White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1921-01-16
DISSERTATIONS
OH PESSIINLST

Fred Oldneld Is one OF the busiest
men in the county. but he has a minute
to spare now and then n If his ole
pipe Is drawing just right and there
doesn't happen to be someone seeking
a passport. marriage license. location
for a homestead, divorce complaint,
copy Of q decree. engineers license,
hunting or fishing license. citizenship
papers, q desert entry. drill for artes-
ian water. register for election. borrow
q match, or he is not called into court
or the commissioners room. he can tell
a good story of the old days around
Ely.
Fred was one Of the young fellows
who helped TO shove the greater part
OF Osceola into the sluice boxes when
the placer mines of that once-famou
' ~old camp were producing gold mug
gets go big that the largest sized hat
wouldn't cover one Of them. lie also
drove a stage in the old days when to
be q good driver a man would have TO
compare with the fellows who could
throw the lines of his -four over
their heads and coming down Robin
son canyon on a gallop and tell the
mustangs TO "gNan home.
During n reminiscent mood one day
he started in by saying, Now don't tell
anybody, but YOU know the boys we
used to hang out with in those days
were a rough bunch. but every one of
them had a mighty tender spot in his
/ heart for animals.
w had a kind of IA clubroom in Sly
one time long before Ely was ever
known by Rand-McNally. which we
: called the Bears Nest. diners. cow
! punchers and sta~gedrivers-all outdoor
men-wcre the regular bunch who
would meet there most every night.
One of the principal pieces of furniture
in that cluh was a split-willow covered
jug which was worn smooth by much
handling All kinds of rough pranks
was the regular entertainment, as there
was no place To GO. We furnished our
own amusement and used each other
for audience and actors. There was
one member of the club that always
took an active part in our entertain
ments. He was a little old clay-bank
colored pug dog with a pretzel tail and
eyes that bulged out like a poisoned
toad. He wouli run in and out be-
tween tho boys legs. snorting and puff
fing like a wind-brokcn horse chasing
~fuaztails. and blowing bubbles from
his little old mashed in nose. like a leah
in n half-empty water bag. That old
dog stayed around there for years until
his little short legs refused 10 carry
his fat. wrinklod body over the Door
while the boys We're dancing. ard
many's the time he got trod on and
was too weak In make enough noise
to let us know h was nurt. He kept
getting fatter and weezier all the time
m those brown. bulged eyes got 10
watering more and more. until on.
night the bays held a council and de-
that pug should be put out OF
his misery. This we all agreed to, but
who was going 10 do the job?
Finally we decided on two of the
hard bitten boys who were handy with
the six-shooter and instructed them 10
do the execution. None of us was
hankering 10 see just how these two
would finish the poor old fellow. but
when they decided on the night the
killing was to be done we could not
stay away. The two fellows picked to
do the executing Wen to the cabin of
the club that night and as the moon.
was as bright as n new dollar we could
see them as plain as day. Pretty soon
one OF them came out with a gunny-
sack tied around the top and it looked
like there was something heavy in II.
walked 10 the side hill where there
was some little cedars growing. the
other fellow following him n hptf
49,, liking their guns.
Tie 1t up there quick. sald ing !flio"
f,f,aving the one will - sa.L Th,s
the man WITH the sack proceeded IL 10
and then both stepped back about
twenty feet and turned loose their ar
tillery. When both guns were empty
we heard one fellow say. -" YOU think
the poor little devil knew who saot