The Carbon County news. [volume] (Red Lodge, Mont.) 1924-1931, 1927-05-26


experience.
always selling at loss. Henry Bur-
ris, the mine superintendent, came IN
as stood there and bought $500
suit of clothes for $4,000 as Katzen-
slime valued his trade.
mons boarding house. I took supper
there that evening. From her | learn
ed that Carbonate already had a
population of 800, that it would soon
incorporate and that it dreamed of
the day when it would be a county
seat. | didn't doubt it much as Car
bonado looked like a coming town.
The seven o'clock whistle blew and
strolled over towards the mine. All
was activity there but the dust was
terrible and the night was sultry.
Just up the street stood Mrs. Len
Returning | entered Jim Banty's
place as longed for good cool
drink of lemonade or something. Ban
tvs saloon was noted for its cock
tails and he had bartender from
down east somewhere who claimed
that he used to mix 'em for the gov
ernor of his state.
put in my order for one-just to
see him mix it, understand and
while engrossed in watching real
artist concoct a nectar fit for the
gods | was startled at a shot that
rang out on the night air and we all
rushed into the street. A badly
frightened man hurried by on his way
to the doctors office and a bystander
remarked that it must be DIR. Doty's
busy night. In short time, however,
we were relieved to learn that no one
had been killed, that man by the
name of Yoakum had shot man by
the name of Ben Peel.
In a way the case was interesting
for in the annals of American juris-
prudence it is the only case ever re-
ported where patch on a mans
pants ever saved his life. 1t seems
that Yoakum was to go on shift at
seven o'clock but before reaching the
shaft changed his mind and returned
to his home. Peel was there ahead Of
him and when he saw Yoakum enter
ing he suddenly decided that he had
urgent business elsewhere and went
out through window with an en-
ragged husband, armed with shot
gun, in hot pursuit. Yoakum was not
a good shot on the fly but he did very
we'll on that occasion which brings me
to the patch story. Peel was arrayed
in blue overalls that had dark color
ed patch on the southwest forty. When
Yoakum aimed at Peel in the dusk of
evening his quarry was just going
over fence and he mistook the dark
patch for Peel's head or vital spot
as the doctors would say. He COM
pletely ruined the patch but at last
rep IT'S Peel is still alive and running.
Soon ten o'clock came on and the
town was going to bed; the late
moon was rising and I strolled about
the sleepy town.. I'm the gardens there
seemed to waver bright yet shadowy
silence--a night when every sound
seemed affair off, half mysterious
echo-the closing. of a window shut
ter, the subdued football of a. late
home-goer the whimper of fretful
child, the indistinct notes of an old
song tagging in the lazy air.
Passing a brightly lighted saloon
I noticed calendar in the window. 1t
bore the legend, august, 1900" Then
the vision passed and I awoke.
There were no stores nor streets;
no mine, no railroad, no people, nor
town. There was only a slack dump
now grass-grown and forlorn. There
was but deserted shaft like an in
verted monument to town that was
dead and gone and forgotten-just a
gaping wound -ins the bosom Of
Mother Earth.