The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1898-03-06

Mayor. Ashcroft was one OF those satelNto
towns whose existence was due pr ncipaly
10 q handful Of unfortunate prospcctoGs
who haG wandered from me central min-
inr siar-AsDcn. Colorado. was Ashcroft s
uIuina siar. LoUcreau was q Scotch-lrhh d.
max. sN feet FIVE inches n height. wen
a decidedly Apologize ct1op. his eyes
were blue. o. S haIr shaggy red and Tor
lack OF O razor and as a umc-ravcr. he
wore "a tu.. beard. teie BAD iousAt 800 th'
rebellion an0 ptiied himself on being an
American miner 90 thc core.
Big un5s we're bone made AT Ashcroft
and she had claims wlcn were pannn3
OUT ric1 sf1G Part ~ her population was
composed OF "a certain Cd mcnt recognized
81 al thc new camps OF colorado. sc"
Mcxico and Arizona as bad men. Pete
knew a bad man and could handle nm
Tint was ono reason for his election.
The winning o. "a mining camp office Is
usually ihr0Cgh iniiNitl.i merit justice
g. close i0 the surface in oi such camps,
that Is. the Justice which wciens q mans
character and treats him according 20 The
marking OF fho scales. it SIS true that ms
miner. ln iuCeinc of q companions worth.
entirely sets q.ils tlc enthusiasm whiea
prompts his c0mrade 90 talk half the
rleht about "a nr0a poet hole which WI
nan out the richest stuff On record. Sucn
"a weakness i7 overlooked. for even Che
dlscourser knows De cIlogizcs. So 90 bis
hearers. and mo- horn is G0rc IT, after
six worths' residence in o. mining camp.
q popular demonstration is made in a
man favor. Ne may Dee sure ne mas da-
saycd 40 "a high figure. Thus IT was So
peters case And now De- had wen q els
unrtlrn that would follow him through
all camps-he was Ashcroit's first Mayor
The frsf few months Peter dIgnlncd
the Office With his presence were hlet
with hard work and considerable risk
Threats meant FOR the Mayors eare 0'-
ways reached them. but his duty. be said.
was located and patented. and he n-
tended working 81 out. and he cld. 70 was
NOS the gambler DC woE after. for cards
and table, were necessities. and The bank
er was obliged TO De straight. but 10 was
% bad man who FASTENED into camp on
his mission OF hoid-up claim jumping.
crook,dness and general meanness that
Pete looked Tor and found So 10 was That
the first few months we're busy ones hu
this work brought its reward. for some
Of the bad mon lCft-a few were buried
outside OF town-and Pete won o. wide
reputation Ion being uncomfortable quick
with his gun and hasty in TEMPER wnen
executive The high duty The citizens OF
Ashcroft had imposed upon him.
Finally Office duries slackcncd and Pete
had time Tor thought His thought cen
tered upon q subject which made aim
look slightly en- nt ease. They were
thought. without verbal outlet Pete had
no condiants. The Mayor OF Ashcroft was
in love and engaged 90 Doe married. Ne'
for "a year De had lived iu this little min
Ing camp ana mo- one bad known a word
Of his secret No one ever heard Pete
reveal anything about nis private affairs
or his family and no one ever dared ask
o question.
This mining ouQuetto-it saves trouble
and prejudice and is one item OF an un-
written code OF social Mining laws worthy
Of study and adoption outside Of camp
The thought that trObled Pete most.
now that DE had time 20 dwell on %.
was how to get out Of camp without
revealing hls mission-that Of being mar
ried. % was a matter close 90 Pcte's
heart-ioo close 20 De commented upon by
Ashcroft. Then. there was another reason
for silence. ro knew the boys would give
ham o. send on and be wished 90 avoid u
for Doe was q modest man and hated fuss
and show.
He could wen afford 20 marry. for
though De was NOT rich he had had fairly
good luck His claims Paradox and
Prospect were 90 bis name alone-not o
third nor q sixiocnlh interest belonged io
ANHNN. Cisco HN" ""L" "- "
mining was o. principle with Lonerean
and 70 partner somstims interfcres with
principles go even though "a cash Unrest
mrht have nldef noe Development '
his claims and forced him at times over
bad places. boz choose t0 remain compal-
atively poor or uncertainty rich.
enc rieht v.Il- standing of fno lo'
bar. taik drif,ed from aging shippers and
now strikes to the ns, n1i man Wh
nd been 90 camp. This was retc's chance
DoWnInr his three Nrgrrs Wltn an r'
perienced guip be- turned 20 thc crow
ans sad. Boys. there "a otd man ledN
inc thle town tomorrow and lts my pu'
pose Go fellow that vein % ] go Go Mls
souri, for BE-" and there Doe stopped. for
Was "a long sentence Tor In' Ml'"r.
A few of Ashcrofrs citizens STOOD "
front OF Che saloon Che next morning an'
rememherinr The Mayors remark OBJ
rirbf before. scanned the passengers 81
me Asnon coach. but saw only two. IN
Mayor and The surveyor. so they concluc
Cd the bad man Pete had told them OF ho'
gone away the NIGHT before 10 his oW
outft and Ashcroft never questioned ~
authority OF her Mayor 90 leave the inn
portant functions OF his Office TO do |
neat detective job.
81 was only a day over two weeks whe
che Concord coach. covered with aus
rolled up in front or the et. Elmo hoo
az noon. ana 90 the anazcment OF o.
two dozen curiJus spectators Peter Lone
gan stepped out and then turned TO assis
q very smali woman fhr0uch The narroN
door ~ The coach. Peter had not spokei
a word nor recognized Dy "a nod any O.
the ciizens surrounding him but the'
noted with smiles that he wore a new sui
o. civilized cut clothes. new shoes-no |
hoots-and 10 their omozemcnt his Nhisk |