The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1897-12-22
HIRED a DESPERATE.
Judge Alexander Thus Gained o Reputa.
81. tfon as q BAD Man.

crosses the boundary line into the
territory of Oklahoma than all the
desperadoes in that section take to
cover said F. G. Sparks Of Kansas
/ City. "Ee has tho reputation of be-
ing dangerous man down in that
country, and that means something
in g place where every other man
one meets is likely to have record
of half dozen notches on his gun.
J One wouldn't take Alexander to be
as bloodthirsty as an Apache to
look at him, for he is a slim man,
with sandy complexion, full red
beard and mustache, dresses stylish
| ly and always smiles like q man
who had been married but As hours.
He is of middle age and is as active
as 1. panther. In Kansas City his
reputation as mild hammered gem
tleman is supoTb-it is only in Okla
homa that he is considered a bad
man. When Oklahoma was opened
for settlement in 1888, Mr.. Alexan-
der was then, as now, in the lumber
business. He was one of the first
boomers to jump into the new land
of promise and cop out his due
portion of the milk and honey by
selling pine board at 313 per cent
net profit. During thoHe boom days
OF 'sooners' and spectators in Okla
homa whole towns of 5000 people
were laid out in single day, and
the pine board business was better
than half the gold olaims in the
Klondike. Mr.. Alexander had "a
lumber yard in every city and town
in Oklahoma, He was, in fact, the
lumber king of the new territory.
EIe traded in town lots and even
town sites on the side and mixed in
politics too. For instance, he head
Cd procession Of boomers that
went into the Cherokee strip when
that excitement was on, and in one
night they laid off q town Of white
t0nts. covered wagons and staked
Lots.
"Rafnre :.oTling u mass meeting
OF ]. 900 people in a circus tent elect
ed Mr. Alexander mayor, and they
christened the town Willow
Springs. The next morning the
United States troops came elcaS
and notified the people that the
president Of the United States had
not yet given the order for the set
tlement OF the strip, and that they
would have to skedaddle back into
Kansas. So the first town of Willow
Springs, with its 1900 inhabitants,
2oo dogs, Mayor Alexander and
the entire city council. was wiped of
the map. in 6 jiffy.
.All this time Mr.. Alexander was
wearing high top boots, sombrero,
brace of six shooters. heavy spurs,
etc. ,and was riding a broncho. When
he wanted to do 80, he could look
more dangero,Al than the villain in
q Dutch drama. In those exciting
times. Madam Rumor says, Mr.. AL
exander was compelled to take O
ahot' at two or three obstreperOus
lssa, but ne ADMITS himself that he
never caused an increase in the pop
ulation of a cemetery. So far as
markHmsnshin goes, Mr. Alexander,
7 take =, IS something on the CIDER
of Mark Twain's character IL
zsotghing II: who shot at a target
and killed a decrepit mule 80 yards
to the right. But the people in Okla
hopa didn' t know this. They said,
Why, this Kansas City feller'll
shoot, So they put Alexander down
a1 q Dad man. He may have been
running a bluff for aught I;know.
But Mr., Alexander did some
Z thing that few people were aware
Z of, and thereby he could afford to
be brave. He employed a body
guard in the person of notorious
. desperate, who, armed to the teeth
with six shooters, winchester and
q soalping knife, accompanied him
wherever he went-just like the
lamb did little Mary. This desperate
had killed. II men and had Winged
1b.that he didn't want to kill. Mr.
Alexander had written contract to
pay tliis desperado e75 a month to
protect MS life. and in the event the
desperate was killed he was to re.
ceive Christian burial at the ex.
pense of Alesanssor. IN Ckiahorne:
IL ttnUss days this eort of protection
& beat life inanrance all hollow. The
reg lit was that Mr.. Alexander ex.
mayor of the 12-hour-old town OF
Willow Syringe, madc money in.
! Oklahoma and lived to, be Judge
i'm horse show in st. Louis nine
Years later. " st. Louis Globe.D Dem
ocrat.
.i1 what Ne Thoasht.
B Recently two gentlemen, driving
along in azwagonetfe, were smok.
ing, when a spark falling from one
!of their cigars set fire to some straw
y ut the hntfn1alH Hrsr srItha ffannl,e ann,,i