The chronicle=news., 1913-06-03
Ren,iniscences of
The Frontier Days

When the genial Bob Mccoy WAS Il
young man out OF IA job he cor reiudcd
10 adopt the porllar vocation of the
day ny going into the booze business.
so h. established u little dump up
the Platte canon where Geneva
sulch butts into the game and near
the great Taws of charcoal ovens
which siorify the nisht by throwi ins
their ruddy glow far upon the noun
jnr a picture such mn Bi<rsiadt loved
10 paint ON canvas. One nisht about
mine o'clock five wayfarrrS who
looked lik" miners and talked like
Iprosp.eiors entered the place with
their blankets which they threw into
II corner and called for the delight
which the cozy little place afforded.
They had n lew rounds In their para
paiciic way and paid as they went
which gave the impression that they
were decent set OF fcliows-all
good friends and bent on noihin. In
particular and everything In general
as Is the custom OF miners.
and the hest Of friends must part the
merry iippierx asked u they might
no, spread their blankets and remain
all night. Mccoy. always willing To
accommodate nm angel or rhas" the
devil ms was the hoSpItablr custom
Of the times. told them to flop and
max. themselves ai home on the
sta.~ hc =, ,,.l sh.. kg
on q cot at the end of the bar.
There IL something about them
chaps ! don't JUS, understand" said
Mccoy to himself. "and ! will Just
keep my cy. open to watch things.
II. did not care to be- cnusht nap.
pin: and like Edward the Seventh
h. was there more to b" amused
than murdered with fat chance
that neither extreme would occur.
Men In ihos. days had to b. very
careful about entertaining angels nm
nwares.
They all went to sleep o1tcnaibly
for \ short hour when one OF the
strange Kucs,s sat up cautiously and
pecrcd around to see II the fox wa,
asleep. Then he Eot up quietly and
proceeded In n deft way to kc
through the pockets Of his four but
ties who were snoring like the scv-
en- Sleepers Of EPhcsus. TLc rogue
collected all their maxima and went
back to his blankets. soon to bc anor.
Ing away rs II he had = contract
from Morpheus. Presently with Nc.
Coy still watching around the corne;
second member OF tho party sat ur
and too. observations. Then he went
around and touched each Of his com.
padres. securing the wad from the
succeasfui fellow who had gone be-
fore. Things were getting Interest.
Ing to Mccoy about this time and
he voted like the goose tnnt xiccp'
with one eye open TO stay awak" all
night to see how the game came out
In fact like Thcmistocics OF old h'
could not sleep. An hour or 10 later
the third man aroused himself anf
bc,an pokIng around among his pal,
with the same result that he soon
came back with the Identical roll
which the other two dromios hat
ipreviouslyly captured.
Mccoy remained on his silent Wig
II all night. never going to sleci
once. and imagining oil the tortuou'
hours that he also would be stuck up
Nothing OF the sort occurred. how
ever. and In the early morning hour
when II was time to move on. Robin
Hood and his merry men arose tt
take up the journey. Number ono
invited the gang to the bar for =
drink and then discovered he had nc
money. He glanced Hucrulously a
the others when number two said h'
would pay this trip. but alas he wns
short OF change also and then things
began to look serious. Nothing wa.
said. however. when number three,
sizing up the situation. slyly re
marked that he guessed he had tn,
price aud laid down an iron dollar
whcreupon they all passed out ant
|up the pike toward Kenosha HILL
Field and Farm. 4'