The leader., 1898-03-02
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
A MT OF Excitement In the Nevsds
Desert.

The town Of Gait, In the middle Of the
Nevada desert, contains III houses, and you
step out of the First precinct OF the FIRST
ward into boundless alkali-covered space.
For two hours we had been lying on the
main track waiting for the engineer to Ind
out Just what was the trouble with , hls loco,
motive and TO remedy the disability, and
there was little prospect Of n resumption OF
the journey short Of half a day of lingering:
Every passenger had already Investigated
the balf-acre Of town at least six times, and
the delay was becoming 90 monotonous that
complaint rose and travelled in waves.
"For heavens sakel" cried a stout wine
dealer from California, doesn't anything
ever happen in such a town as thisr Can't
somebody think of something TO do to pass
the time? What interesting occurrences
have you here, anyway The last question
was addressed to a thin, lazy-looking young
man, the only male adult resident in Gait
who was visible among the IL or IL women
and children gathered at the railroad tracks.
Don't nothin' much ever happen here,
said the local dweler. Blame II all, evry
COINS on Is up at Podiga. the county seat,
where there's as many as IL houses. They've
got a trial up there this week, an all our
men folks has been drawed on the Jury;
That's why I'm the only one here. I'd
a gone. too, but I got a sore knee, an the
shurref wouldn't take me. Always my
luck. Never see nothin' nor have no ex-
perience. Them six men that went from
here'll come back an talk for two years
about bein' on that jury. Plagued shame.
man with sore knee'd make as good
Teller for jury as anyone else.
well, can't we get up fight or some
thing diverting to pass time away"
81 amt agn fightin', but don't fight only
with Ben Hackbarth, fer | can lick him
easy. But Ben's on the jury. He'll come
back an blow about it, too. Dog him.
Ill
race or dance jig or-or-or-by thunder,
anything"
"Ain't never rassed with anybuddy but
Ben Hackbarth cause can throw him; an
| don't care to run a race, either, unless with
Ben, an he's on the jury. Wisht was up
there havin' experiences, too.
"Well," desperately pursued the tlred-out
passenger, isn't there something you can do
without Ben Hackbarth? Anything? Any
thing, | say. III make up purse OF $40 Tor
any"
mister, did you say slO?" one of the
Younger of the Outstanding women interrupt
ed. The wine dealer said Eyes" and the
girl called the disappointed youth aside and
the two talked for a few moments. The pro,
prietor of the lame knee then approached
the knot of passengers and said:
We've decided well take you up, mister.
That is, if there's airy preacher with you.
Preacher. You bet your lfe; We've
Il
man of berth 7. And he rushed for the
sleeper, for he understood the purport OF
the remark of the Gait man.
"The idly is this here" said the latter;
"Ben Hackbarth an me both been kind o
irwin around fer this young lady to marry
us. an Ben bein' a kind o travelled an eX-
perienced man seemed like it'd be natcherl
fer her to take him, as she told me in our
talkin' Just now.
He'd been as fur as Elko once, /" said the
girl. ,,.o.
"But when YOU spoke of givin' so fer any
thing, from gttin' married to shootin at
mark, lust so it was done right here and
now, she took notion
''Ten dollars is So" said the girl, sue
cincty.
The bishop was not averse to uniting two
loving hearts, and the whole train turned
out to celebrate the occasion. The marriage
took place on the rear platform OF the sleep
err, and some of the women passengers lent
effects to deck the bride out regardless. Inc
festivities continued up to the time W hen the
engineer announced that he had patched the
defect in the locomotive and was ready to
proceed, and then the wine dealer took up
fund for the new family. The conductor
even agreed to carry the couple on to the
next station for a bridal tour and the Pull
man conductor welcomed them to the hne
furnishings of his domain. The two LETT the
train at FL Boco, being in a sort OF daze OF
delight. The last observation we heard from
the bridegroom was this prophetic remark:
an bet when them six fellers git back
from Podiga they'll be sorry fer thinkin,
that nothin' ever happens at home. They'll
be sorry they was ever called onto that Jury.
Specially" with grim smile, Ben Hack
barth "-Chicago Record.