Tazewell Republican. [volume] (Tazewell, Va.) 1892-1919, 1897-09-30
4&e\o&e<AeeNoNeN0 @G
: A FRONTIER DUEL. :
4 BY MAJ. ALFRED R. CALHOUN. 3
naz.>
S~s~e@e@es~o~oNs@


Industry, lived by gambling or even
worse.
These fellows always go armed, carry
themselves with a swagger and figura'
lively drag their coat tails on the
ground at all times in the hope that
some one will give them an excuse to
shoot.
Fairplay is a very good name for a
town or camp, and Fairplay, Col, is to-
day a thriving, law-abiding place, but
like all western towns, it had to pass
through all the stages Of social evolu-
ton from the absolute barbarity of its
beginning to the high civilizationof the
present.
There are many men not yet beyond
middle life who distinctly remember
the first hut erected in Fairplay, and
who retain q vivid recollection of the
first hotel, the Great Western, which
was composed of three rooms, one can
vas, one log and the other unplaned
boards. Though this establishment
claimed to furnish Accommodations
for man and beast" it had no stable
for horses, and all its dodgers had to
sleep in hunks in one room, while bread
and bacon constituted the bill of fare,
with now and then sugarless coffee.
The extras" were composed wholly OF
bad cigars, strong chewing tobacco and
whisky of q kind so much viler than the
ordinary fluid that one drink of it has
been known to produce all the effects
of delirium tremens on man unac-
customed to it, and it always produced
q homicidal mania in those who in
dulged in it as often as once q week.
The bar of the Great Western was
the rendezvous, the headquarters, for
all the miners and teamsters in the
vicinity, and you may be sure that it
was a constant resort for the gamblers
and desperadoes who always swarm
about a new mining town like flies
about sugar hogshead in July.
For the accommodation of the latter
class, with whom he was in full sym
pathy, and with an eye to his own gain
he had only one cye-the landlord of
the Great Western had fitted up place
for playing faro, and number of pine
tables on which those so inclined-and
it was surprising how many were SO
inclined-could play that alluring but
most uncertain game called poker.
At this time there were only two
women in Fairplay, viz, Mrs. Chamber
lain, the wife OF the principal mine
superintendent, and Lizzy Chamberlain
her daughter.
Some men, With wives and daughters
at home in the states, rather blamed
Mr.. Chamberlain for subjectipg his fam
lily to the hardships inseparable from
! such life, but, had they know that
The devoted wife and daughter insisted
on accompanying him and sharing his
trials, they would net have been so hard
an their judgment.
Arthur Lyons, fine young fellow OF
four and twenty was Mr. Chamberlain
assistant, and as he boarded with his
employer it was pretty generally con-
ceded that he had 1.-The inside track" sc
far as Lizzy was concerned. and that
their marriage was only question OF
time.
There was, however, in Fairplay, one
man who emphatically refused to be-
lieve that Lizzy Chamberlain looked
s1ndly on Arthur Lyons, and this mar
xvas known Is "Red" Sniveiy, the frs
name being given to designate his com
plexion and the sanguine color of his
hair.
Red Snively wished to be known q:
"The Mountain Terror" and he tried
hard 10 have the name attach to him
self, but as the majority of the miner:
looked upon him as a nuisance rather
than a terror the T. ne did not sticl
70 any great extent.
Red Saively was a staggering, ever
armed braggart. lie was supposed 10 bt
n silent partner in the Great Western
hotel. and it was matter Of notoriety
that al the gambling features of The
establishment were under his immedi
ate charge.
lie claimed Missouri as his home, ant
when he became ccnfdential-whicl
was always thecase when the game wa!
going against him-he would hint tina
he was forced to come west "owin' to (;
little cuttin' scrape" he had over game
of cards.
With the brazen effrontery of hi!
class. Rcd Snively made himself very
Objectionable to Lizzy Chamberlain by
his disgusting attentions; so much so
indeed, that she dreaded to venture GU
unless accompanied by her father CT
Arthur Lyons.
On one occasion the latter told Zee
'Snively very emphatically that his con
duct was disagreea.ble to Miss Chamber
lain, and that it must be stopped, ant
this was said with such calm emphasi!
that the bully was not left in any
doubt as TO the young mans meaning
nor of his determination to enforce hi
request.
in addition to its many other uses TIT
Great Western was the post office a
which the weelly-more often tn,
,nonthly-mail was delivered.
One rainy afternoon after the mai
had come in Arthur Lyons went up Il
get the eyer-welcome letters and papers
from the east.
-, While he was leaning against tn
damp bar waiting for the man behinc
it to look over the addresses of TIL
parcels that had come by post, he fel
n heavy hand on his shoulder, and a
ithe same time he heard Red Swivel.
saying, in mocking, bante1ing tom
that meant miscief:
"Come, Lyons, Join me and wei
drink to the health of the beauty o
,Fairplay."
AS Arthur shook the fellows hug
hand from his shoulder, he said, yer.
quietly:
"I do not drink"
SYoudon't, eh?" sneered Red snively
81 do not"