The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1904-05-27
THE WEAPON
or DAVID

@what We goin' 10 do that fori He
won't Farm nothin' except how to play
games. Them athletics takes All the
students time nowadays"
There are wus things m athletics
Seems to me I'd ruther have my boy
git strong than git rarnin'. though
they're both good. knowed n Teller
onct that got his start in the world
from baseball practice. While he was
in college he KEEP up bis rarnIn'. but
KEEP up the athletics too. When he got
out into the world he found himself in
fix where the l'arnin' wouldn't "a
been no use without the athletics.
This was the way OF II:
when | lived out in Nevada ii was
a mighty rough country. Gamblin
an mimi was the two perfeshions.
gamblin' bein' considered the more re-
spectacle Of the two There was two
or three lawyers, doctors an sich like
in the place an, few editors Mike
Gallagher was runnin' the Diamond
Drill newspaper an tryin' to establish
1t by a fearless course. He was al
ways attackin' the wo thless, an this
way he got the support of the thrifty.
But he had to do good deal of fghtln'
an wouldn't have nobody In his em-
ploy that couldn't shoot One day a
young man just out O college came
along and asked for position.
Young man. said Gallagher, .the
positions are all vacant Just now. The
managing editor was killed last week.
an the local will be buried tomorrow.
For the next few weeks there'll be
pretty hot work for any one that takes
hold on the paper, for we're bound to
run the men that shot 'em out O. the
town. Can you shootY
"'No,' said the young Teller. 4 never
had any practice
".Well. then, reckon I'll have to
give the position to the next appli-
can't
"The young Teller thought spell,
then he said: 4 can throw straight
enough. ! was pitcher for the uniyer-
sity team and was counted the best
pitcher the nine ever had
'The young man had the edication,
though the next applicant knew how to
fan the hammer and all quick shoot
In tricks, but Parnin' was out of his
line. Gallagher TUX the college man
and set him to work at onct.
1.-THE next mornin' there was a siz-
zlin' article referrin' TO certain man
who had shot the local editor, goin'
over his past history like a harrow
over field. Blackleg. vagabond,
drunkard, murderer was the terms
used. Soon as the Teller saw the arti-
Gle he went to the Drill office, climbed
the stairs, and the first thing the new
employee saw was the muzzle of a
cooked revolver comm through the
door. The next thing was an arm and
the next mans body. or course they
was comm mighty quick, but not too
quick for the editor. He caught up an
iron inkstand and, jest as the mans
face showed within the door, let fly,
takin' him plumb in the temple.
''Well, the next mornln' there was an
obituary in the paper recountin' the cir
cumstance and warnin' the man who
had killed the managin' editor that
enough of his record was known at the
Drill Office to land him In jail. When
the new editor met him on the street
that afternoon the Teller was a-comin'
out OF the Metropolitan gamblln' sa-
loon with two revolvers strapped to
his hips. The editor had his pockets
full of stones and, seem his enemy
reachin' for his gun, got out two
FOUNDER rock and landed 1t in the mid
die of his forehead. The Teller dropped
like lead, but got off with conclusion
OF the brain. When he got well he was
warned by the committee to light out
and he Lit.
But the end hadn't come yet. The
toughs didn't like the idea OF a new
Teller comm in with what they consid-
cred barbarous way OF hghtin', SO
one Of 'em-the meanest, low lived cuss
in the territory give out that he was
goin' to down the editor with the old
fashioned weapon-the revolver. The
next day the newspaper man was walk
in along the street when he heard a
sharp cry. Look outg He bad to do
pretty quick Job of thinllin', which
was this way: Not seem an enemy in
front, he concluded there was one be.
hind and bullet was comm right of
He wheeled like flash, takin' stone
from his pocket as lie turned, got his
eye on a man bringin' a revolver to
bear on him and put a stone right
ag'in the weapon. knocl1in' it twenty
feet away. Before the Teller could
draw ag'in the editor sent another
stone that broke his jaw. This ended
the scrimmage.
THE fact that the editor set an ex-
ample of goin' about unarmed-stones
wasn't considered .arms-had a fine eff
feet on tile community. The best citi
zens declared that carryin' of weapons
wasn't necessary or civilized, and the
committee posted a notice for all to
disarm. Any man that was caught
with weapons on him would be shot
down in his tracks The Diamond
Drills circulation Increased, and as the
town became safe and respectable trad
ers came in and advertisements flooded
the paper.
agThat was the war the Young eradu-