The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1899-03-05
CaIk Of tbe Gown
ITEMS Gathered in
Ualks and Cabs.
MYSTERY OF \ SHOT.


A y. Gregory of the Masonic Home.
is full Of interesting stories One he
tells about an experience in California dur
ing the gold days, and it is worth repeat
ing. He says:
This is how Jim Brindle came 10 die
with his boots on: Al the little mining
town OF Buckeye, in Shasta county, Cal.
in the year 1855, the tragedy which I here
relate happened Shasta City, the county
seat, s some SIX miles due west, and on the
west OF the Sacramento river. These
mines were quite abandoned during the
dry months, for they consisted OF long
plats of red, gravelly earth that would
only pay when there was pl5nty OF water
in the bitches already prepared and with
long sluice boxes. The Long Tom and
Rocker were abandoned. About Nove1l-
Der the town began TO I'LL up The board
ing house was occupied by and managed
by very coquettish little widow. a
French barber combined a billiard table,
saloon and the only barber shop. His
adopted wife was the second and the only
two white women in the city, but plenty Of
Indians all around. A few small miners
stores, a butcher shop and plenty OF small
saloons; from 80 to 100, mostly native Amer
lean. miners made up the population. As
there was no license required, liquor was
sold and card tables were running az all
saloon, so as the mines began to pay the
games began TO play, and they run them
night and day. And now, bear in mind.
the miners of all the early camps were
composed OF the very best young men
the college students, the law and the pro-
LESSONS. I must not forget to introduce
the butcher who possessed the most cash,
owned a nice building. a billiard hall and
saloon, boarded with the widow and had
escorted her TO several balls in good So
ciety over and about Shasta City. The
writer pleads guilty of leading rather a
reckless habit-that of boarding and pay
ing SO per week. Just to have a good.
jolly time, exchange smiles with the
widow and worry the butcher.
'At times the woods and the streets
were full Of dusky maidens. The Digger
tribe were short OF stature, and very nu-
merous, but the lowest and most degraded,
perhaps. of all tribes known, and yet
very docile and none of them ever or the
warpath. Some evenings the boys would
hire them TO dance for hours, 70 their
native chant, no and no. heigh in no,
chow wom.' The father Of Jim Brindle
was a well-to-do ranchman and lived near
by, and his mother was a fulI-blood Cher
okee. Some of the Cherokees are fine
/ looking Indians Jim was handsome, about
20 years old, generous and brave, but had
the common weakness for drink and cards.
and yet passed in the society OF miners
and was often noticed at the table Of our
boarding house, sleeked up and very gen
tlemanly. On Saturday afternoon before
Christmas II was noticed that Jim and his
best friend were filling I'D on bad whisky
and going from bar to bar. getting very
noisy. They visited and drank quite often
at the billiard han owned by the butcher.
who seldom waited on the customers, but
at this time his man was out Of town
Jim would demand that ne should drink
with them every time. Finally ne refused.
This was the signal. for they both drew
their weapons and Jim said. You are no
gentleman, or you would drink with me-
''They cooled down a little and finally
ordered the drinks again. Jim knew he
had the best shot and coolest man in town
to tackle, so, as he emptied his glass. he
crashed it through the top OF a showcase
with Damn you, defend yourself At
! the same time the butchers hand was
reaching under the counter for his trusty
revolver but 10! II was gone His man
had carried It away, Jim always said
he would always give any man a chance
for his life He had cut his wrist very
bad and the blood was running freely A
crowd had gathered and took him away
oil 4
seeing two dead men on the hoor. His
friends took him away. washed and band
aged his wounds. and his chum and he
sat down to supper at the same table al
which the writer and the butcher were
seated. little did the widow suspect the
strange rivalry as Jim's les tooa what
proved to be their last, long, Slingering
look at her.
THE custom Of miners was 70 get the
weeks dust weighed. pay little bills. taking
care to have a little change left 10 carry
them over from Saturday evening 20
Monday morning; dress up in their fan
mel shirts, OF their own washing. no
white. starched. stand-up collars allowed.
4 great many were great readers, devour-
ing the contents OF many New York
Weeklies and other papers, az twenty-five
cents Der paper.
IAN unusually large crowd was out this
Saturday evening. especially az the sa
loon OF the barber, where Jim and his
chum were seated at q table gambling. AZ
another dance hall they had a stag dance,
the lady partners distinguished by some
burlesque mask. All was lively at the
BARRIERS table. Every one seemed 10 re-
member what a narrow risk Jim had OF
being killed
Near midnight Jim managed to get into
a quarrel with Big John Bolllver and &C
cused hin OF cheating. but John never
carried a gun and was the greatest coward
in the camp. but jim bantered him TO fight
rough and tumble. They agreed. The
bartender ordered all out into the street.
TAe noise attracted a large crowd. as they
formed a ring John was some two feee
the taller. The crowd surged forward and
backward and forward, demanding all fair
play and that neither should be allowed
any shooting irons, but John could never
get ready-he wanted more tine. more
preltmlnaries, and just a. high = vas an
nounced as tine % begin. a pistol SHOT was
heard and jim Brindle feI dead The
ball had passed near his heart The
butcher and I arrived IN tine % help
carry HIN into Ehe barber shop No
one had seen the fash or smoke Of any
gun. but they knew jim vas dead
a demand vas made that ;he barber
should shave jim and have him lock nice
When the coroner arrived they had al