The Lakeland evening telegram. (Lakeland, Fla.) 1911-1922, 1916-05-08
A SLIGHT
MISTAKE
An Episode of ShakedOwn
City
By F. A. Mitchell

1uc VIII anu hUOll1 west u nOW q
thing Of the past. II gun play. public
gambling and horse stealing are In
vogue In any part of the United States
we hear nothing of them. But the
probability Is that these things have
died out before the advance of civiliza-
ton and the consequent setting up of
the church and the schoOlhouse.
Before the dawn Of this new condi-
ton, when all sorts of persons-good.
into a country not yet abandoned by
the Indian, when every man was ex-
pected to look out for his own inter-
ests, 1t Is remarkable, In some in.
stances laughable, what small things
men would fight about
In a settlement west of the Missouri
river some forty years ago, where
there was but one woman to a dozen
men among the Inhabitants, Cyrus At
kins was out beyond the borders OF
the town looking for stray cattle when
up the road came a woman driving a
rattletrap buggy. Whether she was
fair to look upon is not matter of
certainty, for any woman not fright
was beautiful in the eyes Of men who
were constantly looking on their own
sex only. Certain 1t is that this person
driving toward the settlement was
beautiful In Cyrus Atkins eyes.
How do, ma'am," he said. putting
his hand to his sombrero.
How do" was the laconic reply
"Air you from the settlement
"Yes, ma'am."
ANY chance for anybody to make a
livin' there?"
Reckon, but a good lookin' woman
like you don't need to make Twin.
All she has to do is to pick out hus-
band and let him do it for her."
Suppose the husband can't make a
Twin for himselfT
"Then, reckon, the wife 'ud have
to do it for both"
"Jist So"
The woman, who had an independent
air about her, whipped up her horse
and left Mr.. Atkins standing beside
the road gaping after her. He was
thinking that as soon as she got into
| the settlement, which was called
Shakedown City-all settlements ap
pended the word city" to their name
in that country at that time-she
would be surrounded by half the mer
with offers Of marriage. He hesitated
whether to go on searching for his cat
tie or 60 back at once and put In his
application. At that moment he spiet
| one Of his lost animals in the distance
This decided him, and he concluded t.
lose an hour or so In putting In his ap
plication for the sake Of getting hi
cattle.
When the woman reached the Dor
ders of Shakedown City she encounter
ed Enoch Dolittle.
"Ary tavern In the town. she asket
him.
Eyes, ma'am," was the reply
"'Tain't much of place for goot
lookin' woman like you to stop at, see
in there's nothin' but men around"
"Well, l reckon / got to stop there
seem l don't know nobody In tn
town"
There's a few married women Il
Shakedown. ! know one Of 'em tina
/ reckon'll take you In"
Where does she liver"
"Ill show you"
Mr. Dolittle walked along beside tn
buggy to house where frowsy won
an was washing dishes, and the stran
ger said she would like accommoda
lions. Since the reply was favorable
the applicant decided to put up there
She said her stay would be short; but
although she was asked the cause o
her coming and other questions, sh
proved close mouthed and gave no sal
isfactory answers. An hour later MI
Dolittle was walking down a roa
leading to some property he had pre-
empted when he met Cyrus Atkin
driving his cattle home.
"Seen anything" asked Cyrus, 'of
good lookin' woman drivin' into tow
in buggyf"
Eyes"
Where did she put up2"
"She was goin' to put up at the taN
ern, but TUX her to Mrs. Green's"
what had you to do with wher
she put up?"
whats that to your"
"A good deal. I'm the first man
see her comm into town, and II she
goin' to settle we're I've got the fut
claim on her."
"You don't reckon she'd have SIGH
red headed, slab sided Teller as yol
: do your"
81 don't propose to give way to
freckled, bowlegged chap like you"
Both men put their hands to the
hips, but at the moment Antonio Thil
adeaux, who had come from Louisiani
passed by and inquired the cause {
the dispute. When duly informed thi
a new and comedy woman had CON
= to town and each Of the men propose
p TO claim her in marriage, Thibadeau
said to them:
This town ought to be above gul
play In the streets by this time. Y
no'the'n men are mighty uncivilized
such affafs anyhow. II you two me
/ want to fight about a lady, why don
z you do it in a fashion that would 3
q honor to her instead o. mixin' her U
In a common shootin' matchT"