The Elbert County tribune., 1909-08-26

where he was working, and was in
troduced to me by his comrade. whom
1 had known for several months.
From the beginning of things did
no. take to Fordham. In the first
place he had Greaser blood in his
veins, his mother having been a native
of Mexico. and l never cared much for
the products of that particular cross
strain. Not that l have anything
against Mexicans in general, but
merely prefer their room to their com
pany. The feeling is not an uncom-
mon one among Americans residing
near the border, and has frequently
manifested itself in a display of hard
ware and impromptu fireworks when
sqme of the white men, overloaded
With ardent and animal spirits, have
happened to clash with their darker
skinned brethren. But Fordham, al
though a half breed, was tolerated IL
not admired by his working mates,
probably because he was not only
ready to fight when occasion demand
ed it, but could put up very fair ar
ticle of scrap into the bargain. He
was a tall fellow, well knit, broad
been a COW puncher in his time, and
carried the reputation of man who
could shoot accurately and wasn't
adverse to unlimbering his artillery
on slight provocation.
These were handy qualities to pos
sess in Arizona. especially at the time
I speak of when conditions of life in
the territory were much rougher than
at present. But here Fordham's good
points may be said to have ended.
For the rest, he was of a quarrelsome
disposition and, although not 80 years
of age, was said to have chalked up a
pretty black record behind him. What
the exact facts of his early history
were I never learned There were
hints of an ugly affair in which he
was said to be concerned when en-
ployed as a cowboy in Wyoming, with
a rancher's daughter as one of the
central figures of the drama. The
gossips averred that Fordham ran
away with and later deserted the girl,
who afterwards committed suicide, and
her father, following the faithless
lover to avenge her death, was
drowned while fording a river. Sus-
picions were not wanting to the ef-
feet that Fordham and the injured
parent had engaged in hand-to-hand
struggle on the banks of the stream
which resulted in the death of the
older man But there was no positive
evidence as to this and although
Fordham was arrested he managed to
prove an alibi and obtained his free
dom.
Such was the tale, vague, and for
the most part bolstered up by the
mutterings of Dame Rumor, that fol-
lowed Fordham into Arizona. But in
our part of the world. whittier men of
unknown antecedents drifted from all
parts of the compass, 1t was not con-
sidered etiquette to inquire too closly
into a neghbor's private affairs The
past concerned nobody but yourself,
OF the officers of the law, supposing
them to have cause for following your
trail, and the present was what man
built his reputation on. Therefore,
Fordham was received without i'm
pertinent questions at the Great Gait
mine, where he did his work well and
kept his mouth shut regarding his
past.
To a great extent believe in early
impressions and can say truthfully
that / have seldom been deceived in
my first estimates of chance acquaint'
ances. Perhaps long contact with the
criminal classes may have tended TO
make me unduly suspicious. but even
With this handicap | have generally
found 1t safe to trust my intuitions.