Bennington semi-weekly banner. (Bennington, Vt.) 1894-1902, 1895-12-10
ITWASATOUGH TOWN
AN ENGINEERS "REMINISCENCES OF
THE OLD DAYS OUT WEST.

az Il llIblb WV II III Olt JULIUS NllNu
railroad was new had accumulated history
faster than it could be recorded. The en-
gineer entertained some of the passengers
by telling about it.
az 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 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 noblemen wan
dered in here one morning and walked up
to 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 green thing in sight
except the man at the bar. Seeing the
floor Uttered with grapesEins, the visitors
said to Jimmy:
g Is it possible you raise grapes in this
desert spot?'
"'No, your highness,' 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 book he wrote on
American customs in the far west he mon
toned gouging as the national method of
fighting and gave that case as an example.
Sin 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 it, and that was tough. l was on
the late run one night and was about 90
miles outside of the town when 1 saw
man on the track signaling with 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
car Now said the leader, poking 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
$50 we started ahead at Tate of about
five miles an hour, and every once in
awhile n bullet would whiz through the
cab and one of the party would come along
and intimate that we had better give the
horses a 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-
erybOdy out and fix up table, and then
they forced the ministers to open up
game of poker. Some wouldn't play at
first, but a ball fired six inches from your
ear is 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 tho 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 ono of the
boys, but when the case came up the
judge, who was tough citizen himself,
asked one of the ministers if it was
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.
81 never saw the gang here phased but
once. There was fandango, and all the
boys from the camps were 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 a 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 second the
stranger seemed nonplused; then he said:
Much obliged, gents, but don't
drink
"'Whatl don't drink yelled the boys.
Ono, he said, jerking away from one
who had him by the arm.
ooh, yes, you will, said another, haul
ing out shooting iron. You drink whis-
ky or lead, and take your choice quick
"By this time the place was in an up
roar, and Red Jack, who was a leader,
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 1 have declined, and want to
say right now that the man don 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 a fair show, and if there is any
man with his fists that can make drink
why, I'll drink
Gas there were a 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 his
coat, shirt and shoes, turned up his pants
and stood the prettiest looking figure you
ever see, and after minute they came to-
gether. Red Jack sailed at him like mad |
bull, but the youngster stepped back,
lodged him quick as a beam of light, and |
as Jack went by he socked 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 |
He made a feint and tried to |
grab tho tenderfoot by the legs, but before |
he could move the little man butted him |
on the forehead so hard that he dropped |
like log. Two others he laid out at quick |
notioe HE fists scanned 70 olo,oo f,o.r,,