The daily Alaskan., 1916-07-14
By F. A. MITCHELL

thing of the past. If gun play. public gambling and horse stealing are in vogue in any part of the Unitedi States we hear nothing of them. Bot the probability is that these thingst have died out before thetadvance Of c4viliza- tion and the consequent settings up Of the church and the schoOlhouse.
 Before the dawn of this newl lcondi- ton, when all sorts of persOns-good, bad and indlfferent-were crowding 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 Imaginable. what small things men wouh fight about In a settlement west oftthe Missouri river some forty years ago, where there was but one woman to 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 a 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 it Is that this person driving toward the settlement was beautiful in Cyrus Atkins eyes.
 How do. ma'am," he said, putting bis hand to his sombrero.
 How do." was the lacOnic reply. Air you from the settlement|
 Yes, na'am."
 Any chance for anybody to make Twin therc7"
 Reckon. but a good lookin' woman like you don't need to make Twin. All she has to do is to pick out a bus band and let him do 1t for her"
 Suppose the husband can't make Twin for himselfT"
 Then, I reckon, the wife 'ud have to do 1t for both"
 "Jist so."
 The woman, who had an Independent air about her, whipped up her horse and left Mir 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 theiT name in that country at that time-she would be surrounded by half the men with offers of marriage. He hesitated whether to go on searching for his cat tie or go back at once and put In his application. At that moment he spied one of his lost animals in the distance. This decided him. and he concluded to lose an hour or so in putting In his ap- plication for the sake of getting his cattle
 When the woman reached the bor, ders of ShakedOwn City she encounter, ed Enoch Dolittle.
 "Ary tavern in the town?" she asked him.
 "Yes. ma'am." was the reply. "'Taln't much of a place for a good lookin' woman like you to stop at, see in there's nothin' but men around"
 Well. I reckon got tO stop there seein' I don't know nobody In the town"
 "There's a few married women in Shakedowu. l know one of 'em that I reckon'n take you In."
 Where does she liye?"
 I'll show you"
 Mir. Dolittle walked along beside the buggy to a house where a frOwsy wom an was washing dishes. and the stran ger said she would like accOmmOda tions. Since the reply was favorable. the applicant decided to put up there She said her stay would he short; but. although she was asked the cause of her coming and other questions. she proved close mOuthed and gave no sat lsfaHtory answers An hour later Mir. DOlittle was walking down road leading to some property he had pre- empted when he met Cyrus Atkins driving his cattle home. ..
 Seen anything" asked Cyrus, ''of a good ookin' woman drivln' into town in a buggy?"
 Yes"
 Where did she put up7"
 "She was goin' to put up at the taV. ern. but tux her to Mrs. Greens"
 What had you to do with where she put up?"
 Whats that to yOu?'
 "A good deal. I'm the first man to see her comin' into town. and # she's goln to settle yere I've got the fust ,aim on her"
 You don't reckon shed have sich a red headed. slab sided feller as you, do you"
 'I don't propose to give way to a freckled. bowlegged chap Ike you"
 Both men put their hands to their hips. but at the moment Antonio Thib ndeaux. who had come from Louisiana, passed by and inquired the cause of the dispute. When duly informed that q new and comedy woman had come to town Hnd each of the men proposed to claim her in marriage. Thtbadeauz