The Tupelo journal., 1902-12-05
The Tale of
T~enderfoot Canon
By EDWARD B. CLARK.

name OF tnlS yere Sulcn is
Tenderfoot Canyon? Well, I'll tell it
to you straight, for it's a yarn 1
never gets tired of relatin'.
Its nigh ten year ago now when
the tenderfoot come into camp on
the stage. He was sure enough east
err. Tenderfoots wasn't as common
in them days as they is now, and
naturally they drawed attention.
There's more tenderfoots here to-
day than there is of VEAL. but then
it was different. This tenderfoot
called hisself Thomas Wright, and
we finds out later that he give his
self the right brand.
Wright was jest out of a school
of mines out MASSACHUSETTS way,
and he came out here prospectin'.
We-all vas there when the stage
come in, and we was onto the ten
derfoot hard. The first thing he done
was to streak it for the Bull Pup sa-
loon, and when we seen that we
thought he was good stuff for a ten
derfoot. We follows on kind OF curl
ouslike and gets into the Bull Pup
just in time to hear the tenderfoot
order Nosey Ike. the bar-keep, to give
him a glass of milk. Nosey was plumb
near knocked out, but he pulled his
self together and told the tenderfoot
there wasn't a COW nearer than the
Cherokee nation.
"'Ginger ale, then says the ten
derfoot, and a long drink at that
H. ,ra% - I,,+ 49, 49,. Dbl. D-zlJz.
who could lick anybody in n camp
for a hundred miles round, broke in.
Buck was with VEAL, but he steps
up to the front and goes to the bar
about ten foot away from the ten
derfoot. Buck had been to call on
Nosey Ike about 80 times since his
first eye-opener, and he was ready
for fun.
"He says to the tenderfoot: we
amt got no COWS in this camp, and
we don't want no milk-drinking
calves. Straight Ticker is good enough
for VEAL out yere, and, stranger,
Stops don't go, so take some red eye
OF dance And Buck pulled his gun.
eyes. them things was done in
them days, but they's gone out now,
cause the tenderfoots hold over us.
We-all looked for a scared tender
foot when Buck pulled his gun. We
was sure surprised when the dood
says, calm like, looking at Buck in
the eye, Il drinks what I please
"Buck was knocked out for a mint
wuss than if whisky had done it, but
-11.l Isn,o1e -u.L-- - ------
Then dance and he begun shootin'
into the floor about the tenderfoot's
feet. Well, the tenderfoot danced.
He had no gun or I'll bet from the
look in his eye he'd a-given it back
to Buck. Samson, the Teller the
preacher told the boys about, would
a-danced, too. There amt no foolin'
when a mans got the drop and about
80 drinks of Ticker under his belt.
"When Buck emptied his gun he
walked out, and the tenderfoot dis
appeared through another door. He
put up that night in a bunk in the
loft of the Bull Pup, and VEAL didn't
see him again till near noon the next
day. Then we seen him walking
ACROSS bhS StdSC 1Odu SJIdlSuJ up 10
the door of Buck Bradley's cabin,
and there was Buck standing in
front of the door looking struck all
of a heap like when he seen the ten
derfoot comm up.
NWe-all was standin' over by Jim
sons corral, and we could see all
that was a goin' On. The tenderfoot
VI -, ~ D1,o1r ons n1,fc he ho-I
on his shoulder and then points to
an open place in front of the corral.
Ruck didn't have no shootin' irons
on that mornin'. In another mint
we seen Buck and the tenderfoot
comm toward us, Buck lookin'
kinder dazed like, as though he
hadn't Jest heard things right.
".Boys,' says Buck, when he gets
near us, this milk guzzling babe
wants to fight me. He says I'm a
coward if / don't scrap. He says
likewise that I insulted him in the
Bull Pup. Now, boys, you-all knows
me. and / wants you to show this
we're tenderfoot the errer of his
ways. and tell him as how you know
rye licked the best men of Hoot Owl
camp. Blue Dog Gulch and all the
other camps hereabouts. ! amt got
no wish to do this we're infant harm
..Ruck Bradley was sure enough a
good man. There wasn't no yaller
n him. He'd licked everybody he'd
ever went up against, and he wal
true pitiful for the tenderfoot. The
4anderfoot, though, he up and speaks
md saws: Gentlemen, this nan takes
- ondoo advantage of me yesterday.
and I'm goin' to fight him here, and
T wants you-all to see fair play
.Well, you see we-all was willin'
~ see a fight, though we was sorry
Nfor the kid. They went at it, and do
rou-all know that tenderfoot had
guck Bradley licked inside of Is
~.,;nufes. We-all found out after
-. "a that down east he'd been a box
- and a footballer and all that sort