Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1900-06-26
HE OBEYEDTHER RULE

WHICH WAS. STRANGERS MUST MAKE
BUSINESS on TRACKS.
The story They Tell % the VERY
Lively Half Hosr or 30 Thof Mark.
Cd the Flfst visit 81 DunaioS Bill 70
the Little Town Of Connor, Kan.
The little town Of Conner, Kan, now
known as Wolcott has many traditions
which the change OF name cannot wipe
out. One is that OF the visit Of Colonel
William f. Cody, Buffalo Bill" Any
winter day when there is q crowd in the
country store stranger who has not
heard OF 1t may learn the story by sim
pie question. One OF the old timers will
give 1t In about this language:
1t wuz In the early days when wuz
q young reckless cuss an didn't care for
snothin. Hc-that is, Buffalo Bill, come to
see John Keller an renew old acquaint.
ance, as him an John wuz in the same
regiment doin scout duty durin the war.
Conner wuz purity tough place them
days, an on account OF some chicken
stealth an other little thievery that had
been goin on there us fellers that lived
in the town had made rule that q
stranger had to either make business or
make tracks, an we ginerally give him
about 10 minutes to do it in.
The day that Bill come here old John
Russell, Mack an AL Spainour, John KEEL
Ter, Ed Owens an me an George Roman
sough, brother to Bay, wuz all in the
back room Of Keller's store.
George was one OF them scienced fell
lers. an no common bruiser had any biz
ness to monkey with him. We wuz all in
the back room. You know, it is divided
of from the front part by archway
door, with a bar in the back part an gro
ceries in front. Well. sir. we WIZ all set
tin there playin cards. when Bill walked
up an set down on the porch an kinder
lent his back up as gin post. AS soon as
We seed him with his long hair we course
wondered who he wuE an told George to
go out M see what he wanted. We al
ways sent George, cause he wuz so
handy with his fsts.
Well, George he went out an asst Bill
what be wanted. an Bill said he didn't
want nothin. Well George says, I'm
sorry, but our rule is that strangers must
either make business or tracks, an I'll
or t'other. Bill he looked up an says:
Well, never asst you to come in this
town, an I'm not goin to ast you to 60
out an by that he got up an come into
the store. We WIZ all gittin Uneasy
about George fer stayin so long, 80 we all
started in from the back room jist as they
come in the front door. Old man KELLEY
seed him, but didn't know who he wuz,
IN Bill never made hisself known. When
they had got in the store, Bill says:
So I've got to leave town, have I?
Well, il don't so who is goin to make
me?'
George be kinder drawed hissef up an
says, Here is 40 pounds as good as wuz
ever sacked
Well, says Bill, there is about .hat
much here an it amt never went back.
on me yet BY that George he shocked
his coat IN made for Bill, but tell you,
gentlemen, he never reached him. fer Bill
he jist Strengthened out his right arm an.
downed him fore he knowed what hap
pened. an he had him down three times in
less time thnn it takes, to tell it: then he
ast George il he wanted any more, an
George says, No, you're too much for
me, but he never asst any of the rest if
they wanted any, but jist lit in right and
left an had three of EN- down on the
| floor Mt once. Say, boys, / always thought
Buffalo Bill WIZ right handed. but he
used his left hand as we'll as his right:
1t looked like he just unfoldcd his arm,
an at every unfold down went his man.
BY this time old Russell an me had
business in the back room, but we could
see what was goin on. Finally Russell
| says, Let's not be towards: lets go out
an hep the boys. So he gathered up a
water pitcher that WIZ settin on the
counter mn made fer Bill, but he didn't
git good start fore Bill reached over an
tuck the pitcher out OF the old mans
hand an set it down over his head. 1t
'peared like he didn't want to hit the old
man. Then Bill went to the bar an said
that everybody must come up an have a
drink. Course didn't wait fer second
invitation. cause I was awful dry list
then, an besides he had such a way Of
maxim you do things you didn't want to
do. Everybody seemed to be dry but
George. cause they all went up hut him.
Then Bill told him he would give him an
other good iiciSin il he refused to drink
Well, George he come cause he hadn't
got over the fust one yet.
After We all drinked George says,
Stranger. you've got to fight me DUEL
| Well says Bill, all right What kind
of weapons do you WANT George said
he would use pistols an started home aft
er his. when Bill ketched him by the arm
IN says: Never mind have two as
\ good guns as ever barked, an by that he
went down in the bosom OF his old blue
| shirt and fetched out two Of the prettiest
4 little pistols you ever SEEN. The handles
wuz pure elephant teshes an as smooth
us three card monte mans tongue. He
laid them on the counter an told George
to take his pick, but George he never
fetched 'en.
BY this time wuz kinder on Bills
side an thought he WIZ all right, but John
Keller he hadn't been paid fer the drinks
yet an was hoppin round like a hen in hot
grease, cause he thought Bill wux goin to
come cowboy on him an not pay fer; the
drinks, but purity soon Bill went down in
his pocket nm pulled ont minkskin pock-
etbook bout as long us your arm an emp
tied it out on the counter an picked round
fer some small change ter pay the bill.
| We all got kinder interested in Bill then,
fer, gentlemen. want to tell you he had
money Of every color, $50 goldpieces, $50
dollar goMpicccs. can't begin to tell
| you what he did have. After he paid the
| bill he said to Keller, You don't know
me. do you! Keller says: No, but your