The Taney County republican., 1902-12-04
The Tale of
Tendertoot Canon
BY EDWARD B. CLARK.


name OF this ycrc gulch is
Tenderfoot Canyon? Well. III tell it
to you straight, for it's yarn !
never gets tired of relatin'.
"!ts nigh ten year ago now when
the tenderfoot come into camp on
the stage. He was sure enough east
crn. Tendcrfoots wasn't az common
In them days ns they Is now, and
naturally they drawed attention.
There's more tendcrfoots here to-
day than there is of veal, hut then
II was different. This tenderfoot
called hissclf Thomas Wright, and
we finds out later that he give his
self The right brand
wright was Jest out of n school
Of mines out MASSACHUSETTS way.
and he came out here prospectin'.
We-nll was there when the stage
come in. and we was onto the ten
derfoot hard. The first thing he done
was To streak II for the Bull Pup sa-
loon. and when we seen that we
thought he was good stuff for ten
dcrfoot. We follows on kind Of curl.
onslike and gets into the Bull Pup
Just In time To hear the tcndcrfoot
order No.cy Ike. the bnr-keep, To give
him glass Of milk. Noscy was plumb
near knocked out. but he pulled his
self together and told the tcndcrfooi
there wasn't COW nearer than the
Cherokee nation.
"'Gingcr ale, then snya the ten
derfoot, and n long drink at that.
He got II. but Jest then Buck BRADLEY.
who could lick anybody in any camp
for n hundred miles round, broke in.
Buck was with wc-all, hut he steps
mp to the front and goes to the bar
about ten foot away from the ten
dcrfoot. Buck had been to call on
Nosey Ike about 20 times since his
first cye.opcncr, and he was ready
for fun.
"lIc says to the tcndcrfoot: We
amt got no cows in this camp. and
we don't want TO millt-drinking
calves. Straight lickcr Is good enough
for wc-nll out yerc, and, stranger,
slops don't 20. so take some red eye
or dance And Buck pulled his gun.
"Yes, them things wns done in
them days, hut thcy's gone ont now,
cause the tcndcrfootS hold over MS.
We.all looked for n scared tender.
foot when Buck pulled his gun. We
was sure surprised when the dooh
says, calm like. looking at Buck In
the eve. 4 drinks what ! please
"Buck was knocked ont for mint
wuss than II whisky had done IL. hut
he pulled hisself together and says:
Then dance and he begun shootin'
into the floor about the tendcrfoot's =
feet. Well. the trndcrfoot danced
lie had no gun or III bet from the
look In his eye he'd a.givrn Il back
70 Ruck. Samson. the fcller the
preacher told the boys about. would
a.danccd. too There amt no foolin
when n mans got the drop and nbout
30 drinks of licscr under his belt.
when Buck cmptcd his gun he
walked out. and the tenderfoot dis.
appeared thrcng'' another door. lie
put MP that night in n hunk in the
loft Of the Bull Pup. apd we.all didn't
see him again Till near noon the next
dny. Then we seen him walking
ncross the stage road straight up Ia
the door of Buck Bradlcys cabin
and there was Buck standing In
front of the door looking struck all
of heap like when he seen the ten
derfoot comm mp.
"We.nll was stantin' over by Jim.
sons corral. and we could see all
that was goin' ON. The tcndcrfooi
walks up to Rack an puts his hand
on his shoulder and then points IA
an open place in from, Of the corral
Buck didn't have no shootin' irons
on that mornin'. In another mint
we seen Ruck and the tcnderfoo'
comm toward MS. Buck lookin
kinder ilnzcd like. ns though hs
hadn't jest heard things right