Montana oil and mining journal. [volume] (Great Falls, Mont.) 1931-1953, 1936-03-21
~ GLENDOLTN DAMON WAGNER

MNsW@@ Author OF OAQ ANAAaAA&NA@et
SHERE was a time, IS years ago
when the booming metropolis
Red Bluff. Montana, Boosting 9
population of several hundred
fnbabitauts. turned up q scorntul, vain
oIoTious nose at the little struggling
VILLAGE of Norris, four miles away. That
was when every hill and couiee anu
mountain between the Tobacco HooI
and Madison ranges we're yleldlng Ior-
tunes in gold dust or nuggets, anu u WEI ,icil
The valley echoed to the sound OF PICK
or rumble of loaded wagon and was
crowded with hopeful, busy prospectors.
Then the thriving town OF Red Bluff,
close to the rich Red Bluff mine, gave
the fun-hungry young miners Just
about everything they manifestations,
gambling resorts, dance halls. In short;
II was a wide-open town thriving ana
growing as wealth from the hills was
brought in. Stage coaches heaolng 1oi
Virginia City had to pass its way ano
uasSenpers often found it convenient
To stop for a drink, meal or q poker
game. Sometimes, though, they stopped
when it wasn't convenient at all. Inc
Cottonwood curtained spot on the creek
lust below Red Bluff was the scene OF
az least six holdups by Plummer ana
his gang of road agents.
The booming town was the center OF
all the young activity OF exuperans
young miners who were ricn To-Day anu
broke tomorrow ana whose golo u1se
poured freely over the bars OF the
various saloons, where fortunes were
made and lost at the poker tables
made by the house and lost, usually,
by the miners. For one bartender was
reported to have had with him
a professional gambler known as
"Sheep-Sheer Sam" who was very
clever at Turing gullible victims INTO
a game. stripping them clean, and later
dividing the profits with the proprietor,
who. Of course, posed all the time
as an upright proprietor Of a respect
able establishment. Dick Lands re-
calls one game into which he was en-
ticed by Sam. It was stud poker. Sam
dealt. Dicks hole card was an ace.
His first card up was an ace. He antied
$500 and Sam, with king up, called. |
Dick won that pot with two aces
against Sans two kings, and then, he
saws. he quit, figuring he was playing
either with a fool or crook. But he
stood back to watch the next game and
learned that Sheep-Sheer Sam was not
a fool Sam was dealing, his long, slim
fingers manipulating the cards with |
quick dexterity His first card up was
a deuce and the other man had an
ace. Promptly the man bet $500 in
KOlQ UuSt. CnuCQ dAA0 aSeAAkS q ga
spot for the man, another deuce Tor
himself. The mans face was white. His
hands shook. He showed another sack
into the pot and Sam, with a pair OF
deuces against an ace and six spot,
called the bet and dealt, six TO the
stranger, a third deuce to himself. The
man was broke. He borrowed, giving
his diggings as security, and bet, ana
Sam called and dealt, long, white I'M
-fr,v1ifxtor fka horde until the
stranger had an ace and three SKIES
up against Sans three deuces with q
queen. Over the house taut silence
had settled. Men left the bar and Saun-
tered across to watch the game. Beads
of sweat stood out on the mans face.
He was breathing heavily. He bor-
roWed to the limit and showed every
thing into the pot. Sam, cool and smil-
ing, called. Then the white-faced
stranger Tipped over his hole card
with a gasp Of triumph, for he had a
full house, two aces and three SKIES,
and the pot on that table was for
tune. But Sans hole card was deuce
and, still smiling, he hauled in the pot.
without q word the man pushed back
his chair, got up and, knees shaking,
stumbled out the door. Presently,
against the grim stiffness OF the room,
they heard the clatter Of hoofs and the
the maWs of Montana'S plains.
But shortly after that Sheep-Sheer
Sam disappeared too, and the way OF
it was this. There came q time when
Sam grew careless about dividing the
profits with his proprietor and the vir-
tuouS, enraged saloon keeper ac-
cused his partner of being q crook.
Angry words followed. Sam challenged
him to prove his statement. Obviously,
an extremely difficult thing, under the
circumstances, to do. Matters came to
a climax when, one night, the owner
dragged Sam out OF bed, beat him up,
and called a sheriff. However, by the
time the officer arrived, Sheep-Sheer
Sam had mysteriously disappeared and
no one, unless possibly the owner of the
could explain the man
ner of his disappearance.
Meantime, while the metropolis OF
Red Bluff was flouriShing, with its
big, stone hotel, its crowded saloons,
its comedies and tragedies, its gay
dance halls sending flood light and
blare Of music across the quiet hills,
the little village of Norris kept soberly
on its way, for the most part ignored.
And the ambitious citizens Of Norris
resented this fact deeply. They wanted
to be on the map and TO share IN the
wealth and fame that were Turing more
Red Bluff. They resented the firm hand
that controlled the destiny of their
Even to this day one finds
q diversity of opinion as to the sort
Of man Alexander Norris was and as
to the wisdom Of his dogmatic rule.