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CHAPTER L
The express trail* of that monument of
engineering skil\ nie Denver and' Rio
Grande Railway,' daily traverse the ex
treme eastern portion of the Rocky Moun
tains lying between the city of Denver
on the north and the smaller city of
Pueblo on the south, and summer tourists
as well as ail-the-year-round men of busi
ness pass over the picturesque road by
hundreds and by thousands in the course
of a single year.
There was a time, however, and not so
very long since, either, when white men
were very scarce in that section and when
the only means of locomotion was a much-
dilapidated coach, whose time schedule
was practically filled out to suit the
driver, as he, with much grumbling and
little speed, carried Uncle Sam's mails
from stage tQ stage.
Some twenty years since there was,
about midway between Denver and Colo
rado Springs, a point where the broad
valley narrowed into a deep and wild
gorge, known then as the Andy Jackson
Gulch. In the year eighteen hundred and
Seventy-three the individual who for a
eonsiderable time had filled the dual posi
tion of coach agent and postmaster, made
an interesting discovery. By the follow
ing spring the gulch was alive with a
population of .three hundred white men
. and three women—not counting Indians
and Chinese. The Andy Jackson Gulch
contained a rich vein of silver, enough
to rnpke the locakty a scene of much ac
tivity for five whole years, and, exactly
twelve months after the pioneer post
master’s important discovery, the Rose-
dale mining camp was Uoating bravely
on a flood-tide of wealth and prosperity.
Of course, .the assertion that 'Rosedale
was a success as regards population and
riches does not necessarily imply that the
streets were paved with patent noiseless
asphalt and lighted by electricity, or that
the stores boasted plate glass fronts, nor
yet that the camp owned a city hall peo
pled with a mayor and common council.
Rosedale had no pavements, for the very
excellent reason that it possessed no
streets to pave. There was not a public
lamp of any kind whatsoever from ono
end of the gulch to the other, opd tho
single store which supplied the i bodily
needs of the miners was located in a prim
itive shjed which was noticeably innocent
ef glass. The total absence of a mayor or
other civic official was in itself a blessing
In disguise, for taxes were as yet an un
known quantity at Rosedale, and no bad
language, was provoked among thq citi
zens by reasonyof unlit lamps, muddy
crossings and other necessary evils which
hover about older and larger communities.
And yet, notwithstanding nil drawbacks,
“good times” were decidedly in the as
cendant at the Rosedale mining cnmi.
Ndt in their homes did the miners .invest
the fruits of their prosperity. A modern
architect o> house builder with nineteenth
century notions of Improvements and aes
thetic art would have received very littlo
encurngement at Rosedale, where it is
doubtful if there was a single residence
or other 'building which contained more
than one door, two rooms and two squares
of glass, or that had cost its owned a fifty-
dollar bill—even at “young Colorado"
prices.
True, there was “Gllllcuddy’s” hotel,
office and store, according to what use
eould be made of it, or according to the
humor of the person who happened for
the time being to be speaking of that
place. It was a favorite spot of rendez
vous and, except during working hours,
was usually well filled with customers
and loafers—loafers whom Mr. Gillicuddy
fouud it policy to tolerate, having in mind
the fact that they were all of them not
only past but also prospective patrons.
It bore a marked contrast to all the other
tenements in Rosedale. The hotel, for
such it was primarily, covered a consid
erable area and the rough frame building
was actually two stories In height, al
though it lost some of its upper-story dig
nity, owing to the poverty-stricken ap
pearance of the stairway, which was a
flimsy sort of step ladder placed outside
the building. Upstairs nothing existed
but several seven-by-eight dormitories,
furnished uniformly with a truckle bed
and-a camp stool—little dens for the use
of which Landlord Uillicuddy charged
prices that would have shamed even tho I
. lessees 'of White Mountain hotels', |
Biit-it was dowrmnirs that Gilljcuddy’s j
showed its 'patrons the fertility of its
resources and the variety of the entertain
ment which it wss able and prepared to
afford. First, there was the office—hotel
office, coach office, express office, post-
, office and ticket office for the railroads,
of which Denver was, at that time,- the
western terminus. This office occupied
one end of the narrow rrawe building and
was presided over by Gillicuddy himself,
who sat in a chair of the orthodox kitchen
species, snrroundcd by full and empty
cigar boxes. .Here Uillicuddy installed
himself from morning till nbret, transact
ing the more important business of the
house and doiing.ont cheap cigars at high
. prices and innumerable packages of strong
iobacco. Back of the ‘‘office’’ was the bil
liard room, boasting a solitary combina
tion pool and billiard table, together with
a few card tables, and beyond this apart
ment was the dining room. The last room
in the building was the kitchen, but,not
even from the kitchen was there any
egress to tho. street—or what answered
for U street—and nil who entered Gilli-
cuddy’s entered it through the little office
and passed out the same way—under the
landlord's eye.
One peculiarity about Gillicuddy’s was
noticed by every stranger and new arrival
at Rotfiitie, Along the entire length of
one side o Jftb ifBUWkable building were
ranged about twenty-five empty flour and
salt barrels, giving the place the appear
ance of a warehouse. This was Gilli
cuddy’s verandah, and as sure as evening
time came round, just as surely would the
twenty-five barrels be occupied by 'twen
ty-five men, smoking while they exchang
ed snake stories and reminiscences of
‘‘old days East.”
It was about 7 o’clock on a summer
evening. The fact tbat.it was Wednesday
evening brought a larger crowd than us
ual to the “verandah,” for on Wednes
days and Saturdays the coach arrived
from Denver and she was now about
due.
They were a motley crew, those rough
Westerners, yet, although they were
dressed Very much alike, they presented
a good deal of variety, and it was quite a
cosmopolitan gathering. There was one
young fellow, who had not secured a seat,
who would have been remarked in a much
larger, more elegant and more refined
crowd. He was not smoking, but, with
his felt hat pulled down over his eyes
and his hands thrust deep into his pockets,
was idly reclining against tho corner of
the bouse. Even when the coach drew
up this young mnn did. not change his
position; he merely raised, his head slight
ly to watch the only outsido passenger
alight But having ouce rested his eye oq
that outside passenger, he became greatly
interested and closely scanned the new ar
rival as he entered the office.
The outside passenger was a man de
cidedly on the shady side of forty, who
looked as though be was (at least for the
time being) well acquainted also with
the shady side of life. He looked hungry
and haggard—ho also looked sly and vi
cious.
‘‘I want to transact a little business be
fore it gets dark," said the stranger to
Landlord Gillicuddy. ‘‘Keep a room for
me, please; I will return in an hour or so/’
The voice sounded strangely familiar to
the young man outside the door, and yet
he could not place the coach passenger.
Again he eyed the shabby man closely as
he emerged from the office, and watched
him as he disappeared along a track which
led to one or two outlying huts and shan
ties. Evidently the man was not a total
Btranger to Rosedale, for he knew his way
about; anyhow, the young follow’s inter
est was aroused, for some cause or other
known to himself.
“Know him, Maxi” asked the occupant
of the nearest verandah barrel, who had
noticed the young man's watchful atti
tude.
Max again pulled his soft bat over his
eyes as he slowly said:
“Fact is, Jimmy, I don’t know and yef
I think I ought to know him. I’ll look
a little closer when he gets back for the
night."
It has been intimated that women were
scarce articles in Rosedale—that they
numbered only three. One of them, Sarah
Brown, was a good angel to the boys. Not
that Sarah—who was nearly forty years
old—was exactly a seraph, but she was n
splendid nurse and cook for u sick man,
and could mend clothes or write a letter
for a well man. - Not even an angel with
genuine wings and sterling gold harp
could have been more welcome at the
camp, and every man in Rosedale had •
good word for Sarah.
Consequently, when, about midnight-
five hours after tho arrival of the coach—
Si Riggs staggered into Gillicuddy’s, pale
as a ghost aud trembling like a leaf, and
announced' that Sarah Brown was dead-
murdered—indignation rah high, though
.not one of the miners could so much as
guess at the culprit.
But young Max Brett walked straight
to Mr. Gillicuddy and asked him a couple
of questions.
“Gillicuddy, what name did that strang
er give you?”
“He didn’t register. Max," was the
reply.
"How’s that?”
“Sold he’d do it when he came back.”
“Then he hasn’t turned in yet?”
‘•No, Max.”
“I’ll tell you what his name Is, Gilli
cuddy,” stated Max loweringly. “Hl»
name is Do Watts. If he shows up, hold
him until you can give him to the sheriff,
and then have the sheriff find me if ii
costs s thousand dollars!”
Again, as he turned on Ms heel toward
the excited crowd in the billiard room,
he muttered:
“I guessed , it was .that 'scoundrel all
the time, but his disguise -was immense
and well-nlgli deceived me. I’ll be even
with him. though, and if there's half a
chance I'll have him before, anpther forty-
eight hours. Boys,” he shobted Aloud in
a deep, clear voice, “I had intended leav
ing here ou tV»« coach next Monday. If
Billy Gprmau will leud me his pony I
shall go now. Thunks, Billy” (as that
worthy nodded assent) “I will leave the
nag at Colby Gap station. You saw that
stranger to-uight. boys/ Weil, be is the
murderer, so don’t forget it if you ever
see him again. I think I can run him
down. Good-liy, boys.”
Half an hour later Max Brett, adven
turer (for-waiit of a'better description)
wns riding fast along the narrow pony
track which led past the murdered wom
an’s cottage. He rode ail uight and cov
ered nearly thirty miles, but when ho
reached Colby Gap station on tho newly
built railroad, the east-bound passenger
train’ had left two hours before, carrying
with it the man he wanted. So, impa
tiently enough s Max waited for the even
ing train, knowing full well that twelve
hours was a long start for an old and ex
perienced rascal like De Watts.
CHAPTER IL
A bitter quarrel was in- progress be
tween the Great Occidental Railroad
Company and its'employes—chiefly thu
engineers.> At the same time, the engi
neers being, for the'most part, a highly
Intelligent and sensible,-body of men, no
serious trouble bad thus far been experi
enced, nor was any feared or apprehend
ed by the company and'lts officials. Tho
engineers hnd not yet found it necessary
to have recourse, neither did they propose
to have recourse, to any acts of violence.
They knew full well that moral force,
backed by legal methods of coercion, are
more effective and decidedly more popu
lar with the American public than riot
and arson. \
But there were just a couple of men of
whom the engineers themselves were tear
ful would involve them in serious trou
ble. These were one Hughes, an engineer,
and his fireman—men fearless and thor
oughly capable at their work, but men,
who would stop at nothing to accomplish
a mean revenge when they considered
themselves imposed upon or injured.
One evening the fast train, known on
the Great Occidental as the Pacific Mail,
rolled out of Prairie City on its way to
tho far West. At Prairie City was at
tached to the. train engine No. 1)00,
manned by the very men -who were so
much mistrusted by both officers and em
ployes. Nothing particular, however, was
thought of this fact. They were closely
watched in the round honses add yards.
When they were in the cob it was tolera
bly certain they could do no mischief, be
cause any peril to which they exposed the
train nnd passengers must, of necessity,
include themselves.
When the mail left Prairie City she was
scheduled to run a hundred and fifteen
miles across the plains without a stop,
the time allowed being tnree hours and ten
minutes. Along this entire distance there
were absolutely • no towns or cities and
very few settlements of any bind, and as
the train held the right of way there was
no necessity whatever for stopping or
even “slowing up.”
Tho sun hnd just set, but the.crimson
glory of his setting still spread a rich fiery
light across the plains, which enabled n
strikingly handsomo man in the parlor
car to- continue the perusal of his book.
He was the general manager of the Great
Occidental,- and to him approached one of
the train men,.who respectfully said;
“You know who ure on the engine, sir?”
“Yes. What of it?”
“We are slowing—perhaps you ‘hardly
noticed it yet. There is no station, no
telegraph cabin nor any water tank near
here; there is not oven an up grade. I
have good reasons for suspecting mischief,
though just whnt shape it \viil take I
have no idea. The conductor is on the
rear platform keeping his eyes open, but
that isn’t enough—the trouble will be in
front.”
The brakeman paused, as If for some
encouragement, and the official, who had
closed his book, shuflled bis foot impa 1
tiently.
“Go ahead with your story,” ho said.
.“It will soon bo dark. What Is it—what
next?”
“The boys ou the rond understand you
to bo a fearless mnn; if that is qo, follow
me. 'Have you got a revolver—and load
ed?” •
“Y'es.”
“Good; you may need it. Are you a
safe shot?”
“I think not.”
“Then give me your weapon. For a
short time try to forget that you are run
ning this road, and obey my orders.”
The brakeman took the official’s pistol
nnd led the way througli the train until
they stood upon the front platform of the
forward coach—the baggage car.
“I suppose,” said the train man, ”7on
are perfectly willing that we should nt
ail hazards preserve this train from de
struction and get her through to Big
Creek in safety?”
“Of course—yes.”
“Then climb quietly on to the locomo
tive with me, and be prepared for mis
chief.”
The train was now runningjit a rate of
not more than fifteen miles an hour, so
that the two men managed to hoist them
selves on to the tender of the locomotive
with comparative ease. As they crawled
over tfae stacks of coal anil firewood, both
master and man took In the situation at
• glance. The engineer was- at that In
stant turning on a full head of steam, the
fireman was closing the door of the fur
nace which be had just filled up with coal,
and both were preparing to desert the en
gine.
Aa the two men I«r stretched at'the top
of the tender, the brakeman motioned to
the general manager to beep very still.
The fireman made a move to get down
from the left-hand side of the engine.
“Comer* shouted the brakeman, and
quick as a flash reshed for the fireman,
helping that culprit to the track by a
heavy blow. Almost In the same Instant
be turned to the engineer, who, though
not so far advanced ip his movements as
the fireman, was preparing to descend tho
steps-on .the right-band si'de of the engine.
Placing the revolver close to tho rene-
gade engineer’s ear, he shouted:' “Get
back there and do your work. Attend to
anything beside yonr business and you’ll
smell gunpowder! And If this train is'not
nt Big Creek on time I will see that we
bnve a lynching exhibition in the yard.
You need not tako your hand off the lever,
for I have brought you'a fireman—the
general manager. He will watch the
fire while I watch you.”
The engineer was completely cowed,
and the Pacific Mail, thus saved from a
fearful destruction, rolled into Big Creek
•on schedule time.
Engineer Hugh.es was promptly dis
charged with a warning and some advice,
but he was afterwards arrested, and then
the general manager turned to the brake-
man.
“My boy,” he said, “you have rendered
« great service to the company, and es
pecially to the passengers on this train.
We must do something for you.”
“Thank you; sir,” was the reply. “Some
day I may think «t something that you
can do for me, and if so,-1 will come to
yon. Just- at present I prefer to keep
quietly at my own- work, and I shall like
it better if nothing at alt is said to tbe
passengers."
i “Your name, At least?”
“Yes—my name is Richards,' Henry
Richards.”
Whereat the two shook hands and part-
ed." .
the next morning General Manager
Handford was handed a small package
addressed to himself, and upon opening it,
lie found a letter, inside of which was a
.smaller package, unaddressed. He read
the letter, which displayed the handwrit
ing and style of an educated man;
“Sir—Yesterday, with your assistance,
I was enabled to. render some slight ser
vice to your company—will you now-do
something for mo?
“Railroading is a risky business, espe
cially on thb plains. If death ever over
takes mo (nnd you are in apposition to
know if it should) will you please break
the seal of the enclosed package and hand
the contents to the person to whom they-
are addressed? When you do so (if ever)
perhaps you will tell that same person
what you know about me. I have proof
that you are a brave man; I think you
are a good and generous mnn, and I hope.
you will undertake this small commission
for me. Please part witli the package to
no one but tho person to whom it is Ad
dressed and under no other circumstances
-'than those which I have stated. You can
return it to me if you tire of the trust.
“Respectfully yours, 0
“HENRY RICHARDS,
“Brakeman.”
Mr. Handford thought this a queer oc
currence, but, remembering bis offer and
promlso of the previous evening, he pock
eted the package and proceeded on bis
way.
CHAPTER III.
CMcagoi The man who. has traveled
everywhere except to Chicago has failed
to soe the world; while he who is familiar
only with the great Western city has seen
■a very large.slice of the world. One of
the grandest and one of tho wretcliedest
—one of the best nnd one of the wickedest
cities of the universe. A combination of
London, Paris, Now York nnd San Fran
cisco, revivified by the blizzards of tho
northern prairies and refreshed by tho
blue waters of Lake Michigan; whose
whirl and excitement fascinate alike the
biue-uoacd Scandinavian and the, sluggish
Mexican—tbe phlegmatic Briton and tbe
hopeful American. Tho city whoso streets
ring with the incessant clatter of nearly
, two million feet,’bearing hither nnd thith
er men and women whoso constant flitting,
like figures In n kaleidoscope, mark nn
cver-chnnging scene. The eity where the
night lamps. like God's great sun, shine
upon the evil and upon the good, whore,
'upon tho broad sldeWalks, publicans an<J
sinners jostle pharisees and priests, while
Dives brushes up against Lazarus; the
city where, after ail. there is far more of
good than of evil—Chicago.
It is not surprising that a mnn of tbe
disposition, habits nnd temperament of
Max Brrtt should drift to Chicago. In
deed, he had made his bendqunrters there
more than once, but ns, up to the time
we saw him in Rosedale, be bad never
been compelled to work very hard or very
steadily for n living, he had hitherto been
n wanderer from choice.
But In October, a month or two after
the Rosedale murder. Mux Brett was lo
cated in Chicago, and was actually earn
ing a fnir living ns a clerk in tbe office
of William Rose Sc Company, extensive
dealers in oil. The Western Babylon,
with its babel of voices and maelstrom of
excitement, possessed every attraction for
Brett. Of a nervous, restless tempera
ment. not nnmixed with a happy-go-lucky
nml easily contented disposition, ho al
ways found a residence in smnil towns
nnd frontier settlements dull nnd weari
some. Even in Chicago, where his daily
work in the office of the oil warehouse
was laborious and of a responsible nature,
he frequently felt disposed to complain
of a lack of “mental exercise,” as he
termed monotony and hum-drum employ
ment; but, on the whole, he waa contented.
Away from the office nnd outside of busi
ness hours, Mr. Brett took life remarka
bly easy. He rented a suite of rooms
in a flat in one of the mammoth tenement
houses located in a fashionable quarter
of the city, and, falling back on tbe rem
nant of his Rosedale mining funds, had
them elegantly furnished. Then he made
friends with his Ihnillaily by presenting
her with two or three'tickets for the the
ater, and, having provided himself with
headquarters and a uscfnl friend, he.
straightway prepared to enjoy himself
and his surroundings. Most of his even
ings he spent at tho theaters and places
of amusement, and, like most young fel
lows, speedily formed a wide acquaint
ance among “all sorts and conditions of
men.”
But Brett possessed sufficient worldly
wisdom to keep these easily-made ac
quaintances at arms’ length, and never
encouraged too wilting friendships. Mux
did not care vety much what they or anjr-
,body else thought'of him; he just went his
own pace, serenely indifferent to the
smiles or frowns of onlookers, and if Max
hnd a “past history,”'or hid within bin
own heart any, dark secret, nobody could
guess of either fact from his bright face
and nonchalant manner.
. . (To be continued.)
Necessitates a Big Outlay.
TUe .tot{ii lengtU ,^Jf the common
roads In this country, good, bad and
indifferent, is estimated by General
Stone of the road bureau of the depart
ment of agriculture at something over
1,300,000 miles. The majority of these
rohds have been opened by common la
borers, hired by local supervisors, and
no engineering principles have been
observed in their construction. As s
result, it costs more to keep them In
repair than if they were as many fine
ly macadamized roads.
Keeping these poor roads In repair
and opening new thoroughfares cost
Massachusetts in 1803, outside of cit
ies, $1,130,944, or $60.30 per mile, nnd
New Jersey $778,407.82, or $43.23 per
mile. The total expenditure for roads
in that year amounted to about $20,-
000,000. As a great part of th? enor
mous sum was spent in repairing poor
ly constructed roads, that would need
exactly the same attention next year.
It Is not an exaggeration to say that
moit of the money was wasted.
Fine roads can be constructed all
the way from $400 '.o $500 per mile,
according to the nature of the coun
try through which they pass, tbo cost
of crashed stone and other engineering
problems. Tho cost of keeping these
roads In repair is infinitely smaller
than that required to repair the or
dinary dirt roads each winter and
spring, when great gulloys and ruts
are washed into them by the rains and
floods. The secret of the success of the
fine roads in France Is attribute.! to
the prompt nnd systematic repairs
made at all seasons of Die year.
First debutante—My cheeks are all
on fire. Second debutante—I thought
there was a smell of burning paint.—
Town and Country Journal.
All/the world loves a lover, because
the world likes to be amused occasion- *
ally without buying a dollar ticket.
WAVE WRONG MEDICINE.
Iioj l oses His Life Through Mistake
Slade by Grandfather.
Palaemon James, thp 7-year-old son
of Mr. and Mrs. Jesse James, who
live 11 miles east of. Albany, Ga., died
Sunday afternoon from the effects of
morphine poisoning. The drug was ad
ministered In consequence of a mixing
of boxes containing different drugs,
the mistake having been made by the
lad’s grandfather, G. A. Janes.
Six morphine tablets, thought to be
calomel, were given before the boy’s
parents discovered the mistake.
The boy was hurried to Albany with
all possible dispatch,‘Mr. Janes driv
ing one horse nearly, to death and be
ing obliged to substitute another while
still several miles from' town. The
boy died in convulsions.
BOOSEVELT VISITS PITOBURtt.
I* royally Welcomed and Dollreri
Fonrlh of July Oration.
Half a million persons greeted Presi
dent Roosevelt in Pittsburg, Pa., on
the Fourth.
They came, not only from Pittsburg
and Allegheny, but from the scores of
Industrial towns within a hundred
mile# of tbo city. It was «ho distin
guished guest’s first visit to Pittsburg
as president, and - his welcome was
most enthusiastic.
CUBAN HOSPITAL METHODS
Cause Complaint From Americans and
Britons In Santiago
The American and British residents
of Santiago de Cuba are Indignant at
the alleged brutal treatment at one
of the hospitals of a Scotchman named
William Housetown, who died, as as
serted, of alcoholism Sunday morning.
Housetown,was a dry goods clerk, a
man of good family and not an habit
ual drunkard.
KICK CORES PltOH BOSTON.
Question ns to Who Discovered Anes
thesia Ray Be Rehashed
A hornet’s nest is being Btlrred up
in Boston, Mass., by the recent action
of the Georgia commission In naming
Dr. Crawford W. Long os the discov
erer of ether as an anesthetic, and it Is
likely that there will be a revival of
the bitter controversy which so many
years raged over this question end was
carried to the halls of congress.
. i-s
Negroes to Fill rtriker*’ Places •
Railroads are rushing section men
Into Chicago to take the places of
striking freight handlers. The Chicago
and Alton tent fifty, mostly colored,
from Bloomington, III, on a special
train Monday night.
Cholera Rages fa Manila.
The'ClioIera record Monday for Ma
nila waa fifty new cases and thirty
deaths. For the provinces the record
was 460 new cases and 335 deaths.