New-York tribune., 1899-03-26
THE BOTTLE MILLIONAIRE.
HOW MIKE TUSSLER MADE AND h'9i .
FORTUNE IN THE BLACK HILLS

roRTI'NE IN THE BLACK HILLS
From The Argonaut.
A., friend Mike Tuesler was n cowboy par ac-
oid,nt Nature had made him an lrishmah' ana
thc favor of a ward boss had made MN p'''0'
man in Boston vet here was he beside sage
h,ush campfire with the cattle bedded GOWN i''
the night hard by. Some good cowboys come
from Boston-a few. There is DOUBT ABOUT
M Tusslcr as TO whether he was so eiilcieh' d
vaouero because he was Irish or for the reason
that ne was unusually bow-legGed. AT any Ta'e'
his anatomy fitted to horse very accura'e'H'
and he bostrodc bucking bronco as trdVe-
fully and securely as sawbuck on d "o'i''
roof 1t is sad-but can give you only near
say on this point-that Mike would lock MS toes
together under the horses ribs and thus ride
out safely the hardest gale OF pitching ana 'oss
ing that any oayuse could put up. Added 10 the
anatomical reason for the lrishmans making
good vaqucro there appears to be an interesting
chronological one.
There is a hypothetical racial relation ne
tween Ireland and Spain. The Spanlard anu MS
American progeny the Mexican make the pest
horsem,n on earth, and the Irishman is good
second
Mike saws this is all wrong and l am con
founding cause with effect that his legs were
straight as young saplings before overmuch rid
ing effected and perfected their present gracefu
curve.
Also. he is not a real Irishman at all at all
hut belongs TO that honorable and aDouhulhe
elan, Scotch from the North of Ireland
But this is his own yarn-let him tell IT;
"Whon my legs was straight was three inches
taller than am now, and good-looking in pro-
portion. With my broad shoulders and fine chest
I was one OF the bcst-looking officers on the
force and so they put me out at Cambridge to
keep an eye on the boys at the varsity.
stayed there only one year. when had to resign
from thc force on account Of my health beng
threatened with sympathetic tremens from see
ing them students staggering home in the morn
ing Fine officers is ruined hat way every year.
b'ys. and John l.. says they ought to have a
pension.
But a policeman is like a soldicr-he has to
go where he is ordered; when was ordered
off the force went Then joined private
detective agency, and was sent out to the Black
Hills 10 find "A gold mine that had been lost
there Ny employer old lady who
had taken a half-ntcrest in the property to
obligc friend. and il was my sad duty to write
her that it was no real mine at ALL but sailed
barrels Of salt having been imported for the
purpose ! found that out al once 10y the empty
barrels that was piled up near the entrance.
The poor old lady died hearing how she
had been buncoed, and | never had the
chance to let her know | was mistaken. the bar
rels not being salt barrels, but all bottled-bccr
barrels. Just dumped in the canyon to get them
out az the way. The Hills a great place for
beer, reminding me Of Cambridge and the rail
ROAD not bein built yet, everything had TO come
III two hundred miles wagons, making
frciehts sky high and the price of beer likewise.
"The cid ladys mine called the Spar
hawk and all there To ii tunnel
about sixty feet into the mountain right close
to town. so as the miner could have ALI the
advantages Of town and country life. Not being
very flush of money account of her dy ing
so suddenly after getting the report on the
mine without having time to sign my check !
boarded up the front Of the tunnel and moved
in made some elegant furniture out Of the
old barrels. and found lot Of bcer-ahout Il
dozen hottlcs-that had been overlooked in the
st,aW packing in the barrels II was getting
cold weather hut the straw had kept il from
freezing 50 : twas AL right.
Nov. having corkscrew IN my pocket at the
moment was the foundation Of my fortune for
If I'd been obliged to break the bottles to get
the beer. tho idea would never have come to me
TO save EN-. But seeing them standing all up
in a row good new. and only wanting more
beer in them dixie me-. think, says j, Why not
Save 'em and get EN- fIIedT