The free press., 1895-10-03
A LEADVILLE JOKE.

Mr.. Gal" Lewis is Washington
newspaper writer who has leaped into
fame as graduated cowboy of the
wild and woody West. He came un-
heralded to the National Capital, only
year or two ago, as the correspond
ent of the Kansas City Times, that
paper having discovered the cyclonic
character of Lewis style, while with
the revolvers and knives yet in his
belt he was practicing law. Soon he
made himself felt, over the wires,
while at the Press Club he became one
of the favorite story-tellers, says the
Washington Pathfinder. He was
grabbed up by the Chicago Times and
since that paper suspended has been
throwing off series of Wild West
yarns for the Washington Post that
are masterpieces in their way.
In recent story Mr.. Lewis has dis
covered one Peter Dean, a young
Washingtonian, whose friends are
speaking severely of Western
humor." According to Lewis it ap-
pears that less than year ago Mr..
Dean left the parental roof on r
street and plunged into the glowing
West. On the day of his departure
he was twenty three, not a ripe age.
He had studied mining and engineer
ing, and knew in those matters all
that science could tell His purpose
in going West was to acquire the
practical part of his chosen profess
sion. Peter Dean believed in know
ing it all.
Thus it befell that young Peter
Dean. on a day last summer, tossed a
careless kiss to his companions, and
fed away into the heart of the con-
tinent. Then his hair was raven
black. Yesterday when he returned
I it was silver white. Western humor
had worked the change; therefore the
criticism chronicled.
And Peter Dean tells the tale of
the bleaching process, as follows:
Sat Leadville | met person
named Thompson; "Gassy" Thomp-
son he was called by those about him
in testimony to his powers as CONVEX
sationalist. A barkeeper, who seemed
to be the best-informed and most
gentlemanly soul in the town, told me
that Classy Thompson was miner full
of practical skill, and that he was just
then engaged in sinking a shaft. l
might arrange with Classy and learn
the business. At the barkeeper's hint
proposed as much to him.
"'All right, said Classy, come out
TO the shaft tomorrow.
"The next day l was at the place
appointed. The shaft was already
fifty feet deep. Besides myself and
this person Classy, who was tutor to
me, there was creature named Jim.
That made three of us.
"At the suggestion of Classy, he
and 1 descended into the shaft: Jim
was left on the surface. We went
down by means of bucket Jim
unwinding us from rickety old wind
lass.
"Once down, Classy and l, with
sledge and drill, perpetrated hole
in the bottom of the shaft l held
the drill, Classy welding the sledge
When the whole met the worshipful
taste of my tutor, he put in dyna-
mite cartridge; connected long five
minute fuse Herewith, and carefully
thumbed it about and packed it in
with wet clay. At Gassy's word was
then hauled to the surface by Jim. L
added my strength to the windlass
CASEY climbed into the bucket,
lighted the fuse, and was then swiftly
wound to the surface by Jim and my
sell We then dragged the windlass
aside, uncovered the mouth of the
shaft, and quickly scampered to dis
tance to be out of harms reach. At
the end OF five minutes from the time
Y u Classy had lighted the fuse, and
I prhaps three minutes after we had
csaged away, the shot exploded With