The record-union., 1896-07-01
A JACK-OF-ALL TRADES.
This Westerner Has Tried Nearly
Every Way to Make Living.

This Westerner Has Tried Nearly
Every Way to Make Living.
The easy and graceful manner in
which some men adapt themselves to
circumstances and rise to any emer-
gency was never better illustrated than
in the case of a witness who was being
closely questioned regarding his past
life by a lawyer in a Western court
room.
''You say said the lawyer, "that
you lived in Montana ten years ago.
What, may ask. was your occupation
while there?''
We'll, there wasn't anything else
much to do, SO I was a cowboy most
Of the time"
"And then what?''
"Well, then 1 drove a stage until I
went to Leadville."
And what did you do in Leadville?"
"Well, I was Justice of the Peace for
three months, and then l went to min
ing"
"And how long were you engaged in
mining?"
Until a big charge of giant powder
went off before it was desired or ex-
pected to do so, and blew up higher'n
kite
What did you do then?"
'I held down a bed in a hospital
for three months, and then l went into
the news. stand and confectionery busi-
ness for while"
For how long?"
Until my partner ran off one night
with our entire profits for six months,
and / ran after him as far as Cheyenne,
and there my money gave out, and
went to braking on freight train
How long did you keep that up?"
Until / lost two fingers coupling
cars, when I quit, and after my hand
got well l washed dishes in a restuar-
ant for a month"; and then I bought the
proprietor out and run the thing myself
for three months, when 1 handed it all
over to the Sheriff.
"And then what?"
Then l went to Deadwood and
opened up laundry, but 1 didn't like
the business, and I traded it off for a
cigar store, and 1 was in that business
for six months. Then dull times came
on, and I made the acquaintance of the
Sheriff again. He got me place as one
of the night guard at the jail, but I
hated night work and I went to teach
ing school for the winter in Nebraska -
You taught all winter?"
yes, and l got elected County Coro-
ner in the spring, but I'm naturally of a
lively disposition and a Corners work
is pretty dull, although Ia plenty to do,
for the town was the western terminus
cf q railroad all summer and a kind of
distributing point for all the cowboys
supplies in that part Of the country But
1 went West again in the fall and took
| a contract to build a toll road in the
mountains"
Did you finish it?"
''Well, no; but I was doing we'll at it
when a big snowslide came along and
struck the section of road I happened
to be on, and I didn't know anything
fer two weeks after they dug me out
down in the gulch about a mile from
where the snowslide and I first met
Then l went down to Denver and ran
an elevator for six weeks, but that was
dIlIer than being Coroner and in the
! spring I struck out for a new town in
the mountains and went to running an
engine at a sawrnill until l got chance
! to run for County Clerk
Were you elected?'
ST just was, and I served my full
| time and then went to the Legislature
| for year. Then I organized big min
| ing company of which I was President
until the thing busted up and 1 was
| stranded again"
What did you do then?"
Got me a little Office and stuck out
my shingle as a lawyer, but business
was dull and I went into the electric
belt business. I made big money at that
| for awhile and wasted it by going into
| the newspaper business. l edited the
paper until / took the wrong side in 6
mining strike squabble, and a lot of the
| boys came around one night and dump
| ed my press and type into an old mine
with twenty feet of water at the bottom
of it, and then they escorted me out Of
| town"
"And you didn't go back?"
you reckon I'm a fool? I changed
my name for awhile, and took boob
agency in another State until I got q
chance to open up a big brick yard
This covers a period of about -four
years. L guess you can skip the remain
| ing six years and tell me what you are
| doing now"
| ''Well, I'm married and am raising a
| family and writing a book, besides
| preaching some and lecturing on the
| temperance question. detroit Free
| Press.
|