The daily sentinel., 1907-07-22

q Again the papers are full of a
q Walter Scott, or "Scotty," the "a
q Death Valley Mystery, and the "a
q only mystery about him to *
q those who have come in con- 6
q tact with the fellow is the cred *
q ence men at a distance give to x
q his gilded yarns, and the space *
q allowed him in the newspa- q
q pers. a
4 "scotty" bores Goldfeld to x
q death. He will do the same a
q thing to any other community a
q whenever he gets the chance. 4
q His declamations regarding a
4 his wonderful mine. and his 6
q fulminations against those who a
q dare to disbelieve are periodi- "a
q cal events in Goldfeld from "a
a which men flee if they get the x
q warning in time, and do not q
q happen to be cornered. a
His spending in the field of gold Is
a joke so huge and so ancient that
men there refuse to laugh except
when more papers arrive from the
east telling of his hundred dollar
tips, and the river of wine that he
pours out for the thirsty inhabitants
from Sundog avenue to the Heart s
Desire" Now and then he will buy
a couple of dollars worth of beer to
sustain life in a few filthy followers
whose dithyrambic paeans of praise
meet the unexpected suds half way
and gurgle forth in a chansonette of
gratitude.
His periodical visits are nearly all
something to eat and some
thing cheap to drink for the rats
who follow, but much more talk than
cakes and ale-much more. Up he
comes from his fumarole in the Val
ley of Death, and after posing for a
week or two, and choking the front
pages with S0-point type. he is off
again to his mint beyond the Amar-
gosa.
"Scotty' is a glorious thing to look
upon. but hardly bears close inspec-
ton, for by his side the queen of
sachet kitties, wherever she may be.
is surely outclassed. His is not the
clean dirt of the desert that comes
with roughing it. but something far
deeper, and / cannot help admiring
the courage of Eugene Traughber,
who sat next to him in a motor car
through the binding heat of July
day from Goldheld to the Valley.
A towsled head and a beard as
ragged as cluster of furze is al
ways topped by black slouch hat on
"Scotty" Beneath shirt which
from all appearances must needs wear
off, for apparently it has never been
taken OF, is a lurid undershirt with
long sleeves down. Tramp trousers,
so adjusted that the belt will form 4
hammock for his porcine abdomen
rather than a support for the trou-
sers, are finished of with a pair of
buttonsd patent feathers, and that is
the mining, business and social attire
of the mysteTy-a makeup that could
come from nothing but Il brain storm
combined with the relay stations so
well stocked with fancy attire g..
He doesn't act like other people,
and doesn't look like other people un-
less perhaps we take into considera-
tion old Red Eye" Jack London's s
favorite atavism.
"Scotty" has a little money
there is no denying that, for men and
autos cost something in those deserts
but II must be remembered that the
recent trips regarding which we have
been so literally informed have not
been to the arch fallir's liking. They
are the results of a bluff called by n
bright newspaper man named Dunno,
and in neither trip has the wonderful
jewel box been found.
In one of the Goldfield saloons
"Scotty" was giving his well known
monologue on his mysterious mine,
and showing a piece of ore which he