Middlebury register. (Middlebury, Vt.) 1886-1937, 1895-10-04
IT WASATOUGH TOWN
AN ENGINEERS "REMINISCENCES OF
THE OLD DAYS OUT WEST.

erything They Had with Them-The
Stranger who Declined to Drink.
Coming down through the California
desert the train was disabled and had to
be laid up above the Caion pass. 1t was
at little town that in old times when the
railroad was new had accumulated history
faster than it could be recorded. The en-
gincer entertained some Of the Passengers
by telling about it,
~ don't know" said he, "whcther you
have heard the famous grape story, but
this is the original station and there is the
barroom," indicating "a shanty ahead
"Whcn the Grand Duke Alexis was over
here, the government paid him 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 it was all over they separated. and
some of the big guns came this way So
the story goes one of the noblcmrn wan
dcrcd in here one morning and walked up
to the bar. where Jimmy Fogarty was sell
ing rcd eye whisky. and ordered drinks It's
"A tough place now, and then there wasn't
a blade of grass or green thing in sight
except the man at the bar. Seeing the
floor Uttered with grapeskins, the visitors
said to Jimmy:
Is it possible you raise grapes in this
desert spot?
Ono, your highncss,' said Jimmy.
Them amt grapes; they're eyes that was
gouged out in the fight at the ball here
last night
"What the Russian said the story don t
tell but they say in a book he wrote on
American customs in the far west he men
| toned gouging 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 a good
| big death rate every day Every man went
armed, and there was only one word to de-
| scribe ii, and that was tough. | was on
the late run one night and was about 20
miles outside of the town when l saw a
man on the track signaling with IA lantern
| | slowed up and jumped down with the
| fireman to 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 the baggage
ear. Now, said the leader poking ii six
shooter into my neck, steam on, and if
you go fast enough to trip up them bron
/ ChOs, why it will be "a question of planting
you in the sand.
so we started ahead at Il rate of about
five miles an hour, and every once in
awhile bullet would whiz through the
cab and one of the party would come along
and intimate that we had better give the
horses II rest, and once they made us water
them.
Meanwhile they had gone into the
sleeper and found there were some minis
tiers there who were coming from some
convention. They made the porter rout ev-
crybody out and fix up a table, and then
/ they forced the ministers to open up "a
game of poker. Some wouldn't play at
first. but a ball fired six inches from your
ear is IA good rersuuder, and soon they
were playing rs if they had been at it ali
/ 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
boys, but when the case came up the
Judge who was tough citizen himself,
asked one of the ministers if it was a
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.
Il never saw the gang here phased but
once There was a 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 see
from his dress he was tenderfoot just in
on No II that stopped there to water. The
minute he got inside the door Il yell Of
grass went mp, and half dozen of the
boys asked him to drink. For IA second the
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 ont shooting iron. 'HOu drink wills
Ky or lead, and take your choice quick
BY this time the place was in an up
roar and RED Jack, who was IL leader,
" Tcnderfoot wants to speak Give him
"A show, and pushed him into the dancing
ring The stranger took off his hat and
said
" Gentlemen, you have invited me tc
drink, and have declined, and want tC
say right now that the man don't live that
eau make me drink if l don't want to
I'm an invalid, soaking health in this
country, and have no shooting irons, but
as some of yor insist on my drinking IL
make proposition Clear the ring and
give me a fair show and If there is any
man with his fists that can make drink
why, I'm drink.
AS there wore dozen or more spelling
for fight the tenderfoot was soon accom-
modated They formed "A ring. and RED
Jack claimed the honor of cleaning the
new man out. The stranger took off hi:
coat, shirt and Shoes turned up his pants
and stood the prcttiest looking figure you
ever see, and after a minute they came to
gether. Red Jack sailed at him like IA mac
bull, but the youngster stepped back
dodued him uuick as "A bpam of lpht anC