The Coalville times. [volume] (Coalville, Utah) 1894-1923, 1912-08-30
CHAPTER xvl.-CcOn,nuee)

1t was grim picture o' dcprny'ty
aud desolatlon. the environment dull
gloomy, forlorn. all that WAS worthy
the eye or thought being tho puslng
human element Al about extended
the barren plains. except where Oh
one side raylnc cut through an over
hanging ridge. From the scething
street one could look up tn the sum.
init aud see there the graves Of the
many who had died deaths Of violence.
and been borne thithcr In their
boots" Amid all this surrounding
dcsolntlon was Sheridan tho child OF
a few brief months Of existence. and
destined 20 perish almost as quickly
the center OF the grim picture. nero
cluster " rude implanted houses,
poorly erected shacks. grlmy tents
Mapping In the never ceasing wind
Hwirling across the treeless waste. the
ugly red station. the rough cowpens
nlied with lowing cattle. TIE huge. an
calmly stores. their toir- ffontr deco
rated by amateur wielders Of the
paint brush. and the garlsh dons Of
vice tucked In everywhere, The pen.
dulum OF life never ceased swinging.
Society was mixed no man cared VINO
his neighbor was. or dared TO question.
or women worthy the name there
were few. yet there were Hitting 70.
male forms In plenty. the saloon lights
revealing powdered checks and paint.
ed eyebrows. II was strange. rest.
less populace. the majority here TO.
day. disappearing tomorrow-cow
boys, halfbreeds, trackmen. graders.
desperadoes. gamblers. saloon keepers,
merchants, generally Jewish petty OF.
fcials and riff'raff no one could &C.
count for. mere floating debris, Tho
town was an eddy catching odd bits
Of driitwood such as only the frontier
ever knew. Queer characters were
everywhere. wrecks OF dissipation. de.
rellcts Of the East, seeking nothing
save oblivion.
Everything was passion
and pleasure ruled. To spend easily
made money nolsily. brazenly. was the
ideal From dawn 10 dawn the search
after Joy continued. The bagnlos and
dance halls were ablaze; the bar.
rooms crowded with hilarious or
quarrelsome humanity. the gambling
tables alive with excitement Men
staggered along the streets looking
for trouble. and generally finding H.
cowboys rode into open saloon doors
and drank In the saddle: troops OF
congenial spirits. frenzied with liquor
spurred recklessly through the street
firing into the air. or the crowd, as
their within led: bands played popular
airs on balconies. and lnnumerable
bankers" added their honeyed inVi.
tations TO the perpetual din. From end
to end II was a saturnalia OF vice,
babel OF sound, glimpse Of the In.
feno Money flowed like water: every
man was his own law. and the gun
the arbiter OF destiny. The town
ties moved hero and there amid the
chaos. patient. tireless. undaunted,
seeking merely TO exercise some
slight restraint. This was Sheridan.
into the one long street Just at dusk
rode Keith and Neb. the third horse
trailing behind. Already lights were
beginning to CLEAN In the crowded
saloons and they we're obliged 10
proceed slowly Leaving the negro at
the corral to Hnd some purchaser for
the animals, aud such accommoda.
tlons for himself as he could achieve.
Keith shouldered his way on foot
through the Heterogeneous mass to.
warl the only hotel, long two.storied
wooden structure. Imprinted. fronting
the glitter OF the Pinoeer Dance Hail
opposite A noisy band was splitting
the air with discordant notes. a loud.
voiced barker" yelling through the
uproar, but Keith, accustomed 10 SINH
lar scenes and sounds elsewhere,
strobe through the open door Of the
hotel, and guided by the noisy, contln'
nous clatter Of dishes, easily found his
way 10 the diningroom II was crowd
ed with men, few women scattered