new had accumulated history
faster than II could be recorded. The en-
gineer 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 shanty ahead.
"When the Grand Duke Alexis was over
here, the government paid him a good deal
Of attention. They got up big hunts and
detailed troops OF cavalry to guard them
and gave the visitors a great send off.
After 1t WAS all over they separated, and
some Of the big guns came this way. 20
the story goes, one Of the noblemen wan
dered In here one morning and walked up
10 the bar, where Jimmy Fogarty was sell
ing red eye whisky, and ordered drinks lts
IL tough place now, and then there WASH .
blade Of grass or green thing In sieh1
except the man at the bar. seeing tio
floor Uttered with grapeskins, the visitors
said to Jimmy:
SIS it possible you raise grapes IN this
desert spotf'
"sNo, your highncss, said Jimmy.
'Them amt grapes; they're eyes that was
Rouped out in the fight at tho ball here
last night.
"What the Russian said the story don't
tell, but they say in book he wrote on
American customs in the far west he men
toned vouging as the national 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 good
big death rate every day. Every man went
armed and there was only one word to de-
scribe it, and that was tough. l was on
the late run one night and was about 20
miles outside Of the town when 1 saw
man on the track signaling with n lantern.
] slowed up and jumped down with the
fireman 10 see what was the matter
'Nothing's the matter, said the man.
ME and my friends merely want to ride
into town And with that four men step
ped out, leading their horses, and began to
tie them with long lariats to tho baggage
car. Now said the leader, poking six
shooter into my neck, steam on, and II
you go fast enough to trip up them bron-
ohos, why, IL will beaquestion of planting
you In the sand
$50 we started ahead Mt n rate of about
five miles an hour, and every once in
awhile q bullet would whiz through the
cab and ono of the party would come along
and intimate that we had better give tho
horses u rest, and once they made us water
them.
MEANWHILE they had gone into the
sleeper and found there were some minis
ters there who were coming from some
convention. They made the porter rout ev-
erybody out and fix up n table, and then
they forced tho ministers to open up
game of poker. Some wouldn't play at
first, but ball fired six inches from your
ear is u good persuader, and soon they
were playing as if they had been at it all
their DAYS. The boys showed them how
and made them bet their money, watches
and other things. AS the car got full of
smoke from the cigars the boys would pull
out their six shooters and with one in each
hand fire shots through the roof to let the
smoke out BY the time the train rolled
into town every minister was dead broke,
and some were rugged out in old corduroys.
The authorities tried to find out who did
the mischief and finally caught one of the
bows but when the case came up the
judge who was tough citizen himself,
asked ono of tho ministers If 1t was u
square game. The minister said he sup
posed it was, but he was forced into it.
The Judge wouldn't believe that, so they
failed to convict.
II never saw the gang here phased but
once Thoro was fandango, and all the
boys from the camps We're in, about the
toughest crowd the sun ever set upon.
About half the men were sitting around
the dancing ring, when in walked a small
sized man, thin, but wiry, You could SEQ
from his dress no was a tenderfoot, just in
on No II that stopped there to water The
minute he got inside the door u yell of
grass went up, and half dozen of the
boys asked him to drink. For second tho
stranger seemed nonplused; then he said:
Much obliged, gents, but l don't
drink
What don't drink yelled the boys.
"'No, he said, jerking away from one
who had him by the arm
"'Oh. Yes, you will, said another, haul
ing out n shooting iron. You drink whis-
Ky or lead, and take your choice quick
"By this time the place was in an up
roar, and Rcd Jack, who was q leader,
sung out:
'Tenderfoot wants to speak. Give him
show, and pushed him into the dancing
ring. The stranger took off his hat and
said:
Gentlemen, you have invited me to
drink, and have declined, and want to
say right now that the man don't live that
can make mo drink II l don't want to.
I'm an invalid, seeking health in this
country, and have no shooting irons, but
rs some of you insist on my drinking II
make proposition. Clear the ring and
give me fair show, and If there is any
man with his fists that can make drink,
why, I'll drink
"As there were dozen or more spelling
for u fight the tenderfoot was soon accom-
modated. They formed u ring, and Red
Jack claimed the honor of cleaning the
new man out. The stranger took off his
coat, shirt and shoes, turned up his pants
and stood the prettiest looking figure you
ever soc, and after minute they came to
gether. Red Jack sailed at him like a mad
bull, but the youngster stepped back,
lodged him quick as u beam of light, and