The National tribune., 1901-04-04


recollection of the wild groups of peopl
which the building of the Union and Cen
tral Pacific Railroads brought togethe
from all directions and from all causes.
There were millions upon millions O.
dollars to be expended, and as the point
of construction neared each other, and th'
twin bands of iron crept along the earth'
surface like two huge serpents, spanning
mighty rivers, penetrating vast mountains
and trailing through majestic forests
creeping slowly but surely toward eact
other there was always the greatest dreaC
at the most advanced points, which, like
the heads of serpents, always contained
danger and death; and the vast cities of 8
day that then sprang into existence, and
melted away like school childrens snow
houses, were the points where such wild
scenes We're enacted as will probably new
er again occur in the history of railroad
building.
Everything contributed to make these
places typical of Babe.ic confusion, or
PandemonIac contention. Foreigners
were told of the boundieSs opportunities
and the limitlesS wealth of tins new cOun-
try which was being SO rapidly developed,
and they came; men-brave men, too
who had been on the wrong side during
the civil war, and who had lost all, hav-
ing staked everything on the result of the
war, saw possible opportunity of retriev-
ing their fortunes rapidly, and they came;
the bIg-headed youth of the village, whose
smattering of books at the academy; or
the seminary, had enlarged his brain and
contracted his sense so that he was too
good for the common duties and everyday
drudgeries which, with patience, lead to
success, learned of the glory and grand
eur Of that new land, and he came; the
speculstlng shark and the peculating clerk
came; the almond-eyed sons of the Orient
IN herdS-herds OF quick-Titted, patient,
plodding beings who could be beaten,
starved, even murdered-came; the Torger,
the bruiseT, the counterfeiter, the gambler,
the garroter, the prostitute, the robber,
and the murderer, each and every, came;
there was adventure for the adventurous,
gold for the thief, waiting threats for the
murderer; while the few respectable peo-
pie quickly became discouraged, and fell
into the general IUOSeneSS of habits that
the life engendered, and gradually grew
reckless as the most reckless, or quickly
acquiesced ID the wild orgies or startling
crimes which We're Of common occurrence.
As rule, in these places, every man,
whatever his business and condition, was
thoroughly armed, the question of self
defense being paramount, from the fact
that laws which governed older communi-
ties were dead letter; and the law Of
might, in few instances made somewhat
honor, alone prevailed, until advancing
civilization and altered conditions brought
about a better state Of society; so that in
these reckless crowds which pushed after
the constantly changing termini of the ap-
preaching roads, any instrument of blood
shed was considered valuable, and stores
where arms and ammunition could be
secured did quite as large a trade as those
devoted to any other branch of business;
while SO outrageous was the price ex-
torted for these instruments of aggression
or defense, that they have often been
known to sell for their weight in gold; and
just as, during the war. the army was fol-
lowed by enterprising traders who turned
many an honest penny trafficking at the
heels of the weary soldiers, so the same
class Of people We're not slow TO take ad-
vantage Of such opportunities for gigan-
tic profits which, though often lessened
by the many risks run in such trading
were still heavy enough to prove peculiar
ly attractive.
AS a consequence, there were many
firms engaged in this particular business,
but probably the heaviest was that of
hutn Brothers, who were reported to be
worth upwards of 100000, which had
principally been made along the line OF
the road, and who, with headquarters at
Cheyenne, had established various
stores" at different points as the Union
Pacific was pushed on, always keeping
the largest stock at the most advanced
point, and withdrawing stocks from the
hind.
For this reason the firms were Obliged
to entrust their business to the honesty
OF many different employees, who were sub
Ject TO the yltlaung influences and tempta-
tons, which were unusual and severe I'M
Ger the circumstances already mentioned,
while the distance between the points,
ana the scarcity of secure means OF safely
Keeping the large sums OF money which
would occasionally unavOidably accrue at
certain points, left Kuhn Brothers, in
many instances, really dependent on those
dependent on them.
In this condition Of affairs, and after
a slight defalcatiOn had occurred at one
OF their smaller stores in the Spring of
1851, the hrm was seeking q man whom
they could place in actual charge of one
or Two OF Their establishments at the larg-
er towns, and give sort of general super
vision over the others, when the senior
memner OF the firm, being in Laramie,
casually met young gentleman who ham
pened TO be able to do him so great a favor
tnat the incident led to a close friendship
ana ultimate business relations, eventual
~ resulting IN this narrative of facts.
II was a pleasant May evening, and
Mr.. Kuhn had decided to return to Chey-
shne IN order to secure a proper man for
the superlntendency nearer home He was
10 nave LEFT Laramie for the East at
late hour OF the evening, and being at
loss how to pass the intervening time
stroiled out from the hotel with no partic-
ular destination in view and his mind fully
occupied with the cares Of his business
only occasionally noticing some peculiarly
or strange sight among the thousands of
weird things to which his frontier business
had compelled him to become accustomed
when suddenly he found himself in front
OF a mammoth dance-house, and, Welding
70 momentary impulse Of curiosity. turn.
ed into the place with the stream of gam
oiers, adyenturers, greasers, and, In fact.
everybody, respectable or otherwise, who.
80 fer from civilization, found such q place
peculiarly attractive.
A DANCE HOUSE.
The dance-house was a sort OF hen's
bazaar, II the term may be allowed-and
IL Is certainly the one most fitting it-and
was really no house" at all, being merely
very large board inclosure covered with
gigantic tent or series Of tents, bedecked
with hags and gaudy streamers. The en-
trance fee to this elegant place of amuse-
mept was 81, and only an initiatory fee
had been paid when admission was gained.
On either side when you entered were
immense bars, built OF tn erouehest of
boards, where every kind of LIQUID poison
was dispensed at the moderate sum of
70 cents drink, fve-cent cigars selling et
the same price, and the united efforts Of
a haif-dozen murderous-looking bar-tenders
az each side were required to assuage the
thirst OF the quite as murderoJs -iool,ino