Evening bulletin. [volume] (Honolulu [Oahu, Hawaii]) 1895-1912, 1903-10-26
SHORT STORY FOR
EVENING HOURS
A STATEHOUSE EPISODE

Il been a.readin' about them riots in
the States Legislatures OF Illinois and
Missouri, said the old cattleman. "and
they read some lively. But | reckon
they amt nobody ever adjourned a
State Legislature quite as thick and
sudden as | have-and | wasn't trying
TO do 1t, at that
81 was down to Cheyenne, in the
State Of Wyoming, attending onto a
session of the Legislature. The sheep
herders was some strong in them days.
and they had a bill up that would have
put all the cattlemen in the State plum
out OF business. | had a middle.sized
bunch Of steers on the range myself,
and II that bill went through | knew
II was all up with your Uncle Bill. So
when the boys picks ME out and grub
stakes me TO go and stay at Cheyenne
till the hand was played goes, ready
TO draw from the bottom, shift the cut,
Or do anything else that was neces.
sary to beat the bill
1t takes me about twenty.four hours
TO find out that sheep has more friends
than steers in the Lower House of the
Legislator. The bill comes up and the
Representatives sends II through, with
n majority OF twenty, the first crack out
Of the box. Then me and the rest of
our fellers settles down to do business
with the Senate of the State OF Wyo.
ming. A roundup shows that we've got
two votes to the goOd-if We can hold
'em in line. But 1t don't take much Of
4 stampede TO scatter a couple OF
statesmen out Of more than hundred,
90 we are some anxious.
THE boys fixes on me to keep cases
on the Senators and see that all of our
bunch was always on hand when the
lad in the lookout chair was counting
EN- up. The sheep herders was play.
ing close to the ground. They sends
the bill that the House passes over to
the Senate and refers II to commit.
tee that they hold the most cards In.
We Cattlemen cant get that bill re.
ported out of the committee till the
sheep herders get good and ready. And
they amt calculating to get good and
ready till about three of our Senators
get sick or something and don't show
up to answer when their names are
called.
I'm the boy that our fellows pick
out to see that our lads in the Senate
never got off the range. It's my job to
have them there in Cheyenne before
noon on every Monday. The Legisla.
ture adjourns every Friday afternoon
and meets again at noon on the fol.
lowing Monday. For a month ! don't
have bit Of trouble.
Then one Monday four OF our fel.
lows are missing. They represent a
lot OF counties in the same tier and
they get in regular on the same stage,
which runs forty miles across country
and lands in Cheyenne at 10 o'clock
prompt Monday morning. chases
down to the stage ONCE. but they tell
me there that nothing has been heard
Of the stage. They amt no reason that
they know OF why she should be de.
layed. | leaves two boys that ] can
depend on to keep guard and goes over
TO the state house, which is only four
blocks away, 10 keep track OF things
there.
well, noon comes and the maip guy
calls the State Senate to order. Then
they round up the members and roll
call shows that our four boys amt
there to answer Yes when their
names are called. So the sheep herd.
ers call up their bill, suspend rules,
and do all sorts of things. Every min.
ute I'm expecting that our lads will
come in all out OF breath and help us
)u.
But they don't show, ard by q
1clock-after our boys on the floor
have made a hard fight-a roll call Is
ordered on the final passage of the bill.
When ! hear that I'm ready to do
reckless. II that bill goes
through 1t puts me and all the rest of
rs cowmen out of business. Just
,ant sit still and watch the bill pass.
makes a quick run out of the Senate
chamber. haven't got any definite
idea in my mind. Maybe can run
down to the stage Office and catch the
four Senators in time to beat the bill.
Anyway, I've got to do something.
"Phe two boys l left at the stage Of.
Ace are waiting outside. Nothing has
been heard OF her and there is nothing
10 show when she'll get in. When
tell them that the bill Is up on its final
passage they're ready to pull their
guns end go down and start rough
house in the Senate chamber. Bnt I'm
/ pcaceable cuss and urges EN- to put
their guns away and depend on the
Governor II the worst comes to the
worst.
Watch here, says, and II them
four statesmen shows you run EN-
Town right quick, III go on back ami
zee what's doing
"A block from the stage office and