Tombstone epitaph., 1920-09-05
roMsToNE IN THE EARLY
 sos AND IN 1920
(By Archie Ke,ly)

it was dangerous to be alive. Such was not the case. however, and in. tend to lean the shovel against the screen some day and write a few of the scenes that l witnessed here on the border when we were blazing the trails for the youngsters of today. l notice that the 20th century pros. pector points fun at the old time prospector with his burro. however, where is the new mine in Arizona discovered by the goth century pros. pector? It is true that they have opened new mines. the extentions of mines discovered by the old timers, but what credit is it to follow a blazed trail, or to repair and sit in an easy chair built by the old timer? Many, including myself, are glad to get in now and pick up the crumbs left by the old boys long since called by death Death. did say? That's wrong. for there is no death, decay of person or plant is but eternal life a, work. for how can there be move ment without life. or how can there be transportation without movement? All is life and my eleven year old brother prospectors and daily com panions shot by the Apaches in 1s76.I are not dead. fer as the Spanish poet truly w'ote:
 No son muertos los que en dulce calma, la paz disfrun;an de la tumba fria. nuestros son los que tienen muerto en alma, uno vive todd via,
 No truer words were ever written and yet there are millions of souless people and yet they live. God bless my old partners, of sixteen of us that went into Sonora in lSs5-6 am the only one left, II Of them were shot down by Geronimo's braves. exper: shots. trained by our army officers at Forts Huachuca and Bowie, and often wonder backwards down mem ories lane 10 lhe unmarked graves Of my dear old dare-death companions with whom roamed the hills in which you couldn't have carried tender foo, in a sack. Ot course we knew ot our danger. but we feared it not for the man that fears that which is so universal as the end of life Is but spineless creature that knows nothing o! God and his works Many think that the old timers were Goddess men bah, such rot, We are more Cody than many Of the city folks. that are not raised out here in the hills where we could study God and his works a. first hand As have said, in tend 10 write Of some Of my exerience here on the border and the quaint characters O: men that ! knew inti- mately, for knew all Of the good and bad men that were here. and fl was asked 10 name the worst one Of the wild bunch. Jerry Barton would win hands down. was well acquainted with Mrs webb Of Fairbanks, that he married. Mrs. Webb was sister Of Mrs Molly Brown now living at Naco. and their brother was Of the wild bunch and was killed in 1881 When Jerry Barton was deputy sheriff a, Tucson. of twenty three Mexicans (varmints as he called them) that he arrested, everyone of them tried to get away-but didn't. They had to take Jerry's star from him to prevent the depopulst.on of the "yarmints" for he asked what the he he hel hell. endamna,ion is the use to put the county to trying lot of varmints. when there's bounty of two and half on every one arrested? No- W -e did ever meet such a quaint cha acter as was Jerry Barton. and I am ahamed to say that three days before the McClowery brothers and Billy C,anton were killed, played poker with them and Jerry in his sa- loon in Charleston. and every player had his Colts on the table under his chin and had there been any cheating in he game there would have been e funeral.
 Through Jerry Barton's instructions and by burning up three new six shooters and 6 ton Of cartridges q became all but an expert pistol shot. shooting from the hip, for in them Savs .ba man that had f. take ain,