The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1900-09-07
The Man
On the Bridge.
A Gritty Englishman In
the "Woolly West.


when the people of Amber made me city
marshal. There was more in it than in
prospecting, anyway, or, to put it plainly,
there was as much wealth as l chose
to gather in, with every prospect of a
public funeral in case l happened to get
shot. The trouble was where to draw
the line, for if just let things slide the
boys would massacre each other until
there was nothing left but the town site,
and if did my duty the first thing would
have been to clap the whole population
in Jail or run them all out of the country.
The main difficulty was about unlicensed
or prohibited business; but if | had
turned the law loose on every offender
should have closed up all saloons. gam
bling halls. restaurants, dance houses
and theaters-in fact, the whole city of
Amber. The usual thing was to black
mail everybody instead of running up Jail
expenses. but the question was where to
draw the line. You see, if | didn't black
mail enough, people concluded | was use
less, and if assessed them too much they
kicked like the bulls of Bashan. As Dan
McPhai said once in the vigilance COM
mittee when lacked him up for cum
bering the sidewalk with packing cases
to show what stock Of goods be had to
"sacrifice:"
This job requires tact"
Now in case there's any benighted pill
grim here who doesn't know Amber
Gulch, I'd better explain that's it in the
Bitterroot mountains of Idaho. between
Dead Mule pass and the Northern Pacific
railroad. Well. as was saying. | was
city marshal of Amber in the fall of 80,
when an Englishman turned up from
goodness knows where. dead broke.
Look here" says he. you're city mar
shall"
II air."
"Well. look here" says he, I'm broke.
I've tramped here out of Washington
territory. and my partner at Spokane
Falls has stolen all my clothes except
what I've got on"
"What made you come here. anyhow"
says |.
Look here" says he; II got stranded
in the farming country. with winter com
ing on. and I'd have starved to death for
all the work | could get. So | made for
the nearest mining camp"
He had an old SLOUGH hat, shirt. over
alls and a pair of boots: hadn't seen a
square meal for months: looked me
straight in the eyes, and what lie said
was true.
"Well," says l, what do you want?"
He looked up the street, then down.
collecting his thoughts. then at me
straight.
"T've written three times to the Spo-
kane police to ask them to recover my
clothes. got no answer. Now ! want
you to write"
go to that store" says l, pointing to
Dan McPhairs, rig yourself out and
tell them to charge it TO me-"
He thanked me. turned his head away,
wiped his eyes with one finger. then faced
me again. I'm not that kind of man.
Will you write the letter."
OF course did He had proved that
even though he was only an alien Brit
Usher he was straight goods. and | liked
straight goods in any man. Moreover. !
got his baggage from Spokane within
the week.
Next thing l knew that young man
he was "a or less-wcnt to McPhail. said
that he had earned $40 writing for news
papers and wanted to start trading. ,
"Where"
"On the bridge"
Now, the Amber river runs down the
side of the gulch with the town on the
south and only the railroad depot against
tie cliffs on the north The bridge is
right at the foot of Main street. joining
the town to tn" depot. There's only one
sidewalk so that the whole crowd In and
from town has TO gu over on the right
hand Of the bridge. Its q wooden treStle
business. and half way across. over the
middle of the Amber river. there's an
angle where the sidewalk bends round.
The tenderfoot wanted to trade at that
angle McPhail represented the county.
the city and the vigilance committee. He
knew that the thing was plain against
three different laws. and yet that Brit
ishcr was smart He had chosen the best
stand for business in Amber GnIch.
''You can't trade" said McPhail. Ion
the bridge"
"No." says the Englishman. land |
dent want to. Who d"rS the air over
the middle of the bridge belong to-"
'"Thr Almighty" says McPhHi. III
you want to trade there. y"u'll have tn
take ont license from heaven"
will you Interfere:
"Nu." says McPhail; IL guess not. |
never interfere outside my jurisdiction"
"Thanks." said the Britisher.
Next day | found that Englishman on
a plank which he had chucked across rho
angle Of the bridge. Underneath was
the river. raging among the big powders.
all ice and spray. But mind! He didn I
mind. He was hanging on in mdair by
the skin of his teeth pe'lding cigars
| across the hand rail.
"IIavr Il Sm0kr?' says he. and present
| I'd me with cigar. then struck Il match
on the seat of his brceclipS and gave me a
| light Pay for it! Not much, Why.
| the BritiShrr thought he was under an
| obligation to mo He met his obligations.
| Once | saw Il rIan pay him II silver dol
| lar that was in dispute. and til" RritiSh"r
| flung it AZ his face. Next time | passed
| the man on the bridge had two dry goods
| boxes for q counter. a trading license
stuck up, lot of apples. two kinds of ci'
| CARS and some trinkets which didn't catch
| ON. In three days he was full of grub,
color in his face, coat on his back and
doing Il roaring business.
| After a week or 81 he began I" build
| and the beaver wasn't in il for cunning
| On three bits of scantIing across the an
| gle he put u floor, wallis, roof. then Il
| glass front along the hand rail with slid
| ing aush"s. He had IL dog kennel door
| under the hand rnil to crawl i'll by, boz
| stove to keep him warm and cook his
| meals On and enough floor spnc" to rnl
| "It his tllnkets IT ulght. In sin weel
! '..c MAJ! III til. l.! ti.,,' Vas r.s.-L So
d, ing L Justices IL 10! per cr-t profit q
, Sjn Il