The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1898-06-29
SOMETHING HAPPENED.
A Bit of Excitement in the Nevada
Desert.

The town of Gait, in the middle of the
Nevada desert, contains IL 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 find
out just what was the trouble with his loco,
motive and to remedy the disability, and
there was little prospect of resumption of
the journey short of half day of lingering.
Every passenger had already investigated
the half-acre of town at least six times, and
the delay was becoming so monotonous that
complaint rose and travelled in waves.
"For heavens sake!" cried a stout wine
dealer from California, doesn't anything
ever happen in such town as this? 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 II or IA women
and children gathered at the railroad tracks
Don't nothin' much ever happen here"
said the local dweller Blame it all, ev'ry
COINS on is up at Podiga, the county seat,
where there's as many as II houses. They've
got trial up there this week, an all our
That's why Pm the only one here. I'd
a gone. too, but | got sore knee, an the
shurreff wouldn't take Always my
luck. Never see nothin' nor have no ex-
perience. Them six men that went from
aere'll come back an talk for two years
about bein' on that jury Plagued shame.
A man with a sore knee'd make as good a
teller for jury as anyone else.
"Well, can't we get up a fight or some
thing diverting to pass time away,
II amt agin fghtin', 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.
"Pll give dollar if you'll wrestle or run
4 race or dance jig or-or-or-by thunder,
'Ain't never rassled 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 tired-out
passenger, isn't there something you can do
without Ben Hackbarth? Anything? Any
thing, I say. I'll make up purse Of $40 for
HMister, 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 few moments. The pro-
! prietor of the lame knee then approached
the knot of passengers and said:
"We've decided We'll take you up, mister.
That is, if there's airy preacher with you.
preacher? You bet your life! We've
got a bishop!" yelled the New FORK business
man of berth T. 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,
tryin' around fer this young lady to marry
us, an Ben ben' kind o travelled an eS.
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
"But when YOU spoke of givin' $40 fer any
thing, from gittin' married to shootin' at
mark, just SO it was done right here and
now, she took a notion"
"Ten dollars is $l0," said the girl, sue
cinctly. ..
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
er, and some of the women passengers lent
effects to deck the bride out regardless. Inc
festivities continued up to the time when me
engineer announced that he had patience the
defect in the locomotive and was READY 10
proceed, and then the wine dealer TOOK up
fund for the new family. The conductor
neyt station for bridal tour and the Pull
man conductor welcomed them to the fne
furnishings of his domain. The two LETT the
train at FL Boco, being in sort OF daze OF
DELIGHT. The last observation we heard from
the bridegroom was this prophetic remark:
.I'I bet when them six felers git back
from Podiga they'll be sorry fer thinkin
that nothin' ever happens at home. They'll
he sorry they was ever called onto that jury.
Specially" with grim smile, ben Hack
barth. Chicago Record.