School Days | Frontier Gentleman (06-01-58)

[whimsical music] One of the first things I noticed in Laramie, Wyoming Territory, was the intense rivalry between that town and Cheyenne on the other side of the Laramie Mountain.

One read the bitter attacks and counterattacks in the opposition newspapers.

One heard it on the streets.

At the time I arrived in Laramie, gold had been discovered in the mountains to the south, and there was great rejoicing in this fact, which threatened to eclipse Cheyenne's claim of superiority.

In the interest of fair reporting, I decided to visit the mining area with the idea of making comparisons between it and that which I had seen in Montana Territory.

It was about midday when I saw the sign by the side of the trail reading, "Rotten Head Gulch," and a few minutes after that when I arrived at a cluster of shacks which constituted said township.

I noticed three men outside an edifice which bore the legend, "Dirty Charlie's Saloon."

[chattering]

Ah.

Good afternoon.

Howdy.

Saloon's closed.

Oh?

Yeah, voting day.

Ah, I see.

You voted yet?

Uh, well, no. Uh-

Buck, get out the voting paper.

Uh, got it right here, Jim.

Right here, mister.

[laughs] I'm not a member of your community.

Then does that make a difference?

Well, you're a human man.

That's all the difference we need.

Hey, Shorty, get off from the table.