The Birmingham age-herald., 1924-12-28

the bar there was no kick coming. The business got too brisk for the premises, and the proprietor determined to enlarge the building without asking permission from the authorities.
 There was one man, however, the town surveyor, who feared no man, and as quickly as "Soapy" had boards placed in position he pulled them down again. The desperado had never been defied before, and he threatened to shoot the surveyor on sight. One night after the carpenters had ceased work, the sui veyor, with Winchester in hand, re- paired to the saloon to break up the new woodwork. "Soapy" was on hand, and he had his rifle with him. News that there was likely to be trouble quickly spread, and about the corners of buildings and from behind drawn binds men peeped out. The surveyor boldly walked up to the saloon, but took care to have cover at hand. "Soapy" left the premises by a back door, and the fact that he was abroad must have been | communicated by some means to the | surveyor, who walked cautiously. Round and round the building the two men stalked each other, occasionally taking pot shot.
 No damage was done, but evidently Soapy' changed his tactics, and after passing round corner suddenly doubled back. At that moment the surveyor came into sight at the opposite corner. Both men must have seen each other at the same second, as two shots rang out, two hats went flying into the air, and two men dropped to the wooden sidewalk. Both were killed, and the funeral was a great event in Skagway.
 Cowboy Joe was from the bunch grass country around Calgary, and, when he blew into coast town with one thou sand head of cattle from the eastern slopes of the Rockies, he at once set out to paint the place bright red. Cowboy Joe had his pals" but was the ringleader in the escapades. He was not one of the old-time bad men" of the then wild west, but his form of fun was somewhat peculiar even in those days. His first act was to engage rooms in downtown hotel, and then the boys" set out to get things going. In- cldentaliy, they collected more alcoholic liquor than was good for them.
 Soon a waterfront music hall was in turmoil. The beautiful maiden" in sketch was in the villains grip and was pleading for help, when Cowboy Joe stood up and shouted, Say, boys, we'll soon have her out of the hands of that skunk" As he said this he drew his gun, and the others did the same, but villain and girl vanished behind the wings.
 Behind the scenes, the beautiful maiden had to be produced in order to convince the men of the prairies that she was not in danger, but, when they saw her at close range and discovered that she was nearer $50 than 25, they de- cided that she deserved the fate the villain had decreed for her and de- camped to the back alley.
 Printer and Poet
 From New York to Frisco, and from the city of the Golden Gate to British Columbia and then eastwards to To- ronto, no man at one time was better known in newspaper offices than "Chewing Gum" Smith, tramp printer, poet and writer.
 l met him in skyscraper newspaper offices in the east, and in the editors den Tn shanty in a one-horse mining town in the far west. He was equally at home in each, and also in the com posing room. Chewing Gum" lived up to his nickname, and was a perambu- lating advertisement for the manufac- ture of stick jaw"
 When he arrived in town, his first quest was newspaper office. Writers and compositors were scarce in those days, and he was always sure of some sort of work. Nothing was above or below him, and he would write leader or poem or sweep out the office. ..
 Exhibition week. in a certain town in the far west was fast approaching when Chewing Gum" again graced the place with his presence. Somebody was