The Pioche weekly record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1877-1900, 1897-03-10

characters among the early-day Kan
sas cowboys. but il is doubtful If there
was one who held any advantage over
Gabe Tucker. Gabe often boosted that
the one consuming ambition Of his life
was to become the champion tough and
terror of the cattle range. drank.
gambled and fought. and was always
ready to engage in a shooting scrape A..
AT a moments notice. and on the least \
provocation. And swearl Why, he 1
was simply eloquent in the use Of pro- /
family.
Gabe had no more respect for religion
than he had for the dirt under his feet.
He derided and scoffed everything of
religious nature. and some of his
4 remarks were SO bold and blasphemous
chat even his cowboy companions
heard them with creeping sensation
of awe and fear.
One of Gabe's chief Sunday enjoy
ments was to come into town, fill up
on whisky and proceed to break up
religious services. He would charge
up and down in front of the building
where services were being held, yell
ing and cursing in the most horrible
manner, and peppering the side of the
house with bullets or SCATTERING the
glass from the windows. Frequently,
when night services were being held,
lie would ride up 10 the door and pro
coed coOlly and calmly to shoot out the
| lights. one after another, until the con-
ION loft N parfaaf do ri
Of course the people of the town did
not approve of Gabe's style, and they
were generally agreed that his devil
Try ought TO be stopped, but when 1t
came TO stopping it, that was another
matter.
Things went along in this way for a
long time, but at last one Sunday new
minister occupied the pulpit. He was
young college graduate from some
where east of the Mississippi, rash.
mpulsive and unacquanted with the
natures of the untamed western cow
boys. In the course of his sermon he
! look occasion to speak of Gabe Tuck
ers deviltry, and he denounced 1t in
= 40 uncertain terms. His audience lis
tened In establishment and trembled
. with fear for his safety. Well, Gabe
heard about the preachers remarks,
l and the next Sunday he rode up to the
3 church, tied his horse and went in and
took seat among the congregation,
( but well back from the pulpit. He
: sat quietly while the opening hymns
were sung and prayer was offered
Y but the congregation kept cycling him
: suspiciously. The minister came for
ward read passage of Scripture, OF
!, fered a Few words of prayer and be
gan to deliver his sermon. When b,
had spoken dozen sentences Cab,
u suddenly arose and drawing his pisto
:, began to plant bullets in the floor al
around the preachers feet. The audi
l. ence yelled and screamed and crawlet
> under the benches while the preache
= hoped and lodged about, scared with
l. in an inch of his life. 1t was an ex I'll
l. ing time and Gabe was the only perso
y in the house who was calm and coo
IL He continued to fire his pistols unit
u he had but two balls left and wit
le those he cut little bunch of hair fror
10 either side of the preachers head jus
III as a reminder of his proficient mark,
" manship. Then he went out, mounte
~ his horse gave series of whoops an
20 dashed away across the prairie. Tn
10 Young minister went back east rigl
B. away and for long while there ws
o. no preaching in the town. Gabe
= fame had spread abroad, and preacl
ers were disposed to give him wit
berth. He boosted that he had broke
I'D the church and that there wou
never be any more services in the tow
of while he remained there.
nd In this, however, Gabe was mistake
nd for services were again held in Il
oV- town, and Gabe Tucker was one of Il
$ a most regular, earnest and devout q
up, tendants. And it all happened in til
we manner. About three months after t
,ns episode Just mentioned word came til
rial a woman preacher was coming to t
ed, town to hold protracted meetir
When Gabe heard this news he vow
up and down that no woman won
hold any meeting there,
oct Two or three days later Gahe "
ont out on the range rounding up sol
Re-. cattle. He was charging across
itv prairie after a refractory steer, VIII