The Londonderry sifter. (South Londonderry, Vt.) 1883-19??, 1897-08-20
~eNe~eNseNo~s>e>e
\ FRONTIER DUEL. (!
BY MAI. ALFRED R. CALHOUN.


THE plaques of the mining camps
in the far west were the DULLES
and desperadoes who. ignoring honest
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 oil times in the hope that
some one will give them an excuse to
shoot.
Fairplay is a very good name for
town or camp, and Fairplay, COL, is to-
day 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 beyond
middle life who distinctly remember
the first hut erected In Fairplay, and
who retain 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 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 a man unac-
customed to it, and it always produced
homicidal mania in those who in
dulged in it as often as once 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 II
was a constant resort for the gamblers
and desperadoes who always swarm
about 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 eye-the landlord of
the Great Western had fitted up place
for playing faro, and a number of pine
tables on which those so inclined-and
it was surprising how many were so
lnclined-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 subjecting 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 not have been so hard
In their judgment.
Arthur Lyons, fine young fellow OF
four and twenty, was Mr.. Chamberlain's
assistant, and as he boarded with his
employer it was pretty generally con-
ceded that he had ''the inside track" so
far as Lizzy was concerned, and that
their marriage was only a question of
time.
mere was however, IN Falrpiay' one
man who emphatically refused to be-
lieve that Lizzy Chamberlain looked
kindly on Arthur Lyons, and this man
was KNOWN US heo 0nlVely' the nrst
name being given to designate his COM
pfeNion ana the sanguine color OF ms
halr'
Ked onlvely wished TO be known as
anu ne .rieu
"aiu 70 nave the iiaiie attach 10 MIN
sen' ou' as Tue nhaJorl'y on the miners
iooheo upon Inn DIS nuisance ratner
.nah terror .he naine oho not Suck
10 any great extent.
Kea onlveiy was staggering, ever
armed praggart. lie was supposed TO be
silent partner IN the Great western
horel' ana IL was matter OF notoriety
that an the gampiing FEATURES OF the
estaoiishment were unoer MS Ammedi-
hte charge.
ne c,ainleo missouri as MS nome, ana
"heh ne pecaine conHoen tlai-"hlcn
was al"ays tneca Wnen tne game was
going against MIME would mint rhat
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- .uA ape e nav o'e' sano
VI va. 10
D.. e.,- a1e" ~ ~ - n'>
e,ass' Neu 1n.eiy nlaun niihse,i very
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i a.s uiss us..ns as.el,',ons' 80 naucti -,
'io' eifo uieaueu " 'en'ure ou'
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