The Topeka state journal., 1899-12-30

paper. In about ten minutes I heard
bang, bang, bang-just like that. l
Jumped out OF my chalr' puI notIcSo '
1 was the only man in the office who
was unduIy excited.
'T went to the clerk. who was also
the bookkeeper of the house. 1 found
him busily engrossed in his accounts.
Did you hear that nOise-that bang,
bang, bang?' I asked.
He said he believed he did.
" Sounded like pistol shots?' I said.
HE replied that he thought it was a
pistol noise. Then I asked him if he
supposed there was any trouble. With
out looking up from his ledger, or what
ever 1t was, he said mechanically:
g guess it's nothing unusual. Just
the colonel settling another score. Hasn't t
settled one for about a week new.
while I was cooling off a man ran
into the Office, passed down the hall,
and disappeared.
Guess the colonel missed that one
said the clerk nOnchaIantly.
Il expected the colonel would follow
and said so, but the clerk replied:
mo, he won't come in. Colonel knows
the law. He knows if he follows a man
into the house he gives up some of his
rights, and it might go hard with him
in a trial. AS long as I've been here
I never knew the colonel to oVerstep
his rights in shooting.
Naturally, marvelled to myself and
resumed my seat and tried to read
again, but somehow, my mind wander
| ed. Later-in the day asked the clerk
| at what point mans right to bang
away at another man began in that
town. He said that it was whenever
| the shooter thought he had grievance.
| AS remember it, he underscored the
| word thought.
Il remained in Leavenworth two days
and when the next steamboat upward
/ bound arrived resumed my journey to
! Omaha. I lived in the far west num-
| ber of years. Gradually Leavenworth,
| or the name of the town, began to dis
/ appear from the newspapers. L seldom
/ from Les
"Once passed through town on my
! way back east and as the train kind
| O. hesitated, so to speak, I asked a por-
| ter the name of the place. He looked
| out of the window and then said he be
! lieved it was 'DozenWorth.' That was a
| new name to me.
asked.
He showed his ivories and said he
| guessed I was right, and added:
| d" Reckon I was off in my count
| Another traveller then told me how
| the town had quieted down; that riva
| cities had left it in the background;
| that the grass was in the streets; and
| that the wind was whistling through
the broken panes of windows in vacant
| houses. 1t made me feel sad.
g Do you know a Col. Somebody II
| LeavenWorth? 2? I asked.
He replied that he reckoned he knew
| whom I meant.
Has he got through settling his
| grudges2' asked.
a peacefuller man in Philadelphia thar
| the colonel is now. I reckon he wOulC
shoot if he was pushed, but he Is no
standing out in the street with his gun
in his hand like he used to-
THE talk broke off and / came on east
| About two years ago had a letter from
| a former associate in business in Whicl
he said if 1 wanted to invest money in
town that was humping itself he wOult
! advise me to put it on LeaVenWOrth. Hon
estly was glad to hear that the old tow
| was having a reawakening. I recalled tn
| first time 1 saw it and It loOmed up il
recollection like a mirage.
IS o I went out there to see it. It wa
in new paint. 1t had a look of Tejuvena
| ton. 1t was still beautiful in. it's topO
graphy, and it always will be so.
| Before I went out there, however,
| bought that gun that I just handed {
/ you. When I got to LeavenWOrth I show
| ed it to my Investment agent and toll
| him that LeaVenwOrh was hummer Il
| the first place, in the beginning, men car
ried guns and shot on sight, and tha
| when they quit it the town died.
| towns resewal of life people would be
! gin to shoot again. He gave laugh tha
could have been heard mile and I wen
to my hotel and locked the gun in m
trunk.
t'By the way I saw the colonel while
| was there and he aSEel me if I expecte
| to be in town over Sunday adding: i
you are should like to offer you sea
What is. that Latin about times an
men changing2'
The clerk said he didn't know and tn
new arrival walked away.