Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1905-06-14
A SIMPLE
CONTINUANCE
(Original.]

everyday clothes and the costume Of
cowboy or a miner Is very great.
Asstin Abbott realized the difference
when he entered the Clear creek
mining camp In suit Of clothes that
he had. contemplated throwing away
before leaving the east, but had, on
second thought, considered good
enough for a railroad journey. When
he arrived at the camp in them there
was a smile on the faces Of the men
whose costumes consisted Of SOM
brero, wooden shirt and trousers tuck
ed In boots. Then for the first time
he realized that his suit was too good
for the country.
Abbott was obliged to remain at the
camp for some time, since 1t was the
only inhabited central point on a new
telegraph line he was setting up. He
was good natured fellow with a
pleasant smile, with which he met the
banter his clothes called forth. He did
not adopt the costume Of the country,
and all efforts to shame him into dis
carding his own were fruitless. Such
being the case, the camp, excepting
one person, accepted the situation and
were disposed to permit the tenderfoot
to wear any clothes he liked. The ex-
ception was James Robinson, common
ly called Arizona Jim, who declared
that such ballroom outfit was an
insult to the rest Of the population.
Thereupon he commenced number
Of petty annoyances with a view to
forcing Abbott to discard the said
ballroom outfit"
Abbott bore these annoyances pa
tiently, meeting them all with his good
natured smile, but it was soon evident
to him that trouble was brewing from
Arizona Jim, who was the acknOwl-
edged fighting man Of the camp-a self
constituted regulator. One thing es-
pecially exasperated Mr.. Robinson,
and that was that under his persecu-
tons the tenderfOOt waxed even more
amiable and was growing Fat. His
girth, which was but thirty-four inches
on his arrival, within a week had
grown to thirty eight, and In another
week to forty-two inches. When his
increasing obesity was remarked upon
he laughed and said that camp life
agreed with him.
One morning Arizona Jim and Abb
bott met In the only street In the town,
and Jim thus addressed the tenderfoot:
= "Say, you've been dancin' ABOUT In
yer ballroom rig. putin the rest Of rs
common folks in shadder long enough.
hereby gives notice fer y to take 'em
of. What y GRIMM at y walkin'
jumpin' jack? Eff I ever ketch y in
them toys ag'in In this town I'll put
hole in ~"
Hostilities that had been looked for
by the miners for some time had now
begun. Abbott's amiability had made
him many friends, and they admOn-
ished him either to put on a sombrero,
a wooden shirt and tuck his trousers In
his boots or arm himself for shooting
match with Arizona Jim. He simply
smiled and said nothing. Whereupon
his advisers inquired what they should
do with his body. He told them that,
them. the freight bill consequent on
sending it home would be very high
and they had better bury him where he
fell. =.
Early the following morning the
whole camp waited at their cabin
doors to see the fray. No one believed
that Abbott would expose himself un-
armed to be shot down like dog, and
no one believed that he would turn and
flee at sight Of his adversary. ALI Of
this only added to the. general curios-
ity.
Abbott emerged from his hut at the
usual hour, dressed in the objection
able suit and without any sign Of
weapon. His opponent, with a revolv-
er strapped to each hip, was waiting
for him and started to meet him. See
ing that his enemy carried no weapons
at least in his hands-the bully re-
Trained from drawing. AS the two
men approached each other the audi
ence looked on with expectation min
gled with disappointment. They dis
liked to see Abbott shot down un-
armed. Nevertheless they were puz-
zled that he proceeded on his way
wearing his imperturbable smile,
When he came within dozen yards
Of his opponent Robinson stopped and
said:
II give y far warnin' Yesterday that
wouldn't have no more O. them finery
in this yere camp. Take 'em right off,"
Abbott, who had also stopped, made
no reply except by broadening his
smile, showing more plainly his white
teeth. He could have done nothing
better calculated to throw the bully
into fit of anger. Robinson put his
right hand to his belt and drew re-
volver, cooking it at the same time.
There was hush among the specta-
tors, such hush as prevails moment
before some miserable wretch is elm
mated by law.
Suddenly something like volley from
a Calling gun spat from the waist Of
the tenderfoot. Arizona Jim tlsrew up
his arms, shrieked, then fell sprawling