The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1897-08-06
STORIES OF DENVER.
TOLD BY ONE WHO WAS A BOY WHEN
THAT CITY WAS YOUNG.
How Soldier Taught the Youth "a Lee
con In Diseretion-The Miner Who Lost
His All In the Gambling Houge - His
Trick With u Few Grains of Pow s;Sv,

Trick With "a Few Grains of Pow s:yv.
Emory n Yard, recently mayor of Tren-
ton and one of its most respected citizens,
has many "reminiscences of the early days
In DenyeS where be passed part of his
boyhood.
II was about iG years old, no said
"when l entered the general merchandise
store of my uncle the building being on
one of the principal streets. My relative
remarked to Ine one day that IL probably
would fall TO my lot to see some things
now and then that 1t would be we'll l
should not see. The wisdom of this advice
was impressed upon me some weeks later
when a soldier came into the store to buy
some tobacco. placed several pieces be-
fore him, noticing at the same time that
he was a rough looking fellow. My uncle
was away and l was alone. While the GUS
toner was handling the different pieces ] |
saw him slip two of them into his pocket |
He fumbled the others for some minutes
and then said he would not buy any that
day, but would call again.
"'Before you 60, said /, i want you
to pay for those two pieces you put In your
pocket.
:" Do you accuse me OF stealing your TO
baccoY' he angriy asked.
81 was young and impulsive and an
swered
THAT'S what I'm saying. You've
stolen two pieces and must pay Tor them
or hand them back, and to give emphasis
to my words l suggestively closed my fin.
gers around u two pound weight
"Wcll, don't think there was square
| inch of floor in that store over which that
soldier failed TO drag me- and believe he
hammered down every nail with my head,
after which he walked off with the to-
bacco.
"When my uncle returned, told him
my story and insisted that he should
bring the soldier to punishment The old
man surveyed my battered couh'ehahce
and then remarked:
"'Emory. YOU don't look quite so pretty
ms Won did Yesterday, but l think you
know little more, and that was tho end
of IL. comprehended then that it would
have been wiser for me not to have seen
the differing of the tobacco.
Gin those days fortunes were won and
lost in a few hours, and sometimes fierce
encounters took place. Men would toll Tor
months to scrape a little gold together ana
then come down to Denver and lose 1t all
} i'm n single night. One afternoon IA miser-
able looking fellow drifted into town. his
buckskin suit was ragged, his shoes tied
e To his feet with strings, his hair long ana
straseling and his beard untrimmed Tor
months. This man had been absent for
two wears. He had been In the mountains,
l where he had toiled half starved, fought
e wild animals and still wilder red men
n and finally succeeded In getting together
about 5000 worth of gold dust. he saun'
e tered into the gaming place, sat down al
n one of the tables and when he arose, less
d than an hour later, had lost every cent ht
;, had.
II "His misfortune seemed TO daze him
I, He wandered aimlessly around the room
10 for n few minutes and then without
lie word passed out into the storm ana DARK
moss No one noticed or cared for him
The next morning the vagrant saunteree
into the Mace again. He was the pictur'
i. 81 woo and wretchedness, but said nothing
- Durinp the day few were present, ana III
, cat still most of the time signing, put re
moinino speechless. When night cam
and the men began gathering, he eager.
watched the play, in which he could TAX
no part. -, g. o,,oro
"This pantomime continued for severa
nc dovs. until the attendant, VINO was AWAY
" resent grew nervous. He urged the ma
" to brace M, to 90 back to the mountains
n, GET more gold and try his luck again
n which was sure to improve, put the s'r"l
y, cor shook his head, muttered TO hlmse
n and gave the impression that his proih W"
n turned over his loss The room III whio
~ the gaming was done was long anu nul
~ row. the tables being placed along |,
I'd sides. When it began to grow darh' u
u; attendant was accustomed TO ilgho up III
arrange the little pyramids OF goid OH eae
~ table, ready for the players, VINO soon az
sb peared. Near the middle OF the rooii' W.
sn a large. old fashioned stove.
- early one crisp evening as .hc ["
- tendant began lighting the place anu .
oer ranging the gold coin, the Mooo. e.
i0c stranger sbuffled through the open doo
50 Witbont sneaking, he walked to the stow
Der .,oanhod his thumb and forefnger und
h;s arm. took out pinch of black graz
and funp them into the front of the STOW
A flash and puff instantly followed. i
ay. reneated the act and was about 10 90
30 aaoin when the attendant who
, aIr watching him demanded: -,
az, az !" what are you doing tbereY
56 "Tbe man snatched out large piauo
,06 from under his ragged coat. IL was cal
md ble of holding several pounds OF pow.
3.25 and II was from this bag that the visi'
ted had taken the grains that flashed anu
ons nioded when flung among the Goals throu
S:S The little opening in the door.
I Dts 1--we lost everything, and we may
p at ,e,, 90 to hell together, he answered, q
yht, as he did so he opened the door OF the s'I
4.O5 and damned the bag and its contents
aVy side. ~. o,oitted G
,oll and was ont of the front door at 5
3. ,Ie hound. Hatless and coatless, nc ia
om- e. down the street for several blocks
Y, Core ne dared siacken his pace fheh
= nansrd TO listen to the explosion ana 70
ea 1s ,he establishment sail skyward' put eve
''.an ,hing remained as it was, ana 10 unu :,
ac. snnnd broke upon his car. lie stole u
rs; i ,Str Iack and peepcd through the DC
eep, Nnthinu. ms far as he could Sec was
."rbrd. Growing suspicious no wan wan
-. ~, tho stove and examined the bag ana
T. ,ontents. The contents looked IKE 81"
eie- .f ounpowder. but he quickly discose
D. a ,hat they were only black snhu' .h' ;,
ust, ,incbes which the man FIRST exploded !
De ,na heen the only powder in his possessi
no. s,Then the attendant made iur'hei