Graham guardian., 1921-03-11

anu llldC lie WOulu again TSlurH |
early in the fall. About August
l, 1885, Engineer Betz returned,
and bought the first bill of pro-
visions for the camp from |. E.
Solomon, the father of early Solo,
monville. This old statement
shows a balance due the COM
pany when we ceased operations,
is still in my possession and a |
matter of record.
Well do ! remember the night |
Of August 5, 1886. We had run
our lines west as far as the up
per part of the Kleinstauber
ranch, now known as the Rancho
Paloma. Betz was expecting i'm
portant letters from Colorado,
! and we broke camp and started
for my ranch On the Munson
Cienega. Passing just enough
south of Solomonville left the
team with Betz to take on to the
ranch, while saddled up the
horse we were leading behind the
buck board, and road into Solo
knoxville for the mail.
The stage being late, | put my
horse, a valuable thoroughbred
stallion, in the Solomon corral
and, like any cowpuncher, went
into the saloon run by George
Stevens, better known as Little
Steve" the renegade son of one
of New England's proudest fam
lilies. Steve, Ben Crawford and
|. h. Solomon were engaged in a
friendly little game of poker and
of course ! bought two stacks of
chips and entered the game.
Fortune favored me and began,
for wonder, to win. We had
a hot game and after playing
nearly all night, | found myself
about $500.00 to the good.
Not being able to walk crack
IN the floor straight, | had the
corral boy order my horse, and
after being assisted to mount, |
set out for the ranch. When
nearing the foothills south of
Solomonville, saw what sup
posed to be bunch of Globe
freighters driving their horses
out to feed in the chapparral.
'Hellon' | called. The answer
came back: "Hello!" Knowing
the country so well | followed,
Go up the next draw and you
will find some good feed"
started to ride out to show
them, when / noticed my horse
become very nervous and, like
all American horses he began to|
snort at the smell of an Indian. |
| drove the spur into his flanks
and he made the run of his life. |
Little did | know that he had |
Carried me through a bunch of1
hostile Apaches, led by that old |
time numbering fiend, Geronimo. |
When | arrivedrat the ranch | |
turned the old horse loose and
went to the camp where | found
Hank Dowdle, Charlie McGreary, |
Charley Proctor, Marion Gillis
and other cowpunchers, all in |
bed and scattered around on the
ground. Hank Dowdle, my old
time pail, rose up in bed and
hallowed: Hello, Bill! Got any
thing on your hip?" "Of course
| have! Do you think | would |
get in a poker game and win
$500. 90 and not buy a bottle for
the boys?"
On hearing this they all came |
alive, and for the next few hours, |
times were lively. u
We had just got quietly asleep
when we heard the patter of a |
horses feet coming from the
direction of Stafford. We knew
something was up, and all arose
at once when Mac Freeman came
riding up to camp and reported
that MeXicans had cut horses
loose from the wagons in Johnl
Lee S and the Wright Brothers
yards.
Mac was not much excited as
he thought they were a bunch of |
Mexican rustlers who had stoienl
he horses. This explained tel
me the actions of the horse | had
SO cruelty spurred for not going
where | had steered him.
'Mexicans, HI" yelled tel
him. They were Indians am
old Dandy carried me right thruI
the bunch. Come alive and gel |
your horses. Those tenderfoot
Mormons who are following the
MeXicans will every one be mas
sacred before we can get to
them.
The boys had turned their
horses loose when they came intoI
camp and the only horse to bel
had was the one | had ridden
the night before. saddled upl
and, started out to round up the
saddle horses, but it was nearly
nine O'Clock before We eot our 1