Martinsburg independent. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1875-1900, 1896-10-03

cided upon and a committee appoint
ed to take charge of the election and
draw up charter.
The boys were all heartily in IA
vor of . charter, though few of them
had any idea what "the blamed thing
looked like" So public sentiment
settled upon Judge Sampson and
Joe Emerson for the committee and
watched them to see that they went
to work upon the charter.
Judge SIMPSONS physical ap.
pearance were described by the boys
when they said that "his shadder is
8 better man n he is +" In his search
for health he had become peacefully
stranded at Paradise Bar. But when
the boys found that he had an old
lawbook and copy of the state con-
stltution they looked up to him with
respect. Ee soon wrote letters for
those whose hands were more used
to picks than pens, drew up the rude
transfers of mining claims, and in
the realms OF literature and law
reigned supreme.
To explain why Joe Emerson was
chosen as his associate would have
been hard subject for stranger to
pan out. Joe was agent for the stage
and express companies, great corpo-
rations, which he held in awe and
reverence. He first strongly attract
ed public attention when he and his
revolver stood off a crowd of drunk
en- fun seekers who had decided to
take Sing High, the camps solitary
Chinaman, from his wash shop and
hang him by his pigtail. But it was
upon his second exploit that his
fame principally rested. He had lit
tie use for a pen, it and the sword
being both inferior to a Colts in his
opinion, and the routine Office re-
ports were enemies whose under
hand tactics be dreaded. Yet it was
vaguely rumored in the camp that
he had written something that was
published in a newspaper, feat that
added more to his reputation than a
half dozen funerals would have done.
The something" was letter to the
stage superintendent and was as fol-
lows
DEAR SIR take the Company's
pen in hand to wright you the stale
was ours late agen today, it was
held upp. Their was 700 dollars on
bord, the ROBBERS got that. it would
not have bin SO much late, but fule
PASSENGERS made fife. The bosses and
the stale is not hurt.
JOE EMERSON.
the driver got the fairs from the
passengers before they was kid.
Joe and the Judge went right to
work, and in few days the excit-
ing news travelled from miner to
miner, from claim to claim, that the
charter was finished. 1t proposed to
furnish to the citizens board Of
three supervisors, in whom all pow
ers not delegated to other officers
should be vested sheriff with
salary of 5000 per month, who was
to be ex-of1icio tax collector, and
justice of the peace and city clerk
combined in one, who was to have
500 per month and all confiscated
weapons as his pay.
BY universal consent and in the
interest of peace and sobriety, it
was decided TO hold the election in
the Red Eye, owned and operated
by one Hans Scopenhauer Hans
was an order loving citizen, who be-
lieved in peace at any price. He
boasted that in his establishment no
man had ever been kaleidoscope by
himself Perhaps the easy and &C.
curate swing Of bis right arm when
it went after gun and the fact that
no one ever saw him in the Red Eye
with anything but his back TO the
wall had something to do with this.
"Order," said the colonel genially,
"is the fust law of natuh. What'll
yeh swallow r.
The major mentioned his weak
ness, and then glanced hesitatingly
at the colonel, his glass in the air.
~ was jes' talkin' with some of the
boys down the way be said slowly,
sand they think they hev picked out
the right man fer sheriff." and then
he emptied his glass, watching the
colonel narrowly.
The colonel beamed friendly re-
| Spouse outside the circumference of
his cup. AM | was talkin' with
some mo- of them down heah, an
they seemed TO have fixed the mat
tab, as yeh say, without asking us.
l hardly think they have made mis-
take"
The majors SIN lie grew more con-
fdent as lie Strengthened little and
replied airily "The boys knows
what thar dom, sure enuff. In big
matter Of this kin, they amt a-goin'
to do the wrong thing"
Then tue coloners smile brosden-
ed to the edges of bis face, and each
saw pleasing visions through the
bottom OF glass clearly.
The campaign and the excitement
progressed together. No general
caucus was held. The office of jus
tice Of the peace sought Judge
| Sampson and found him at home,
waiting. and three candidates for the