Montgomery County sentinel. [volume] (Rockville, Md.) 1855-1974, 1912-08-23
ROCKVILLE MARYLAND. FRIDAY MORNING. AUGUST % 1872
How the Name Of a Mining
Town Was Changed
By F. TRACY EDMONDS
By F. TRACY EDMONDS

Deadshot deserved its name. ID
was one of those mining camps that
existed half u century ago in which
was gathered the toughest population
on the face of North American soil.
One visiting 1t now would see an at
tractive town with paved streets and
sidewalks, rows of neat dwellings and
spires piercing the branches of shade
trees
But fifty years ago-then there was
different picture. There was but one
street, and that was dirt road lined
with log cabins and board shantles.
The most pretentlous Of these were
drinking and gambling dens. There
was no law nor semblance Of law. A
few respectable women had gone to
the place, but at the time this story
opens they were preparing to leave.
The citizens OF Deadshot had encour-
aged the coming OF the women, hoping
that their presence would have salu-
tary effect on the rougher element, for
the most brutal affairs were perpe-
trated by n few individuals, and now
since within week after their arrival
the ladies' were about to turn their
backs on Sodom meeting was called
with a view to the adoption of meas
ures that might change their resolution
The meeting took place In the En-
pire saloon.
Pete Henshaw arose and said that
he had heard one Of the women say
that II the citizens of Deadshot wanted
to become civilized the first thing they
must do was to build church. He
therefore proposed that collection be
taken up for that purpose.
No objection being made to the prop
Osltlon, the hat was passed, and when
the Offering was summed up the value
of all the donations OF various kinds,
including n dirty pack Of cards, was
found to DO dollar and hfty-six cents.
The movement was failure.
Cy Allen then made proposition
that met with much more favor. He
suggested that the first man who shot
another should be fined a thousand dol
lars TO build the church and that
committee Of three Of the quickest and
surest shots be appointed to see when
the transgression occurred that the
transgressor put up the amount at once
or suffer the consequences
1t did not occur to any one to ask
what the intended consequences were.
All understood at once that the delin-
~ ha rtdIlnd Tho tnptinn
was put and carried, the committee
whose duty 1t was TO see that when
the fine needed for the church was
due II should be paid was appointed,
and the chairman named another to 20
to the ladies' and ask them TO defer
their departure until It could be deter
mined whether the action taken would
be effective The latter consented to
give time for trial, and Deadshot
waited for the man who was to build
the church
Pools were made an to who would DO
the offender. Arkansas Jack, Pete
Skinner and Andy Grimshaw were the
favorites. Andy Grlmshaw was the
winner, shooting his man down In cold
blood within two days after the pas
sage Of the resolution. The committee
appointed for the collection Of the
funds called on him and asked him to
fork over. lie laughed them to scorn.
There was fusillade, and he fell
pierced with three bullets. One Of the
committee was wounded, but not seri-
ously.
The next man to lay himself liable to
the fine was Arkansas Jack But, TAX
ing warning by the fate OF his prede-
cessor, he "lit OUT before the com
mittee had time to pay him visit.
Re- Ilts thus far were favorable. One
OF the worst men In the town had been
eliminated by the bullet; another had
gone Of his own accord. The only I'M
fortunate circumstance was that no
fine had been collected for the building
Of the church
Pete Skinner, one Of the pool favor
ties, still remained In the town and
above ground. He had disappointed
his hackers In not turning out n win
ner and was therefore disappointed
himself. The reason he was inactive
and unframed was that he had not
succeeded in picking quarrel with
any one before his colleagues had sin
ned and suffered. He was Disguised
with the working Of the "city ordl-
nance" for he had no mind to give
up his favorlte amusement and had no
money with which to pay for indulg-
ing In II.
The ladies' were only partially salts
fed with the results of the effort to re-
form the town, and 80 long as Skinner
remained there above ground they had
no confidence in a reformation Two
left, and the others began packing up.
The citizens were hoping that Skinner
would kill some one and give them an
excuse to eliminate him. But Skinner
got wind OF their desires md kept the
peace.
There we're three young men In
Deadshot who had been attracted TO
three young women who were getting
ready to move. These men owned
property In Deadshot and not only
wished TO keep the girls, but 10 recon.
struct the town 80 that they could in.
duce capital to come In and develop
what they believed would give them
a fortune Peto Skinner stood not only
between them and the girls, but be-
tween them and pecuniary success
For Sale In Rockville.