New-York tribune. [volume], August 01, 1897, Image 40

About New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924

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STORIES OF CREEDE.
Tin: MINER'S BUICIDE RECALLS SOME
?WCT TARNS (W THE COLORADO
TOWNS EARLY PAYS.
from Th?? Halt Lake Herald.
Th.? suicide ..G N. ?*. Crecde at Los Angele*,
Cal., the ??th.r day recalls to my memory an
experience 1 had with him at the opening of
the Colorado mining ?amp which beare ins
name, ?imi th. developmi nt of which made liim
u multimillionaire.
'I'h?? lai .1?. idi B. McCullagh seni m?? .?ut t?>
Creede t?? write up the ramp for "Th" <;: .:..
Democrat." it was in February, 1802. My In?
structions from Mr. McCullagh wer.? queer. 1
was to stay In th? camp ab ?ut three wet ki and
write n,y "staff? afi.-r ? returned to Bt. Louis
Tins I md
\\ In ? I arrived at Crecde the San Juan Moun?
tains, which tower above ihe camp, wer.? cov?
ered w iii: snow t?. a depth varying from six t>>
twenty f. ? t. The "camp" or town was nestled
in two narrow gulches walled In by precipitous
cliffs th it -? ? ?.?, ? thousands ol !'?.? t high. Don ?
through these gulchea came tumbling and
splashing a stream of water aa clear as crystal.
It sprawled uul Into a miniature river in Ante?
lope Park, which llcfi t\.r three miles below
the town and is ihe flnesl natural park In the
world, according to the testimony of widely
travelled persona.
Walking through this park one afternoon in
the company of former Attorney-Genera I Sam
Jones, of Colorali.?, I saw a flock of vulture
ire? .lily devouring a cana-? under a clump of
ushea. 1 vicr.d my course around > lose to Ihe
Vultures in oiii.r to get a look at them. Im?
agine the horror of a "tenderfoot" when ? dia
covered that they were feasting on the dead
body of ? bun.an being' it was the body of a
Iran dies.? ri in ihe rough garb >?f a miner. The
ravenou?. bird? had plucked out the eye?, torn
the flesh from the face, breast and arms, and
with their beaks had ripped ????? the abdomen,
exposing ihe viscera. In horror 1 called General
Jon.s to witness th.? spectacle. He saunt'rd
leisurely toward ??<?, ?,? if knowing instinctively
the cause of my horror, and when ho saw what
it was he calmly observed:
"Oh, that's only the l<ody of som.? blankety I
blank who jump? d som?? ??ther fellow's t laim
nn?l gol what he deserved according to mining
camp othi's. Let ?.t ri??t say much about it.
You mlghl g.-i int.? trouble yourself."
When wo gol back to the ramp I told Creede
What I bad sen down In the park.
"Well, ?lil the hussards seem to be enjoying
their feast**" be Inquij ?d. with the Indifference
of a man Inured to such occurrences.
That was tho only d?a.l man I saw while l
stayed at Creede, and l heard nothing more
about this on.? than I hav.? r"lat?-d. Scores of
Others probably suffered the same penalty as
this rash unfortunate, bul if so their bodies
won? left In the mountain fastnesses where
they were slain. The law In the camp was the
will of Lat Mjsterson, who lias since developed
from Hi.? t.iior of terrors into one of the ! Iggi ?
backers of prlze-flghlera in th" country The
{?amp grew Into a city almost in a day. When I
arrived iheie there ?rere only two butidinga m
the place One of th ?.-?? was a little log hut
owned end occupied by Creede. Th?? other waa
a two-story fian).? structure mad.? out "f un?
seasoned limber and occupied by Bob Ford, the
Klay.r ..f Jesse James, as a saloon and gambling
bous.. Th. other habitats war?? tents that
sheltered 0,000or8,000 people, mostly men, with
hardly a ? 'cent woman among the thousand or
mor.? f. males thai made th?? nights hideous with
tli? ir revels. In leas than forty-eight hen-- the
population bid grown lo nearly 2O.0OO. .?ed the
building operations bad prof-rossed with i=uch
a rush thai on?.' could ir.?t all th" comforts of
a modern city oven to th?? detail <<i a warm
bath.
An 1 such a population ;.s was there congested
in that narrow gulch! I' seen;..! to me that all
the flotsam and Jetsam of humanity's wn 'kl
had be. i; toss d in there by th?? angry billows of
civilization? -adventurers ..f every stripe, mur
?U rers, gambiera, confidence men. thieves, pb'k
"pickets, painted harlots and pale-faced creat?
ures whos.? daredevil manners Indicated a dia
regard of fa:?? that was at once revolting ami
pitiful to bliold. And there wer?? gentlemen,
to ? bul "He bad t.? converse with and study
them a bn before determining their chara, tor.
For ail th.? men dressed alike, in overall rough
flannel shirts md bea*?*, overcoats. Th?? town?
was situated at th? meeting place of three
counties, and this suited the purpose! of the ?
lawlesi !?? ause litigation long drawn out hod
to lix the county Jurisdiction, In this emergency'
La? Masterson ?vas b> common consent accorded :
all Ih ? functions of the constabulary, th.? judic?
iary and ??? rxecutive ..f a perfectly organised |
community. li?? had a saloon and gambling
bouse cl ?se ??? Bob Ford's, and whenever trouble
occhiti??'! In any part of th?? ?amp that threat
ened t.. involve auy considerable portion of the
population, the news flew to him on the wings
of the wind, and ho wasn't long in settling It.
On?? night 1 sccompanled Masterson to a dan-.?
hall, 'ihe belle of the ball was a comely, tall
female, who ..is universal y known by the
Sobriquet of "Slanting Anni??." by reason of the
fact that when she Imbibed more liquor than
abe coa..? weil carry she moved about with her
body careened like a ship half-seas over.
Under the social code of the dan.-?.? ball, gentle?
men who participated in th?? Kiddy whirl were
expected to escort their pari nera t.. the bar .?
the end of each dance, and pay double prices for
any sort of liquid refreshment the "lady" might
desire. A slender young tenderfoot from Penn?
sylvania, who had be.n in camp long enough to
know th.? dan ??? luti) socia! code, was monopoliz?
ing the company "f Slanting Annie that even- j
ing. When she espied Masterson in the crowd
? ?f ?poetatoi Slanting Annie lefi her Infatuated
partner long enough to slip over to Masterson [
ami hold a whispered conversation with him.
When .-!??? ??:' Masterson told me to keep my
cv.? .?n th- Pennsylvania tenderfoot and watch
developments in his case, "He has danced with
Slanting Annie a half doxen tin.?.*-- thi-? evening
without ii :; ?j.itjrr.r at the bar." said Masterson. |
"His gain to hav*? two or tht?.? more dan?:?-;
with Slanting Annie an?! then bow himself
nil. So.? ?- ..?? to him ??nd will sliow bini lhat
h.? cant work liis Penn .. ' tnia games out
b< ? "
At thl?' point Cre.de canre int.. th" hall and
joined Masterson and myself, though tli? I
ni/, ? money kin its of tii.? camp attracted no at?
tention H?? was t-.id of Slanting Annie'? pre
tjicamenl ar..l seemed much pleased at tl.? j
p,.. t of ???.?!'??. "Annlc'll lix that dude pood
an.i strona if ii.? tri. s thai game on her," was
Creede'* ? ule comment.
Th?? dance went on more furiously. Slanting
Anni?? and th-? Pennsylvania dud?? continued to
whirl without spproacblng tho bar at the end
of th?? number. She Winked ominously at Mas?
terson and Creede as she whirled by them.
Th.y returned her wink with Interest. Th.?
suspensi lhat I was suffering lasted a brief
half-hour. Sure enough, the youm; Pennsyl
" ?.?:?:. ?? st ?<??.?> IIT ni
RKUUIjAK CI .SI.lMIlllS l ? 'M I ..
.i??M A MINUTI?".. I'M JUST HOI N' DP TilK STItlll.T
JUST ABST 'KM TO WAIT ? HIT:-??(I un. ti.
vanian did as ?predicted by Mastereon and
Creede. That la t.? say. h<? "bowed himself oui."
Annie er?'pt stealthily behind him as he moved
toward the ?lour. Jus! as he reached tl.alt
she (lashed a long, keen, slisteninir bowie knife
finn her ample ?bosom, ami quicker than it takes
to tell it. had plunget. th-? blade into the p??>r
young fellow's back. IP- wine??.I ami reeled.
Anni?* was preparine '" plunge it int.. him again
when "Soapy" Smith, <?f high position in tie
camp because of his fame as the ?greatest con?
fidence sharp in lie? country, seize.! her uplifted
hand and stayed Hi?? blow. The first thrust had
not rea h..1 a vital spot. Sympathetic specta?
tors hurried tii?? foolish youth out of the build?
ing, otherwise he would have ?.? alaughtered
for his folly.
"I'm eh?.? Anni?? didn't kill the tenderfoot,"
..lil Crei?, whni th?? excitement had auba.ded
?imi tin? dance was ?resumed, "but her treatment
of him will teach these rash youngster* wh?. are
crowding In here that they have to behave
themselves in this town or p?*t hurt."
l cultivated Mr. Creede's acquaintance during
my stay in lie- erimp. because he w oi Hi? H?.a
of tlie place, nexi to Bat Masierson. and ?
: lougbt h?- would son,?.? day < ut a big figure In
tn?? country, aa most of our bonanza klnga have ,
done. 11?? was Ignoran! and uncouth, and 1
learned to like him because of bla ruRg?*dni**s
ami freedom from pretence. He Been ?? rather
proud of his lowly origin and th?* hard atrug
?flea of his life, over which he had al Inst ci?
ompi;. ?1. He luid me of his Ion. s.?.?.? and ???,1?
nus search fur the precious metals through the
weird mountains for so many long, weary > ears,
without Unding much reward until he atruck
the wonderfully rieh veins of silver in th.? s.?n
Juan. ? ?f this discovery be said:
"in May. 1830, I struck som.? Boat on the ade
of .Monm lUlh Mount.un. 1 tied my burros and
began to follow it. I climbed the mountain
along the trail of the float all day. The sun waa
besting down on me and the ?lint ??f the Boat
und -r my feet was blinding Just when the
western sky w.is tinged with thai gorgeoua red
we s.?.? bere som? times, ? lifted my h? ad, and
there waa projecting out In front of me, in in?
viting shape, a huge bowlder of atllcate aa big as
a hou--<\ That's where the Boat I had followed
all day cam.? from. Good Qod! I aim. st
set earned with delight. I km w it was bound t??
come, but th?? idea of finding it In such ahape
was appalling to roe.
"But, to mil;?? a long story short, I staked it
off. and it was min?. I named it the Mammoth.
Wien I went back to mv camp that night I
slept ns 1 hadn't for montha before. I kn??w
there must be more of it close around, an.l I
kepi .r' work a month until, in .Inn... I found the
i:tii??: "
ll was in this vein thai Creede talked about
hi. Buds The language to not his. His vocabu?
lary was so limited end his conversation so
emphasized v? ?th oaths thai In? could ii"t be
quoi .1 literally. I show .1 him one or two
articles I had written about him before leaving
th.? ramp, an?! tlie.?. aeemed to phase him Im?
mensely.
A BURNING QUESTION.
"AND WHAT 13 TO IM TUR SURI I?:?'T OT TOOK LBCTURl TO-MORROW NIGItT, PROFBMOltf"
"Wim lit D**AR YOUNG LADT. ? <??.?? ?????'?,? Il.ji'U IT WIM. IIAVU ?1?? INTEREST FOTl
Ton. ? sham. ??;.??? ??; ?>.v *auN-8POT8.? "
"OH, BIT TIIATS o\r THK GREATEST INTEREST TO ME. I S11AI_ CERTAINLY ?JOM?*. YOL" VF. NO
ll'F.A HOW I BUFFER PROM PRECKLES!"?(Puach.
HOW SHE MISSED IT.
A STORY OF MONBT AND MATRIMONY.
From The Cleveland Leadet.
For nearly an hour Horntl?? Poxtor had been
upon his knees In front of Flavia Johnson, pouring
out his love. Ills was no ordinary passion, lie
had worshipped the beautiful ?irl fron, the moment
that his eyes bad lirst looked Into nera
''Flavia,' he Implored, "navi? -aere) ! Can't you
see that if you will nut become my wife there will
be no hope for me'.' '
"No, ?l.iri't say that." ahe returned in low, sweet
accents: "you will Ret over it. 'flute years :???
Titus Ilen.lersjii tolil me the sani*? thing. Now he
is married to another, and the father <>r twins. I
know thai he ia happy. You will forget in?? as he
has forgotten me. vou will m*?,?: some one else
and love her, and then. In ?.?oil time, he happy wuli
your twl?I mean your famll**, aa he Is."
"Ah," he bitterly replied, "ott.?_rs nay be hnppy
with their twins I do not rare for them. Yon -
you, Flavia, irre what I want. You are the pole
alar of my existen?-*. Say that you can learn t?i
lore me. ?say that l may at least hope, l>?i not
cornpel m ? ;.? co av.ay and dtslroj myself! Save
me, Fiai la, ? iv?* me!"
"Poor boy!" sl??? said, stroking his curia "I am
sorry for you I wish ? were noi so lovely, Ii is ter?
rible t!ii- thin;; of driving people ma<] for love
of ni?? I will five you a little lock of my lutar,
which ,..ei can ?-ear neu t.. your heart. Perhaps
?li.it will ii?ip vai lo e. ? over it."
"?o! N'oJ" he sohl?..i "I ilon'l Ihlnfc ? lo.-k of
hur- . n ni. t.. i.-r would .!.. a bll of ROO?!. Il would
only tickle me I am very ticklish, Plavia. Keep
four huir. You may need It some day. Now. I'm
going ??. Blv? yon Jusl on* more chance. Will you
or will > on not lie mine?"
Bhe bent .: ? i>res?? ? her rich, ripe lips agalnat
I. ? ? ? ? ' ? ? ? ? . ? ? lilieul
"Al.?.-, ? ?.?-,.?! ? am promised to another, who
mokes more money In ? lay llinn you earn iri a
w..?!,. |i nearly breaks my hcarl to have t.. tell you
Hila, bu! -ei: have forced me to do ao Were things
arra ne,? ? differently, I eould be hapP) with you,
for .. ? no king at the door ?.!' m ? heart."
II..rai... Dexter ROI up, Irvik??.! to .-<??? It hi- Iron
s. ?- v.... badly bagged .?? the kneea or not, and
then, in cold, harsh tones, ?aid:
? w. ... in isniuch .u I? seems to be a money trans?
action with you, ? sac.?s,? I ought to pay von
:..?:i?? thin .,? '.'or ri.?? time that yOil have Wasted In
hearing my story, lion? much do 1 owe you?"
Drawing boracif up like an angry princess, ?-he
said:
"Vou Insult me. sit' Oo, before I call my fattier,
who stands .-?\ feet two in his socks and weighs Bn
pounds*"
Sa h. depai ted, saying:
"The ?lay will rotiic when j iu Will l"? sorry that
you permitted the leslre for money to kill your
Im?.?:"
That wns live yens ago. To-day she i.s a Brass
widow, living upon a mlseraW?? allasony of "14 a
week, wi. :?? he has a political lob with salary and
f.es of 112.008 a vear. snd clerks, hired at the ex?
pense of the public, lodo the work.
Oft'-n does the now miserable woman say to
herself:
"What a fool I w."?' I might have known from
the biisiiresslike proposition he made that n!;;ht
that he couldn't lose!"
WONDERFUL RESOURCE 8.
Tin: REMARKABLE TALE OF WHAT THE FUHWA*
??? GOT AT Till', DEPARTMENT STORE.
Prom The Chicago Record.
n ?raa n s.?tar.lay afternoon train nut of town,
an.i the smoking-car bad a balf-dosen fishermen
bn ind :' ?? C'< dar Lake. K.ieh man hail an array of
tackle and a motet cheeseclotb ha?,?, within which
something v..is wriggling and kicking.
"What's jn there?" ask?.! a man with an under?
growth of whiakcra <.f one of ihe Beh? rmen.
"Frogs."
"Where in Bam Hill did you ketch any froga here
In ? 'to
"I b? tight them."
\v .?,? .1
"Up n ? no . ? Ihe big departm? nt itorea."
"You git o t! V'ou didn't, ?ii?! you?"
"Certainly. You ean buy froga for ball up there
"? ? ? I'.rs .? doi 11."
"Well, doggone! I guess you can get moat any
ti.ue. ?? ..:??? .,' them big eterea if the truth 'ua
ki on u."
"T'n it's right. Whii?? the girl waa picking out
the fru^s (or nr?? 1 Went ilowtl to tue lloor b.loW
and had a t.???ih pulled."
"Well I swan!"
"Then I had a little time to soar.?. .?? I took a
.? ?? .. .
? m rlu in th ? store?"
????.?: ; !i,i' . Th? y hav a bath department in every
side. Then I got a man 10 mow ihe grass up at
in. bouse,"
"You did?"
"Yea and paid my taxes. You pay your taxes on
the sime floor lhat you get the bsths. They're
ronvenl nt those department stores. When I got
through with all my other business I found I had
about twenty minutes to spare, so I took a bicycle
lesson."
"Th.v let vou tak.? wheels, eh?"
".No-rill-? on the roof. They've got a qu irter-mlle
track on the roof. There must have been lifty
pi nple up t. re ? kling to-day."
"Say"
"That's ,? fact! You can do anything nt a depart
meni atore Now, Just before 1 lefl to-day 1 ;i?>
? ri??.I for a divorce from my wife."
"Vou *,-?> plumb to grass!" exclaimed the In
?positiv?? man, and he moved t..> another seat.
.4 GEORGI \. ANANIAS.
from The Atlanta Constitution.
Th.v had ?tretched themselves under a wayside
sha I.? to rest and cool. Their wheels w.re sprawled
upon the grass and they were breathing like tired
.?..^?> m summer time.
"Pretty good lime that." sai.l a short round man
who was v.ry warm Iu the face. "We hit it pretty
lively."
"Fair," saal the angular wheelman. "Only fair."
The animiti wheelman wore etocklnga with big
checks in them and plenty of red. His bicycle suit
citili! not be by any manner of mistake taken for
.my other sort of suit It hid big cheeks, loo, and
th.- trousers w.re baggy.
"Hut a fellow ?an surpris.? himself with the time
he mikes." went on the angular wheelman. "Th*?
other morning?It was last Sunday, com.? to think
of It?I thought I'?l epln down to West l'oint just
to gi ? ut? an ap|i? tlte f..r breakfast. It was just
tin.? tl? it mnrnini;. coo.l breeze and no dust, well,
1 hit it a good stiff pace. I sorter lost sight of time
and distance, It was m> line, and 1 forgot to turn
around after I'd been out a few minutes. 1 guess
? must have surprised those farmers who saw ne
Btr< iking along down the railroad tra.-k It took a
swift farmer to see me, I went so fast.
"Presently 1 came to myself and taking a new
null at n y chewing gum, 1 stopped, i noticed I
uns on ti??? outsktrta ?f .Iones!,or?), I thought
" 'This is Jonenboro, ain't it'." I ask.?.I two youm*
Ids who were going along the road with some flab
Ing tackle.
?? Mom -??..!?., fit.' sai.l tie? smaller kid. ? it
run? ? :? ain't?-1 don't think -not very lik.? and not
..a y..iir golf Stocking*. Thla la Macini.'
"W.ll, you wouldn't have believed It -I could
hardly believe it myself. But l remembered ? ire
beer ealoon on the coin? r. and there it w ia as big
as lit'??, but closed ti[>. I w< nt up to the drug store
.?u the ?? m? r-, wlere the long-dlstanco lelepbnoe
Is, and thought I'd ring up my wife and tell her
id be s little late to breakfast, but the line wa?
busy. 'All riKht.' I said, 'here's a half-dollar ju?.t
ring ut? st?-? hundred when the line's open and
tel! Mrs. Wh.?l? r that her husband may be a tew
minutes late to breakfast.'
Well, the rid*? ha.k was great The preliminary