The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1897-10-01
miscellaneous
A FRONTIER DUEL.
BY MAI. ALFRED r.. CALHOUN.

The plaques of the mining camps
| i'll the far west were the hullies and
desperadoes who, Ignoring honest in
dustry. lived by gambling or even
worse
These fellows always go armed,
carry themselves with Il swagger and
iiguratively drag their coat tails on
the ground at all times in the hope
that some one will give them an eX-
cuse to shoot.
Fairplay is q good name for town
or camp, and Fairplay. Col, is today
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 civilization
Of the present.
There are many men not yet be
You'd middle life who distinctly re
member the first hut erected in Fair
play, and who retain a vivid recol-
lection of the first hotel. the Great
Western, which was composed of three
rooms, one canvas, one log and the
other unplaned boards. Though this
establishment claimed to furnish
Accommodation for man and beast"
it had 30 stable for horses, and all its
dodgers had to sleep in hunks in one
room, while bread and bacon con-
stituted the bill o. fare, with now and
then sugarless coffee. The extras"
were composed wholly of bad cigars,
strong chewing tobacco and whisky
Of a kind so much viler than the ordi-
nary 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
Il homicidal mania in those who In
dulged in it MS often as once week.
The bar of the Great Western was
the rendezvous, the headquarters, for
all the miners and teanstt RS in the
vicinity, and you may be sure that it
was a constant resort for the gamblers
and desperadoes who always swarm
about IL new mining town like flies
about sugar hOgshead i'll July.
For the accommodation of the latter
class, with whom lie was in full SYM
pathy, and with an eye to his own
gain-he had only one eye-the land
lord of the Great Western had fitted
up a place for playing faro, and num-
Der 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. Cham
berlain, the wife of the principal mine
superintendent, and LizZy Chamber
lain, her daughter.
Some men, with wives and daugh-
tiers at home in the States, rather
blamed Mr.. Chamberlain for subject
ing his family to the hardships insep-
arabic from such a life, but, had they
known that the devoted wife and
daughter insisted on accompanying
him and sharing his trials, they would
not have been SO hard in their judg-
ment.
Arthur Lyons, a fine young fellow
of four and twenty was Mr.. Chamber
lain's assistant. and as he boarded
with his employer it was pretty gen
orally conceded that he had the in
side track so far as Lizzie was CONCERN
ed, and that their marriage was only
d question of time.
There was, however, in Fairplay,
one man who emphatically refused TO
believe that Lizzie Chamberlain look
ed kindly on Arthur Lyons, aud this
man was known as Red" Snively,
the first name being given to desig-
nate his complexion and the sanguine
color of his hair.
Red SnivCly wished to be known as
The Mountain Terror" ami he tried
hard to have the name attached to
himself, but as the ajority of the
miners looked upon him as a nuisance
rather than Il terror the name did not
stick to any great extent.
Red Suively was "A staggering, ever
armed braggart. He was supposed to
be silent partner in the Great West
ern hotel, and it was IL matter of
notoriety that all the gambling fea-
lures of the establishment were under
his immediate charge.
He claimed Missouri as his home,
and when he became confidential
which was always the case when the
game was going against hin-he
would hint that he was forced to come
west owing" to little cutting scrape
he had over a game of cards.
With the brazen etfrontery of his
class, Red Snively made himself very
Objectionable to Lizzie Chamberlain
by his disgusting attentions; so much
so, indeed, that she dreaded to ven
ture out unless accompanied by her
father or Arthur Lyons.
On one occasion the latter told Red
Snively very enphatically that his
conduct was disagreeable to Miss
Chamberlain, and that it must be
stopped, and this was said with such
calm emphasis that the bully was not
left in any doubt as tothe young mans
meaning nor of his determination to
enforce his request.
In addition to its many other use
the Great Western was the post Office
at which the weekly-more often the
monthly-mail was delivered.
One rainy afternoon after the mail
had come in, Arthur Lyons went up
to get the ever-welcome letters and
papers from the east.
While he was leaning against the
damp bar waiting for the man behind
it to look over the addresses of the
parcels that had come by post, his
felt heavy hand on his shoulder, and
at the same time he heard Red Snive-
ly saying, in Il knocking, banteripg
tone that meant mischief:
Come, Lyons, join NE and we'll
drink to the health of the beauty of
Fairplay.'
AS Arthur shook the huge hand
from his shoulder, he said, very
quietly:
Il do not drink
You don't, eh?" sneered Red Snive-
ly.
Il do not"
Then I'll drink for twOn