St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1898-05-11
STORY OF A MAYOR.

,ovor. Ashcroft was one Of those satel-
Ito towns whose existence was due
nripcipally to handful of unfortunate
rrrosnectors who had wandered from the
Central mining star. Aspen, Colo, was
Asbcroft's mining star. Lonergan was
. Scotch -Irishman, 8 feet inches in
height, with a decidedly apologetic
aoop. His eyes were blue, his hair
,baegy red, and for lack of a razor and
Al o time saver he wore full beard.
Pate had fought in the civil war and
rrided himself ON being an American
miner to the core.
Big finds were being made at Ash
o,oft. and she had claims which were
manning out rich stuff. Part Of her pop
Nation was composed of certain ele-
meut recognized in all the new camps
NJ Colorado, New Mexico and Arizona
o. bad men.
Pete knew a bad man and could han.
die him. That was one reason for his
election. The winning Of a mining
camp Office is usually through individ-
nal merit. Justice is close to the surface
4 in all such camps-that is, the justice
which weighs a mans character and
treats him according to the marking Of
4 the scales. 1t is true that the Miner in
4 Judging Of companion 8 worth, entire
4 " sets aside the enthusiasm which
I prompts his comrade to talk half the
night about prospect hole which will
nan out the richest stuff on record.
Such weakness is overlooked, for even
h the discourser knows he eulogizes; so
4 do his hearers, and no harm is done.
4 II after six months residence in a
mining camp popular demonstration
4 10 made in a mans favor, he may be
sure he has assayed at high figure.
Thus it was in Peters case And now
be had won distinction which would
follow him through all camps-he was
I Ashcroft's first mayor.
Tie first few months Peter dignified
! the office with his presence were filed
i with hard work and considerable risk.
Threats meant for the mayors ears al
ways reached them, but his duty, he
4 aid, was located and patented, and he
4 intended working 1t out. And he did.
4 II was not the gambler he was after, for
Z cards and tables were necessities and
4 the banker was obliged to be straight,
4 but it was the bad man who fastened
into camp on his mission Of hold up,
claim jumping, crookedness and general
1 meanness that Pete looked for and
3 found So it was that the first few
/ months were busy ones, but this work
brought its reward, for some of the bad
men left-a few were buried outside Of
the town-and Pete won wide repu-
4 tation for being uncomfortably quick
with his gun and hasty in temper when
executing the high duty the citizens Of
! Ashcroft had imposed on him.
Finally Office duties slaokened and
\ Pete had time for thought His thoughts
conferred upon subject which made
him look slightly i'll at ease. They were
thoughts without verbal outlet. Pete
had no confidants.
The mayor of Ashcroft was in love
and engaged to be married.
Yet for year he had lived in this lit
4 tie mining camp and no one had known
q word of his secret No one ever heard
Pete reveal anything about his private
4 affairs or his family and no one ever
Il dared ask question.
Il This mining etiquette-it saves trou-
bic and prejudice-is one item Of an
Il unwritten code Of social mining laws
worthy Of study and adoption outside Of
camp. The thought that troubled
Pete most. now that he had time to
dwell on it, was how to get out of camp
n without revealing his mission-that OF
being married. 1t was matter close to
& Pete's heart, too close to be commented
upon by Ashcroft. Then there was an.
other reason for silence; he knew the
boys would give him send off, and he
M wished to avoid it, for he was modest
man and hated fuss and show.
He could we'll afford to marry, fol-
though he was not rich he had had fair.
" good luck. His claims Paradox and
Prospect were In his name alone-not 9
third nor sixteenth interest belonged
to any one else. Not that he was close
but mining was a principle with Loner
gan, and a partner sometimes interfere'
with principles, so even though a cast
interest might have aided the develop
2 ment Of his claims and at times forced
MIN over bad places he chose to remain
comparatively poor or uncertainty rich
One night while standing at the hote
oar talk drifted from paying shipper
and new strikes to the last bad MAJ
VINO had been in camp. This was Pete
chance. Downing his "three fingers
with an experienced gulp, he turned tt
1he crowd and said:
Boys, there's id bad man leav
Ing this town tomorrow, and it's m.
purpose to follow that vein if / go Il
missouri for it," and there he stopped
ior 1t was a long sentence for the mayor
A few Of Ashcrofts citizens stood il
front of the saloon the next morning
ana remembering the mayors remarl
.ne night before scanned the passenger
IN the Aspen coach, but saw only two
'ne mayor and the surveyor, SO the.
concluded that the bad man Pete hat
.ola them of had gone away the nigh
Ell UGlQrA his n.,tGt and A chariot