El Paso daily herald. (El Paso, Tex.) 1881-1901, 1900-01-06
SQUIRE BROWN OF TEXAS
AND THE GRIZZLY BEAR
Written Especially for the HERALD.
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1855, the writer and his companions
were eating their regular meal of beans
on Mismo Gulch, Kern river, Cali
fornia, when quartet of dusty looking
miners, driving couple of burros
loaded down with the usual picks, pans,
blankets and grub, crossed La Mismo
near US, went short distance below
and csmped. They did not give the
usual hearty greeting among "honest
miners" in those days, nor ask about
the best place to camp, or where to
prospect, or news of the day, or any
thing denoting a friendly disposition.
We spotted them at once as party that
had said tn at we had more ground than
we were entitled to, aud they intended
to jump one of our olaims.
There were four of US. First there
was Capt. Theo. D. Maltly, of Hart
ford, Conn, one of the Texas Mier pris-
oners, who was as brave as a lion. He
had received dangerous wound in the
head at the battle of Mier. and was too
near deaths door to draw beans at the
defamation Of the prisoners-which
wac, 1 expect, about the only time q
soldier was glad not to draw his rations.
Next came Moses Kirkpatrick, a Ken
tuckian, who was my chum and bunk
fellow crossing the plains from Texas,
and who afterwsrd became a senator
in California. E. G. Calhoun, also
from Kentucky, who afterward became
Judge at Fresno, and the writer of
these lines completed the party.
Our neighbors unpacked and went
to cooking at once. After dinner they
seemed to make themselves very much
at home. They rested awhile and f.
nslly one of them whose name was
came up within q hundred yards of
our camp and commenced digging
where we had dug a prospect hole.
AS the others remained in their camp,
we held q hurried consultation and
decided it would not be very knightly
to double teams on him, SO 1 volunteer
ed to go down and interview him. I
put on an overcost that had q deep,
capacious pocket. and put fve-shooter
Colts in the right hand pocket. I then
belted my navy Colts and knife around
did not see me until 1 was right over
him, and I hailed him with:
"Hello, my friend, what are you
doing?"
"Going to work this claim" was his
reply.
Eyes, but this claim belongs to my
company"
$50 heard, but they say you all got
twice as much as you are entitled to-"
the gold in La Mismo, and were there
fore entitled to double claims of 300
feet each, but we had only taken zoo
foot claims, as it WAS not a very long
gulch, so as 10 give others q chance.
"Well, The drawled, "we'll work this
claim"
"Al right, but as soon as you begin,
III begin to work on you" He straight
ened up and looked at me.
81 believe you are in earnest"
eyes," I answered, 81 mean just
what I say"
"Whar you from?" said he.
s'Texas," was my answer.
He gathered up his pick, pan and
shovel, and without another word went
back to HE camp. He and his COM
psnions were soon packed up and on
the trail to Keyville.
Afterwards met Brown and he said
to me: 81 thought you were lot of
d-n tenderfeet and we would bluff
was no go when you said you was from
Texas. What's your name?"
"What! Any kin to old Bob Bay
lor?"
"Yes, he is my uncle
''Well, well, we'll. L know him better
than bread. He held court many q
time in my neigh borhood. He would
hear lawyers jower all day and preach
all the young folks In his deestrict and
never charge any fee; come from Ala
BAN; never could be beat for Judge.
Tom Harrison, of Waco, run sginss
him once, and the first house he stop
ped at they told him he needn't light,
no use to argue 'ginst the judge. And
when night come, and he wanted to
stop, at supper the women folks told
him he couldn't stay all night ii he
had anything to cay agin' brother
Baylor. So Tom went to Waco next
or judge agin' q man that was q good
awyer, preacher, fiddler. and tied the
knot for all the young folks
n the deestrict without any fee"
Harrison was the gallant ommander
If Terry's Rangers during our civil
wary
Naturally we drifted to talk of good
DID times in Texas, and 1 soon made it
quite clear to him that would rather
aunt and fish than to eat, and 1 found
hat was his forte also. 1 had q
lemon and white setter of
The Carlton breed which some of the
officers gave me in San Antonio, and |
ne proved the best slow track deer
log 1 ever saw. But one grizzly bear |
lunt satisfied him. Icould always tell |
which way the bear went from the |
direction Gallo went. Brown. when
We got to Dragging about dogs,
vhistled and yellow looking cur |
hat had been swapping at real aud |
flies trotted up to him.
Now" said Brown, thar is the |
pest bar dog that ever was pupped. He
8 part hound, part cur, and half |
wolf, and when he smells blood deer |
amt get away from him. And as for |
he just nachely seems to know |
exactly how fur fat old eobler ken |
ly; he circles around and If he don't |
ind the trail he knows he's up tree |