Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1913-12-28

well liquored up, and what few hours be-
fore had looked like a comatose hamlet now
displayed all the signs of an 0. Henry story
illustrated by Remington. A visit to the
barn found Hollow nervous and wide awake.
He looked as though he might exert himself
when the time came, and Jack and | were
duly glad. The picture man, by announcing
himself as employed by the Republican
National Committee, had no difficulty in
setting UP his machine in the most advan-
tageous location, and then there was nothing
: for any of us to do but walk around and
smoke cigarettes until traintime.
Three o'clock finally arrived. The station
platform, the space in front of it, the roofs
of the adjoining buildings, and the street
leading up to the depot were packed with the
picturesque throng. Besides men, women,
children, buckboards, and cow ponies there
was little to attract the naked eye except
the faring circus Autographs and a type
bill that | had got out and up over night.
1t carried in big letters the announcement
that Samuel Harkins, Esq, proprietor of
the Mighty Harkins Show, would pay five
hundred dollars for the first mountain lion
captured alive with lariat within five miles
of Ramos, and would employ the captor at
a salary of a hundred and fifty dollars a
month.
This announcement, by the way, came
: much nearer furnishing the chief topic of
conversation than did the trainload of Gov
ernors, which could be heard approaching
in the distance. There wasn't a cowboy in
the crowd who didn't hope he would have
the luck to run across one of the big cats on
his way home that night. Five hundred in
cash and fve-dollar gold piece every day!
Who wouldn't take a chance for that?
THERE was great noise of shouting and
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noise not unlike those we used to hear on the
:, Fourth of July before @Safe and Sane" be-
came a household expression. But while the
curiosity on the part of the natives was
great, it was not to be compared with the
colossal interest that everyone aboard the
train seemed to take in Ramos and its deni
zens By the way the platform and win
dows were clogged with the anxious faces of
Governors, walters, United States Senators,
newspaper reporters, and brakemen, it was
evident that my telegram and the published
reports of the nights of carnage had taken
effect.
Before the train had come to standstill
had given the signal for the picture man to
start grinding. He was above the crowd on
an improvised platform. and was to relay
another signal to Jack when decided that
the moment had arrived. To dozen cor
respondents who piled out of the last car |
explained hurr1edly that the SltuatlOn was
getting worse every minute. The latest re-
port was that the mountain lions were with
in half mile of the town, half crazed by
hunger and as ready to eat human as any
other flesh.
@What's the matter with the Cow nor of
Californy?" yelled a cowboy in the rear of
the crowd.
Hes all right" came the answer from
thousand threats. The statement was pune
tuated by the popping of half a hundred ASS.
A forid-faced man appeared on the rear
, platform and held up his hand for silence.
He was the chief executive of the Golden
State. Grouped behind him were a dozen
well-fed looking individuals, among whom
the Governors Of Oregon, Washington, and
Nevada were easy to pick out. The fat man
started right in to talk, and he talked fast;
for the train would be on its way again
shortly.
Ladies and Gentlemen said he, II and
my. brother officials of~the States of the
Great West are deeply panied, we are sim
cerely grieved, to hear of the great sorrow
that has been visited upon the justly happy
and deservedly prosperous city of Ramos.
And we feel that in this your hour of trouble
we should hardly be in keeping with the
Divine Fitness of Things were we to indulge
in political addresses without first extending
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