The Saint Paul globe., 1900-05-13
Nekedesf Spof im Gbe WoryA.
1t Is Where the Great Northern Is Driving
Three-MIle Tunnel Through the Mountains.

Of the laborers stampeded to the little
city of saloons, and an indescribable
scene followed. -
For hours some Of the men had waited
outside Of the company's commissary to
receive their checks. The checks receiv-
ed, the men disappeared like magic. and
a line of struggling humanity was soon
stretched out from the camp to the
city" The men burst in on the saloons
like a crowd Of overgrown schooIboys
out on holiday. Within an hour after
the checks were issued every saloon was
packed to the doors with a steaming,
cursing, jostling mass of humanity
The saloons are long, one-storied barn.
like structures. On platform, guarded
by strong railing. pianist, sometimes
assisted by a fiddler. brings forth
wretched music. During the first half
hour the men are fairly sociable AS the
heat becomes intense the jewellers shed
their ''slickers" and macldnaws and pile
them in a heap. Relieved of this heavy
clothing, they begin to dance. Wretched
looking women are, to their whisky
blinded eyes, so many queens.
By 10 o'clock the fun wakes furious.
The intensity with which these strong
men enter into the orgies that follow
makes a sober mans face blanch. The
women too, give wild rein to their nas
siOns. Sometimes it is over one of Thorn
that the jewellers begin to fight. AS soon
as the first blow is struck fighting he
comes general.
Sometimes a fighter is knocked down
early in the melee. Then he is kicked
and trampled upon until he becomes IN
conscious, and then dragged away to give
room to the fighters.
Occasionally there is a lull In the fight
irNcr ffN~ Tho ,N,1,,
rough dance in which a half dozen men
and as many women engage Clothing
that would interfere with their move
ments is thrown off, and a space Is
cleared for the performers The music
becomes faster as the dance proceeds IT
becomes a matter Of brute strength as
to which will remain on the floor the
longest. Bets are made on the results.
A little "gun play Is occasionally in
du1ged in. Some brawny drill runner,
who has learned to handle gun in
Montana mining camp, enters a saloon
and begins to shoot through the ceiling
The crowd criticises the gun man His
next move Is more serious. With q curse
he aims his revolver at the lights and
the bar is In darkness.
Law and order are set at naught dur
ing the pay day revels. There is a dep
uty sheriff, paid by the company, but he
seldom tntertereS, knowing that II he did
so his stay would be short. Ex-conVicts
prove the most desperate of the fighters.
While at work in the tunnel they are un-
communicative. Once In the saloons they
exhibit the worst side of their characters.
Before the revels are concluded, a fight
is usually arranged between two women.
Sometimes there is a coarse love-story
at the bottom of these fights. The wo-
men take the middle of the room, and,
egged on by the men, they bite and gouge
and strike each other until one becomes
insensible
One of the women favors male attire.
She is a handsome girl. Nell Pickerell by
name, whose respectable parents live in
this city. She is only eighteen years of
age, but lncorrigible. The ambition Of
her life is to act like man.
Broken down gamblers ply their calling
in the camp. AS drunken tunnel men are
their only victims, they use the tricks Of
the trade without concealment.
The camp has its gang of hold-up men.
They only operate during the pay days.
This gang is said to be led by an ex-
convict.
The tunnel goes through the base Of
a mountain $500 feet in height. 1t will
be, when completed next October, nearly
three miles in length.