White Pine news. [volume] (East Ely, Nev.) 1920-1923, 1923-11-18
BABBLING
IN THE DESERT

keeping of their health and lives in
the hands of any doctor who cones
along, the only qualification needed
to inspire il being the price to get a
| sign painted with NJ. d. thereon and
they will take any medicine he hands
out!
In part it was something like this
that was Undecided in the breast of
Bill Vinson, but there was more, for
Bill inherited the belief hal he vas
a bad HON bre, Il horse and cat
tie thief, a bandit of the first water
and that he tried to be good but he
simply could not battle against the
fates which were pulling him down,
down, down.
But Bill was mistaken OIL every
count. He was none Of these. He
was only a small fry stockman with
less than a hundred head, a near-dry
farmer and a few things like that.
but associations could have and near
ly did make him one or two of the
things that he thought he was.
He got this near it. Once upor a
time he with two companions, both
brainier and wiser in the ways of
the world than he, was in the act Of
driving a bunch of cattle, not of his
or their irons, across the north
reaches of Warner valley. Oregon,
when the owners; who had missed
them. and an officer overlook them
After they were pinched Bill Fcss
got his fertile brain and facile tongue
to working, and this is what he and
Warren Baird said to Bill Vinson:
Say, Bill, the quickest way out of
this thing is the best. You just go in
and plead guilty. tell EN- you did it
alone and when the sheriff goes to
cross the Goose lake flat with you
on the way to the pen we'll show up
and take you away from him and
we'll ell beat it out of the country.
Won't cost any of us a cent"
That made q hit with Bill Vinson.
If there vas any doubt in his case
there was none in his mind about
Bill Foss, FOR not only himself but
everybody in Lake county was GER
tain that he was a bad man. a sure.
enough horse and cattle thief, for
even if he had never been convicted
hadn't he been caught with the goods
twenty times, tried three times. one
CT which trials cost him 81 | 900, but
invariably was acquitted
So Bill Vinscn fell for it He did
as he promised his benefactor-to-be
and received a sentence Of one year
at Salem for possession Of tie brand
ed COWS.
Up to this moment everything went
smoothly and worked perfectly. The
day for the Salem journey arrived
and the journey was undertaken. Bill
started off in the sheriff's frail Gus
tody with visions of freedom before
his minds eye and feelings of bravado
all the same Jesse James. Evans.
Sontag and Harry Tracy. Out over
Goose lake fiat went the old l.orse
drawn stage and Bill watched the de-
files of brush and peered behind the
shadow of every juniper. On, en-, on
the sheriff and he went. They kept
going two days and still the sher-
ifs possession of the prisoner was
unchallenged.
Well, to hold this story within the
present chapter, F'oss and Baird had
other cattle to herd and they forgot
to show up.
So, that is why we draw the smile
between poor Bill Vinson, who served
a year in Salem, and those who take
the quack's pills, which IS everybody
1t Is confdence-it rules the world.
Poor Bill thought the rescue proposi-
ton not only was on tho square, but
would be spectacular and in line with
the sort of person he thought he was,
but again he was mistaken. for he
was bunked.
There are several interesting i. not
funny things about Warner valley
citizens. Most prominent of these is
their taking ways-taking the other
fellows livestock. As between them
selves it would not he al eXaggera-
ton to say that in fifty wears more
horses and cattle have changed hands
by the long rope method than by bills
Vi oiiS uud NCotCo . AIN LII
that matter VIXEN out side sales arc
made it is considered only neigh,
borly to drive to town every critter
that turns up along the trail as the
band is driven by. 1t would be quite
as safe to venture the remark that II
the Warner valley men were collected
IN a bunch and a proposition made to
stone some sinner to death. there
would be few if any stones hurled il
The Savior were to show up and para
phase His once remark by saying,
Let him who never stole a COW cast
the first stone"
Warner valley mon are frequently
arrested and as often tried Memory
tells of non convicfec save Bill Vim
son, who was dup"d into PLEADING
guilty on promise of tire rescue finale
which was omitted for reasons sans