The Butte inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1901-1912, 1901-09-28
MINERS WANTED A MAN WHO
OWED THEM SOME MONEY.
MADE A CALL ON HIS DOUBLE
Mr.. Low Had a Lively Experience in
an Arizona Town Because He
Resembled Another
q Person,


that Is mot SO bad-but there are times
When a man is better Off if he does not
took like the other fellow" said James
oW OF Omaha. at the Finien this morning
Hhen the subject of mining experiences
came up for discussion in his party 81
mad occasion to visit a small Arizona
mining town on business a few years
ago. continued Mr.. Low, "and it was
while there that 1 was particularly i'm
pressed with the fact that it was not
Well for one to resemble another man,
especially If that other man is in debt"
i got into the mining town late in
the afternoon and went directly to a ho-
tel that had been recommended to me.
ate my dinner in peace, but when the
meal was finished I noticed that quite
number of men had gathered in front
OF the building where l was stopping. I
thought the gathering a little unusual,
out was, of course. not concerned about
1t, not thinking that it could be in my
honor. In a few minutes. however, I
learned that the gentlemen in question
had come together particularly on my
account, or at least on account Of a man
for whom they took me. They were all
miners and wore heavy red shirts, which
gave them rather a fierce appearance.
The leader Of the mob, for such it prov
ed to be, carried long rope in his hand
and | was informed by my host that that
piece of hemp was for the use of the re-
ception committee when it got hold of
me. Naturally the presence of the gath
ering, which l had viewed only with a
passing curiosity at first, now began to
have it's serious side to me.
81 got out of sight as quickly as pos
sible but remained in a part of the hotel
where l could hear and see what was
going on outside. The leader of the
crowd, who acted as spokesman for the
men, explained that they wanted their
money from me and that if it were not
forthcoming l might expect to find my
self soon suspended at the end of rope
from a convenient limb. l asked my
landlord What it all meant, and then it
was that l learned that the trouble was
all occasioned from the fact that l look
ed like another man. 1t seemed that
another fellow who happened to resemble
me and who, strangely enough, bore my
name had come into the camp about two
months before and leased mine. Things
went all right with him for time and
then he began to pay his men in prom
Uses. Payday at his property became a
I
was a missing quantity. The men were
Justly enough aroused to know that they
mad been fooled and We're on the lookout
for their employer.
when 1 came into town some of the
men saw me and reported to their fell
low workmen that the old man was
back in the camp. Queries were made in
regard to my name in order to make
sure that there was no mistake. When it
was learned that I bore the same name
as that of the mine operator the mob
gathered and there was determination
among it's members to get their money
or get the man who had deceived them.
All the time I was, of course, the innocent
cause of all the commotion in the little
camp.
when found out what all the trouble
was about I asked my landlord to go
down into the street and explain to the
leader of the crowd that he was not
housing the man for whom the crowd
was looking. The leader was skeptical
for time, saying that he had taken
pains to find out the name Of the guest
at the hotel, as well as to satisfy himself
that he looked like the absent mining
man, After a parley of more than half
an hour the landlord succeeded in getting
house and see me. OF course. 1t did not
take me long when I once got him en-
gagged in conversation to convince HIM
that l was not the man for whom he
was looking He went into the street
and told the other boys about the mis-
take that had been made and l was in
vfted down to make a little talk to the
crowd. I told them that l sympathlZed
with them and l hoped they would get
their money all right. Before 1 had
spoken ten minutes I had those men
with me and when l went up the street
a little later ito purchase part or the
stock of a man who kept liquid refresh
merits they We're still with me. Ihey
STAYED with me ever afterwards ana are
with me today for any reasonable thing
l may ask Of them.
~ made friends of those miners and
their friendship has been of value to me
in many ways since that time, put just
let me tell you something:
are a man ever takes you Off into
corner and whispers in your ear long
dream about how brave he is; II he con-
fdes to YOU that once upon time he
faced an angry mob that was bent on
giving it to him in the neck-with rope
and then winds up by saying ne was
no- frightened don't tell him you doubt
his word don't go into long explana-
tio, about how You would have trembied
in YOUR shoes under like circumstances;
i don't suggest that the danger might
|, have. been less than he thought it was;
|. don't intimate that you admire him as a
| mar, of nerve; don't say other men
| would have begun to say their prayers
| dnd thus lost all opportunity OF escape
ar defense: just look him straight in the
| eve and tell him he is a liar. l will war
| rant you if you do, that all the people
| vol can call expert witnesses In case he
| has YOU arrested for disturbing the peace
| Lall the men who have had the actual
! experience, will help you make your
| word good"