The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1895-11-07
ITWASATOUGH TOWN
AN ENGINEERS "REMINISCENCES OF
THE oLo DAYS OUT WEST.
The Famous Grape story How the Min.
listers Played Poker aud Lost About Ev-
erything They Had with Them--The
stranger who Declined 60 Drink.

gipecr entertained some Of the passengers
by telling about It.
"I don't know, " said he, "whothor you
have heard tho famous grape story, but
this is the original station and there Is the
barroom," indicating a shanty ahead.
'When the Grand Duke Alexis was ov,ir
here, the government paid him good deal
Of attention. They got up big hunts and
detailed troops of cavalry to guard them
aud gave the visitors great send of.
After it was all over they separated, and |
some of the big guns came this way. So |
the story goes, one Of the nObomon wan
dercd in here one morning and walked up |
20 the bar, where Jimmy Fogarty was sell.
ing red eye whisky, and ordered drinks. It's |
a tough place now, and then there wasn't |
blade OF grass or greon thing in sight |
except the man at the bar. Seeing the |
door Uttered with graposkins, the visitors !
said to Jimmy
"'Is It possible you raise grapes in this |
desert spot2'
"No, your highness, said Jimmy.
Them amt grapes; they're eyes that was
qougcd out in the fight ut the ball here
last night
"What the Russian said tho story don't
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 q good
big death rate every day. Every man went
armed and there was only one word to de-
scribe IL, and that was tough. was on
the late run one night and was about 20
miles outside Of the town when l saw q
man on the track signaling with lantern.
slowed up and jumped down with the
fireman TO sec what was the matter.
" 'Nothings the matter said the man.
ME and my friends merely want TO ride
into town And with that four men step
ped out, leading thoir horses, and began to
tie them with long lariats TO the baggage
car. Now, said the leader, poklng six
shooter into my neck steam on, and II
you go fast enough TO trip up them bron-
chos, why, it will be a question Of planting
you in tho sand
$50 we started ahead at n rate OF about
five miles an hour, and every once in
awhile bullet would whi2 through tho
cab and ono of the party would come along
| and intimate that we had better give the
horses rest, and once they made US water
them.
Meanwhile they had gone into the
sleeper and found there were some minis
! ters thore who wero coming from some
convention. They made the porter rout ev-
! erybody out and fix up q table, and then
thcy forced the ministers to open up n
game OF poker. Some wouldn't play at
first, but a ball fired six inches from your
ear is a good persuader, and soon they
were playing as If they had been ut 1t 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 tho roof to let the
smoke out. BY the time tho train rolled
into town every minister was dead broke,
! and some were rugged out In old corduroys.
Tho authorities tried to find out who did
1 tho tnisohief and finally caught one OF the
boys, but when the case came up the
Judge, who was tough citizon himself,
asked ono of the ministers II 1t was q
square game. The minister said he sup
posed IL was, but he was forced into it,
The Judge wouldn't believe that, so they
failed to convict.
"I never saw the gang here phased but
once There was n fandango, and all the
boys from the camps were in, about the
toughest crowd the sun ever set upon.
About half the mon were sitting around
the dancing ring, when in walked small
sized man, thin, but wiry. You could see
from his dress he was tenderfoot, just In
on No. IA that stopped there to water. The
minute he got inside the door yell Of
grass went up, and half dozen Of the
boys asked him to drink. For n 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 out a shooting iron. Yon drink whis-
Ky OF lead and take your choice quick
"By this time the place was in an up
roar, and Red Jack, who was loader,
sung out:
'Tenderfoot 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 to
drink, and have declined, and | want Ia
say right now that the man don't live that
can make me. drink If | don't want to.
I'm an invalid, seeking health in this
country, and have no shooting irons, but
as some of you insist on my drinking I'll
make proposition. Clear the ring and
give me fair show, and IL there Is any
man with lbs fists that can make drink,
why, I'll drink
''As there were 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 of his
coat, shirt and shoes, turned up his pants
and stood the prettiGst looking figure you
ever see, and aftor 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
as Jack went by he sookcd 1t to him right
under the jaw and simply drove him head
first Into the crowd. Then another fellow
jumped In, one of the best fighters in the
country. He made feint and tried to
grab the tendorfoot by the legs, but before
he could move the little man buttod him
on the forehead so hard that he dropped
like log. Two others he laid ont at quick
notice. His fists seemed to glance from
one to another, and they never hit him.
In this way he topped Off six mon, and
when no one else entered the ring he asked
II they were satisfied that he didn't want
TO drink. You may be sure they We're,
The joke Of IL was that he was the cham.
pion middleweight fighter of Australia,
and 1t was all practice to him. '-Pasade.
na (Cal Car. New York Sun.