The San Francisco call. [volume] (San Francisco [Calif.]) 1895-1913, 1898-09-11
TOMBSTONE Ut IT'S WORST
ut IT'S BEST.

the dance girls struck and declared
that they would not lend their presence
to the Elephant, if Mexicans were al
lowed to come there. They claimed
that the agent who had hired them in
San Francisco had said there were only
white gc--tlemen in the new mining
camp. Jake Jacobs issued an order to
doorkeepers to permit none but good
white men to enter, no matter how
much gold they might display
There was no serious trouble result
ing from this refusal ITO admit all of
the citizens of Tombstone until the fol-
lowing aturday evening when the
miners had been paid off. and the town
was unusually hilarious. A dozen men
attempted to enter the Elephant and
were told to keep out. They held
consultation. That always meant in
those days quiet talk as to their re-
spective ornaments.
In a twinkling the Elephant was
fired upon with pistols from the out
side. The place was in full blast at the
time. The dance girls went Shrieking
behind the bar. The gamblers at the
tables snatched their money and chips
and huddled in groups for protection
behind one another, while the men
dancers drew their own shooting irons.
The outsiders were careful not to shoot
an men on the inside, but one stray
shot did kill q barkeeper. The mirrors
behind the bar were ruined by bullets
through the windows. The lamps were
extinguished b. bullets. The fancy
woodwork in front of the bar was bat
tered by lead and the big bass viol
in the orchestra was shot through sew
eral times.
The scare was so great to many peo-
pie in the Elephant that it never re-
gained its popularity, and dancing went
back to the other and earlier saloons in
the town.
The people of Tombstone. in spite of
all their shooting proclivities, had a
great time There was a killing every
day or two, but that did not check the
prevailing hilarity. They were great
jokers. A favorite joke on strangers
was to take them out hunting antelope.
Mayor Robinson had a fine pack Of
hounds and two horses, one called Ca
lamity and Greyhound Calamity could
only go few miles when he was wind
ed and almost useless. He was reserved
for the stranger. On the way Robinson
would incidentally talk of hostile Apa-
ches and the possibility of meeting
them until the tenderfoot's hair began
to raise. In a gulch a score of Tomb
stone fellows would be hid, all rugged
up in complete Indian outfits. Robin
son would manage to lose all the hunt
ers and be alone with the stranger
when they reached the gulch. Then
| out would come the bogus INDIANS WITH
blood curdling war whoop.
Fly for your life!" Robinson would
yell, and, sticking his spurs into Gray
hound, he would be out of sight in a
minute.
1t was a sight to see the tenderfoot
trying to mend the pace of Calamity
with the Indians always. a little in the
rear. The Indians would retreat at the
edge of town, and all the town would
be out to see the tenderfoot's arrival
and tell him with grave faces what
narrow escape he had had. They never
gave the snap away and the game went
right along by the year. Some Of the
| tenderfeet told hair-raising stories, a Ia
Falstaff, of how they had slain num-
| Der of the hostiles, but none ever told
they had been hoaXed.
When the mines began to peter out,
when the railroad built through South
ern Arizona, and when the ranches be-
gan to be well-settled upon, new blood
4 went to Tombstone and the town quick
ly became an orderly, resi- ectable bust
ness-like town. The hurdy-gurdys, the
dance houses, faro banks, the cowboys
with their red sashes, sombreros, high
heeled boots and clanking spurs, are
gone forever, but for two years never a
livelier town f1ourished in wealth and
wickednesS than Tombstone.