davidaulloa/AmericanStories huggingface dataset:
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
Waits for His Master.

Hello. Ribs. he amt on this train!"
Thus brakeman or baggagemaster
greets a big black and white dog
which every evening trots down TO
the station in small Pennsylvania
town TO meet the train on which his
master used to come homo.
Ribs master has not come home on
the train for many months. He was
conductor of train which was
wrecked, and was killed. But Ribs
has never missed train. He stands
on the platform wagging his tail, his
tongue hanging out. AN expression OF
anxious hope in his eyes, waiting for
his master.
When one OF the tralnmen explains,
He amt on this train" the red
tongue goes slowly back into the big
mouth the strong jaws close. the
shaggy tail drops and Ribs turns and
walks back to his kennel. But on the
following day he appears promptly
In time for his masters usual train.
and waits until some one of the pity
ing train hands tells him. "He amt
come in yeti"
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

Recovering himself. he jumped from
his van and alighted on his feet. but
was struck by a fragment of some
thing and knocked down. He rose to
his feet again. though suffering from
wounds In the head. hand an knee,
and saw sight the like of which he
had never seen before. With his KEYS
In his hand, he ran up and down the
line, hardly knowing what he was
doing. As soon as he began to get
his senses back, which had been pret.
~ well knocked out OF him. he I'M.
locked all the doors OF the carriages
that he came to, though they were
already unlocked ON one side. After
he had done all he could, he went and
sat down by the side OF the line for
he began TO turn faint and dizzy.
While he sat there he saw a tall.
rather thin, elderly gentleman max.
Ing his way slowly towards him. who
limped little as he walked. AS this
latter came nearer he recognized him
as being the same individual who had
given him the tip, and told him 10
sf~Nf eA@VhN NAoI rum ktlllnK into
the carriage.
Witness noticed that his face was
CHASTITY, and that he breathed like a
man who had been running a race.
but naturally put It down to the ter
rible shock and the fright caused by
the accident. As he came up to him,
he (the guard) spoke 10 him and
said Glad TO see you're safe. slrl
hope the other gent is the same?"
But he only stared at him In queer.
dazed sort OF way. without making
any answer, and passed on down the
line.
AT last, after some debate. the YER
dict agreed upon was:
"Wilful murder against some person
or persons unknown"
Ted Burritt and his friend the doc
tor left the place together.
What will be your next step in
the natter" asked the latter.
First, TO take my fathers body
home-then TO look for his MUIR
dererl"
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

Cling street. These new edifces were
for the most part used as business
places, the sorts OF commerce being
but two-"general merchandise, :"
which meant chiefly saddles and fire.
arms, and that other industry of new
lands which haunts under such sign
boards as the Lone Star, the Happy
Home, the Quiet Place, the Cowboys
Dream and such descriptive nomencla-
ture. OF fourteen bushes houses. nine
were saloons, and all these were pros
porous.
One by one. then in a body. as
though struck by panic, the white
tents of the railroad laborers van.
ished. passing on yet farther TO the
West. only the engineers remaining
at Ellisville and prosecuting from the
haven OF the stone hotel the work of
continuing the line. The place OF the
tents was taken by vast white-topped
wagons. the creaking cook carts of
the cattle trail. and the van OF the
less nomadic man. II was the begin.
ming OF the great cattle drive from
the Southern to the Northern ranges,
strange. wild movement in Ameri-
can life which carried in its train a
set OF conditions as vivid and peculiar
as they were transient.
Ellisville lay at an eddy in the
Plains and gathered toll OF the
strange driftwood which was then
afoat Though the chutes at the ran,
way were busy. yet other herds OF
cattle passed EllisvlTle and wandered
on north, crowding at the heels OF
the passing Indians. who now began
to see their own cattle TO be doomed
The main herd OF the buffalo was
now reported TO be three or four days
drive from Ellisville, and the men
who killed for the railroad camps ut.
tered loud complaints. The skin
hunting still went on. Great wagons,
loaded with parties OF rough men,
passed on out, bound for the inner
haunts, where they might still find
their prey The wagons came creak.
ing back loaded with bales OF the
shaggy brown robes, which gave the
skin-hunters moRev with which TO
join the cowmen at the drinking
places. Not sinless was this society
at its incipiency. In any social at.
mosphere good and evil are necessary
concomitants. Sinless men would
form a community at best but perish.
able. Tolerance. submission, patriot
ism so called, brotherly love so
named-all these things were to come
later, as they have ever done in the
development Of communities, builded
nainly upon the foundation OF in.
dividual aggresslyeness and individual
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER XII.
The Other Passenner.

The inquiry into the death OF Mr..
Bilas Burritt was held at the Wheat
sheaf," in the long, low room usually
dedicated to the flowing bowl and the
promotion of social intercourse.
The same routine having been OBJ
served as on that previous occasion.
DR.. jeremiah Cartwright was called
TO prove the finding of the body-its
position, appearance and subsequent
removal to the vestry of the old
church, and his examination OF the
semains-resulting In the discovery
Of wound, with two orlfces, showing
that the bullet which had caused II
had traversed the head completely.
other scientific evidence followed,
which is suppressed.
Mr. Edward Burrltt was then called,
and went through the form 6f identi-
Tying the deceased as his father, Mr..
Sllas Burritt, merchant. of Timber
Lane. City, aged 80. He entirely mega
lived the theory of self.destruction,
stating that his father, TO his certain
knowledge. had not only never pos
Sessed anything in the shape OF fire
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER VIl.-contInued.

Franklin had small notion OF Curly's
locality. bu; he heard his voice. half
haunting and half encouraging, and
calling on his pluck as he saw some
hope of a successful issue. he resolved
to ride II out II II lay within him so
TO do. He was well on with his reso-
luton when he heard another voice,
which he recognized clearly.
Good boy. Ned" cried out this
voice heartily, though likewise from
some locality yet vague. bride the
dlvil to a finish, me boy! Git up his
head. Ned! Git up his head The
murderin'. haythln' brutel Kill hint
Ride him outl"
And ride him out Franklin did, per-
haps as much by good fortune as by
skill, though none but shrewd horse
man would have hoped to do this
feat. Hurt and Jared. he yet kept
upright. and at last he did get the
horses head up and saw the wild per-
Torrance close as quickly as It had
begun. The pony ceased his grunt-
ing and fell into stiff trot, with little
10 indicate his hidden pyrotechnic
quality. Franklin whirled him around
and rode up to where Battersleigh
and Curly had now Joined. He was a
BIT pale, but he pulled himself togeth.
er well before he reached them and
amounted with good front of I'M
Sencern. Battersleigh grasped his
sand in both his own and greeted him
with shower of welcomes and Of
compliments. Curly slapped him
heartily upon the shoulders.
You're all right. pardner," said
he. You're the d-dest best pill
grim that ever struck this place, an
| kin lick airy man that says differ'ut.
Hes yore horse, now, shore"
"And how do we do, Ned? God bless
vel" said Battersleigh a moment later,
after things had become more tran
quill. I'm glad to see ye; glad as
liver was in all me life TO see liv-
in soul! Why didn't ye tell we was
comm, and not come ridin' like a
murderin Cintaur-but ay, boy, ye're
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

he was the guiding mind in the af-
fairs OF the odd partnership which
now sprang between him and his
friend. Battersleigh would have lived
till autumn in his tent, but Franklin
saw that the need of a house was i'm.
mediate. He took counsel OF Curly,
the cowboy, who proved guardian and
benefactor. Curly forthwith pro-
duced workman, giant Mexican. a
half-witted moso, who had followed
the COW bands from the far South
west, and who had hung about Curly's
own place as a sort OF mental, bound
TO do unquestionably whatever Curly
babe. This curious being, a very CO
lossus OF strength, was found to be
possessed of a certain knowledge in
building houses after the fashion of
that land-thatis to say, of sods and
earthen unbaked bricks-and since
under h', masters direction he was
not less Berviceable than docile, II
was not ong before the claim" Of
Battersle h was adorned with a com
Portable !. Juse At for either winter or
summer nabitation.
Even In the first year" the settler
OF the new West was able to make
his living. He killed of the buffalo
swiftly, but he killed them in num-
bers so desperately large that their
bones lay in uncounted tons all over
a desolated empire. First the hides
and then the bones of the buffalo gave
the settler his hold upon the land,
which perhaps he could not else have
won.
Franklin saw many wagons coming
and unloading their cargoes of
bleached bones at the side of the
railroad tracks. There was a market
for all this back in that country which
had conceived this road across the
desert. Franklin put out wagon at
this industry, hauling in the fuel and
the merchandise Of the raw plains. He
bought the grim product of others who
were ready to sell and go out the ear
lier again.
Meantime the little town added
building after building along its strag-
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

/ thing about either of them that helped
to fix his attention upon them, he an
swered that the taller and thinner of
the two-though they we're both of
them tall and well growed-seemed
uncommon pertickler about picking
out carriage to his mind. He no
ticed him looking into several before
he fixed upon that identical compart-
ment; and when he had, he beckons
to him (the guard and says, Look
here!' he says, me and my friend, we
don't want nobody else getting In
here. We want this here carriage TO
ourselves till we get to London. Take
this. he says, and don't you let no
body else In whatever So says All
right, SIR and locks the door. and
thinks to myself, Anybody would
think as II was couple Of honey.
mooners instead OF two elderly
gents
Gould he identify the body of the
gentleman who had been shot as the
companion Of the other?"
He both could and would; except
that there had been a sort OF a smile
on his face then and he looked very
different now. In fact, he had struck
him 1.-THE guard)-in spite of the tip
which the other party gave him-as
being by far the agreeabler and most
pleasant-spoken gentleman of the two;
and he had been most uncommon sor-
ry that he had. on recognizing the
body, because, you see, he had quite
made up his mind that he had es-
capped as well as the other one.
Being asked to explain himself. said
he didn't see much what there was
to explain. What he meant was that
he thought that II one gent got off
scot free, the other might have done
the same.
What did he mean by the other
having got of scot free, and what
was his authority for speaking as he
did2"y
Why. II was simple enough Being
in the rear OF the train, he was con
scious of nothing until he found him
self thrown violently on the floor.
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

arms. but had always been remark
able for an unusual amount of nerv-
BUSINESS. almost amounting to horror,
with regard to anything of the kind, in
consequence of an accident. with a
tragical termination, which he had
pnce Witnessed. DIR. jeremiah Cart
wright. recalled at this iuncture, here
stated his Arm conviction that the
wound had not been self-inficted,
which he proceeded to prove, TO his
own satisfaction and the entire be-
wilderment of everybody else present,
by the aid OF a great many polysylla-
bic expressions and a torrent of pro-
fessional phraseology, which swept
everyone on their feet, but which. on
being filtered down for the benefit OF
the unlearned, merely amounted to
the following facts, viz, that the edges
OF the wound, by which the bullet had
made its entrance, were torn and
lacerated, as well as blackened and
burnt by the action OF the gunpow-
der, that the skin In the vicinity OF
the wound VIZ blistered, the bleeding
slight. and lefty from the orince Of
exit. and the two openings in the
scalp nearly opposite each other
DR.. Cartwright. having brought HIS
evidence TO conclusion, now gave
place 10 another witness, and one in
whose power II might be TO help TO
unravel the mystery. This last was
the guard of the 1880 train--an In
telligent looking man, who. with
bandage round his head and one arm
I'm a sling, bore tokens OF the injuries
he had received in jumping from the
train while II was In motion.
On being questioned as to what he
knew Of the matter, he replied, with.
out any hesitation. that he remem-
bered the fourth carriage from the
engine well, and the passengers that
1t contained in that particular com.
partment.
WAS he sure that there was more
than one passenger in that compart-
ment Of the carriage referred to9"
Sure and certain he was. There
were two Of them. He could swear
TO II. Didn't one OF them, the taller
OF the two, tip him handsome 10 lock
them In so that they might have the
carriage to themselves for the Jour
ney?"
"And did you lock them In, and are
quite sure that they were both to-
gether in the carriage when the train
Started7"
Certain sure he was. RE zee them
both together In the compartment as
the train passed him, Just before he
swung himself into his van"
Being asked whether there was any
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER xI.-contInued.

Know me? OF course he doesl"
was the reply. Didn't buy him Of
drunken old Irish woman. and mend
his broken leg for him? And do you
think he's going to forget that. though
be is only a duck?"
They remained pacing up and down
the garden paths until II was quite
dusk; the doctor perslstently CON
gersing on cheerful subjects. and re-
fusing TO allow the conversation to
take a morbid turn.
At nine O'Clock supper was served,
consisting OF boiled fowl and sau-
gages.
You'll take a leg and a wing and
bit of the breast?" said the hos
pitable little man, as he piled his
visitors plate. You've got a trying
day before you tomorrow"
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
HIS RIGHTS IN THE CASE.
How an Aggrleved Man Might Abolish
Cat Concerts.


Cat Concerts.
A retired citizen in the southeast
section has been greatly annoyed by
the bowling on his own fence and
shed in the back yard OF big black
cat in the neighborhood. Not being
able to sleep, he called upon his at.
torneys the other day TO discuss with
him what could be done in the way
of getting rid OF the cats.
There the cat sits every night on
my fence" the sufferer explained
"and he yowls and yowls and yowls
Now, don't want TO get into any
trouble with my neighbors, for am
a lover of peace. but would like to
know II l am not justified in putting
a stop 10 it?"
Certainly" replied the lawyer.
81 am wen within my rights IL 1
shoot the cat, then?"
"Um, wen, | would hardly like TO
say that" answered the lawyer The
cat does not belong to you, as | un.
derstand the case?"
mo"
And the fence does?"
"Yes."
well, then, think l may safely
say that you have perfect right to
pull down the fence. Washington
Times.
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER VilI.
The BEGINNING.

Franklin's foot took hold upon the
soil OF the new land. His soul rec ched
out and laid hold upon the sky, the
harsh flowers, the rasping wind. He
gave. and he drank in. Thus grew
the people OF the West.
Think you, Ned. my boy" said Bat
tersleigh, one day. as they stood at
the tent door-"thlnk you, this old
gray world has been inhabited I mill
lion years, by billions OF people. and
yet here we have a chance 10 own a
part OF II, each for himself, here. at
this last minute of the worlds life
Do you mind that, what II means?
Never you think chance like thatn
last forever. Yet here we are. before
the law, and almost antedatin' the
social lice. It's the beginnin'. man,
it's the very beginnin' OF things.
where we're standin' here, this very
blessed day of grace. It's Batty has
travelled all his life. and seen the
lands. but never did Batty live till
nowl"
ats grand" murmured Franklin,
half dreaynily and unconsciously re-
peating the very words of his friend.
as he had done before.
Yet Franklin was well bitten OF the
ambition germ. II would serve him
to run only in the front rank He was
not content TO dream. He saw the
great things ahead. and the small
things that lay between. In q week
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER TX.
The New Movers.

The New Movers.
Far away, across the wide gray
plain. appeared a tiny dot. apparently
an unimportant fixture of the land
scape. An hour earlier IL might not
have been observed at all by even
the keenest eye, and II would have
needed yet more time to assure an
observer even now that the dot was
a moving object. Presently an occa-
sional side-blown pun OF dust added a
certain heraldry, and thus finally the
white-topped wagon and its plodding
team came fully into view, crawling
ever persistently from the East to
the West.
Meantime. from the direction Of the
north. there came travelling across the
prairie another cloud of dust more
rapid than that stirred up by the slow.
moving emigrant wagon Sam, the
stage driver, was crossing on his reg.
ular blackboard trip from Ellisville to
Plum Centre, and was now nearly
halfway on his journey. Obviously
the courses of these two vehicles
must intersect, and at the natural
point of this intersection the driver
of the faster pulled up and waited for
the other. Movers" were not yet so
common in that region that the stage
driver, natural news agent, must not
pause for investigation.
The driver of the wagon, a tall,
dark man, drew rein with a grave sal
utation, his tired horses standing with
a
one of the pregnant conversations of
the plains.
"Mornin', friend" said Sam.
"Mornln', SIR" said the other.
Which way you headin', friend?"
asked Sam.
well, sir" came the answer, slow.
ly, Il rather reckon you've got me.
I've just been movln' on out. want
to locate, but reckon my team could
travel little further IL they had to-"
This with a certain grimness In his
smile, as though he realized the whim-
sicality of the average motive which
governed in that day in quests like
his. is there much travel comm
through here this season." he re-
sumed, turning in his seat and resting
one foot on the wheel as he sat still
perched on the high wagon seat.
We'll" replied Sam. they amt SO
much just yet, but they will be pretty
soon. You see. the Land Office is
about sixty miles east of here yet,
and folks is mostly stoppin' in there.
Land around here is pretty much all
open yet If they move the Land Of
flee to the track-end, of course all this
land will be taken up good deal
faster"
rs it good farmin' land around
here?"
Sure. Better'n It is farther west,
and just as good as ii is farther east.
Wheatll do well here, and It amt too
cold for corn. Best COW country on
earth"
How is Elllsville doing now?"
"Bloomin'."
Eyes. sir, so heard farther back.
Is 1t goin' to be a real town."
That's whatever! How can II help
II? It's goin' to be a division point
on the road. It's goin' to have all the
cattle-shippin' trade. After a while.
it'll have all the farmin trade. IT'S
goin' to be the town, all right. don't
you neglect that. Yes, sir, Ellisville
is the placel"
Which way are you bound, sir?"
asked the stranger. still sitting, ap-
parently in thought, with his chin
resting on his hand.
ITO be continued.)
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22

sosuifusvN--e. Having arrived. We
wave scented kerchiefs between US
and the. thought of such a beginning
of our prosperity. Having lost touch
OF the earth, having lost sight OF the
sky, we opine there could have been
small augur in a land where each
man found Joy in an earth and sky
which to him seemed his own. There
were those who knew that JOY and
who foresaw its passing, yet they
were happy.
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
No Love Of God in a Footr. =.

Or. Charles Parkhurst of New York
believes In people saying lust what
they mean, and says he has a horror
OF footnotes. Whenever see a foot
note" he says 81 am always remind
ed of a certain Presbyterian church
meeting, One statute drawn up per
tanned TO the love OF the Almighty,
and 1t was stated in the ngid. old
fashioned Presbyterian style. with
more OF sternness than love IN II.
One OF the more gentle Presbyterian
brethren suggested that foot-note be
added mitigating somewhat the
harsher statement Then up jumped
the Rev DR. Howard Crosby Il OBJ
ject, gentlemen he said / viii not
have the love Of God put IN a foot
note.'"
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
Standard OIL Branches.

The International on Company OF
Japan, which is a branch of the Stan.
dard on Company, has large refinery
at Navetsu, besides owning important
wells on the western provinces. Six.
weight native companies have been
forced to combine. 30 that there are
now two competing companies, neither
OF whom has one-fourth the capital
OF the international company.
The Mercur miner. [volume] (Mercur, Utah) 1895-1913, 1905-11-22
CHAPTER XIII.
comlnn Homo.

Early In the evening Of the same
day Or. jeremiah was bidding his new
friend goodbye" as he saw him off
from the station.
The train pulled slowly out OF the
station, and the last view Ted had
OF the little man showed him stand
ing at the end OF the platform and
waving his spectacles after him. He
gave him a parting salute out OF the