Ottumwa tri-weekly courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1903-1916, 1914-06-11

the Humboldt river. and then up the
/ Truckee to the Big Meadows, where
stopped and worked In the hay mead.
ows until had earned the price of a
cayuse pony.
| Fairly remounted again, resumed
my journey toward the Pacific, into
/ California, striking north of west by
Honey Lake into Red Bluffs, then the
head of navigation on the Sacramento
river.
! Red Bluffs was then a booming
sizzling, crude understudy for st. Joe,
packed with drifting miners and ad
yventurers OF all sorts, money plenty,
play high or low as one wanted it.
Since then I have seen many hot
f, practical joke, but never to beat one
there saw played.
The largest saloon and gambling
house in town was run by old PUSSY"
Britt. 1t was one of the wonders of
the river, talked of even down to Fris-
co. 1t sported more distinguishes
than supposed the whole world held,
four billiard-tables and two pool
tables, a dozen "lay-outs," mixed job
lot of faro, monte, stud poker, rou-
lette, chuck.a-luck, cts cetera; and five
side rooms for poker parties.
OF, course the bar was at the front,
strategically placed to tempt all who
entered and mold them to mellow
mood an dreckless stalking at the tables
back of It, Day and night, old Pussy's
place was packed with mixed bunch
Of high-rollers and pikers.
A pathetic butt of this gang Of
FOUNDERS was a rather feeble old man
who built the fires and did the chores
about the place for his food, sleeping
behind the bar or wherever else on the
floor he could find room to lay his
tired old bones.
1.-THE Butler" was his nickname.
Seedy Of dress, never clean, and al.
ways at least half-soused, the old fell
low was no rum fiend by his own
choice, for he avoided drink as much
as he could. But the mad rioters about
the bar were always forcing drinks up
on him.
One cold day The Butler sat doing
by the stove, his elbows on his knees
and his head-upon which rested a
new hat some one had given him-lop-
ped down until it nearly touched the
stove, when one of the funny" sports
came along with big pat Of butter.
He lifted The Buffers hat, stuffed into
its crown the pound or more of butter,
and then crowded the hat down tight
over its owners brows.
Quickly melting, yellow streams
were soon trickling down his face and
beard to the great Joy of all the as
sembled FOUNDERS, who shrieked and
howled with laughter until, finally, the
victim reused and reeled out Of the
room.
But that there was one man in the
place with heart in him to sympa-
thize with the old fellow, the crowd
was not long learning, to its discom-
future.
late in the afternoon of that same
day, two-thirds sobered, equipped by
his newly found friend with the ma
terials and posted as to method, The
Butler, bare-headed and very pale (nis
face whitened with chalk later sus.
pected), entered the saloon and ap-
preached the stove. A crowd was gath.
cred around it while the bar bristled
with boozers, and players and onlook-
ers hedged every table thick about.
Gunpowder then came in two-pound
cans, or TASKS, and In his hand The
Butler carried such a flask.
White as dead man, holding the
flask half hid in his hand, he began
to speak as soon as he reached the
stove, in the strong, steady voice Of a
man possessed of purpose nothing
could swerve him from.
Gentlemen he said, time was in
the past when could have bought and
sold every last man Of you here pres
ent. I was myself once prosperous
and happy as you are now. But times
change; I'm down-have been so long
er than I dare try to recall.
when was on top, | never tried
to put it over on the unfortunate;
when I could, gentlemen, I tried to
help them. But you sports, it seems,
are of different breed, for not con-
tent with trying to debauch me into a
drunken sot, you are always hunting
chances to mortify and hurt me.
Pm tired, gentlemen-tired past
standing it any longer. Right here Is
where am going to cash in, and since
I'd like to see what the devil has up
his sleeve for bunch like this, and
might miss the fun if you dropped in
singly, along with me to hell every last
manjack of you goes in the next thirty
seconds!"
His speech and manner were SO ear
nest that all in easy reach of his voice