The Columbia herald. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 18??-1935, 1907-04-26
MEXICAN STRANGER
A HUMANE FIGHTER
Butt Man In MidriH and Rubbed
Eminent Upon Sore Spot.
kansas City Star.

, Z
At regular intervals the "jigge
boy" would make his rounds of tn
work, passing out the elixir from hi
canteen TO arid throats. The price o
whisky was only twenty-five cents
gallon, So in the good old days it wa
not necessary for a man to hypothe
cate his brownstone mansion and rail
road stocks to keep comfortably drunl
all the year around.
"Be-jiggered." an expression of be
wilderment, now become classical, /.
supposed to have grown amid the hos
pitable surroundings of the workers il
hard-pan on the old Hannibal and st
! Joseph right of way. But it took more
than eight or ten "jiggers" a day tC
| overly ballast Bob Stewards shovel
ers and scraper hands. That econom
| ical allotment was barely sufficient to
| keep the joints oiled. 1t was after
nightfall when these brawny men real.
the reservoir would overflow, and they
became 'be-jiggered." On such oc-
casions they were ready for a scrap
with anything that walked or sailed
or rolled on wheels.
Most of the mills occurred on Sun.
days and holidays, when the farmer
folk had time to drop in and observe
the performance. 1t was a frequent
thing to see farmers drive to camp
with their families on nice afternoons
when the gang was taking a day off
and enjoying itself in its strenuous
fashion.
Thomas Johnson, of Macon, Mo-,
was contractor on the pioneer road,
having a section to grade some TWEEN
ty miles east of Macon. He came up
the country from st. Louis with
crew of these stalwart Irish laborers,
and put them to work tearing up the
soil. He described an incident with
his COuJTdCt lHIb way.
Each gang had pugilist boss-a
man who could lick anybody else, and
who became sort of bully thereby.
With US he was a great giant of a
fellow named Jimmie Kelso. He was
easily the best man in our crew, and
he would often journey over to adj
joining contracts to extend his juris-
diction. Kelso wasn't a bad fellow,
and he never beat up man unless
it was, in his judgment, necessary.
But it was generally necessary, if the
other fellow was large and made any
to fighting.
'One day We got tall, slender man
in my boat. He wore sombrero with |
silk cord and tassels on it and affect |
ed embroidery. The boys called him |
the Mexican but he was born on the |
Texas frontier. He was rather quiet, |
and would rather smoke than drink |
Of course, it, was fated that Jimmy |
should initiate him, which he did one
day by knocking off the Mexican's big |
hat. The stranger picked it up, busted |
1t off, and quietly pulled on his stogy,
while the crowd jeered. He carefully
replaced his sombrero, and Jimmy |
again jerked it off and sent it Whirling
Town the grade.
Then things began happening to
Jimmy before he really realized there
was a war on. The Mexican hutted
lin in the stomach, then caught him
md stood him on his head, jumped
,ver him, crawled between his legs,
ind played with him like a rag doll.
Then he laid down on the ground.
Elevated his legs. and put the dazed
rishmsn thereon. Round and round
lie spun the helpless body, kicked II
Up In the air and caught i like pro-
essional acrobat, and nc md then
macked Jimmy's red face with his
noccasined feet.
When the boss of the camp -
asst hit the earth with gruRt that
ould be heard quarter, the Mexican
rose and bowed.
"Then he went to his tent and
rought out some liniment, which he
arefully put on Jimmy's sore spots.
he boys gathered around and offered {
he Mexican wads of money to teach {
IN the stunts he had put Jimmy
trough, but he shook his head S
ESQ no puede Sc he said; the
niment would give out
He afterward became Jimmie's |
armest friend, and gave him a num- '
er of lessons in tumbling and wrest.
ng, but he rigidly refused to impart
struction to any of the others. The v
'llow had been a matador, and had v
,me up into the wilds of Missouri so r
Ie people down his way might for S
It the killing Of couple of small-fry I
,ld.laces