DIY History | Transcribe | Campus Culture | Reuben Gaines' memoir, undated

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Page 15

PAGE 15. Buxton. 
mouth. He had pulled his head down into his shoulders to protect his neck. Whe Todd turned Rucker loose he walked into the saloon; ask Bill Shelton for a gu so he could go out and kill Todd. That evening Todd left Buxton forever.
Daddy Red was a young giant about 280 lbs. at 6:4. He was a peaceful man and always tried to avoid trouble but was well fortified with his gun in his belt to lessen the odds against from about three dozen people that also carried guns. He never attempted to shoot anybody but I had seen him take his gun and smack people beside the head to quiet them down. Buxton was semilar but some different from the old western days; wherein all arguments and differences of opinion were settled by gun play. In those early days they had rules and regulations for murder; although if a man shot first and was killed the law was twisted and construed in such a manner as to call it self defense. In Buxton wh those frew dozen people carried side arms; arbatration was out of the question for a peaceful solution. Two people with guns arguing at the same time with uncontrolable tempers some one usually died. One of them died because both were talking at the same time when one should have been listening. If you cannot talk loud enough to obscure the other man's voice in an argument; most people get very agravated and annoyed. Gamblers and women came to Buxton every pay day to get their share of the easy and free flowing money. In 1904 a little black wom had come to Buxton and remained after the others had gone but on this pay-day s met with foul play. Her body was found about 200 yards east of the Hotel on the railroad track. Apparently she was killed in the rear of the business places and some one dragged her body or carried it and placed it on the track. There was few suspects but with elimination it was finally charge to Charley Foster through circumstancial evidence because he was last seen with her by several people. The preliminary trail was held in Reuben Gaines Sr. building by the track and highway and he was acquitted but the consensus of opinion by the peopl was very  much against him. It is true that she was a prostitute but everybody h the right to "Life, liberty and the persuit of happiness". During this same time in 1904 a few hundred head of wild horses were driven from the west into th stock yards at Buxton which was located near the second Bass Ball park and auctioned off to the public. They were all branded and had to be broken to serv in one capacity or another. My father bought two matched soil ponies from this auction they were soon broken to pull a surrey. Two men had to appear before the court in Oskaloosa and they wanted me to drive them there which was 20 miles from Buxton. We started about noon and the team of ponies trotted all the way t Oskaloosa and when the appointment was over we started for home and it rained al the way back on the return but regardless of the rain and the muddy roads they were tough and ready to go again. Now I am only four blocks from home so I let my two passengers out. to keep out the rain we had the side curtains on and the

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PAGE 15. Buxton. mouth. He had pulled his head down into his shoulders to protect his neck. Whe Todd turned Rucker loose he walked into the saloon; ask Bill Shelton for a gu so he could go out and kill Todd. That evening Todd left Buxton forever. Daddy Red was a young giant about 280 lbs. at 6:4. He was a peaceful man and always tried to avoid trouble but was well fortified with his gun in his belt to lessen the odds against from about three dozen people that also carried guns. He never attempted to shoot anybody but I had seen him take his gun and smack people beside the head to quiet them down. Buxton was semilar but some different from the old western days; wherein all arguments and differences of opinion were settled by gun play. In those early days they had rules and regulations for murder; although if a man shot first and was killed the law was twisted and construed in such a manner as to call it self defense. In Buxton wh those frew dozen people carried side arms; arbatration was out of the question for a peaceful solution. Two people with guns arguing at the same time with uncontrolable tempers some one usually died. One of them died because both were talking at the same time when one should have been listening. If you cannot talk loud enough to obscure the other man's voice in an argument; most people get very agravated and annoyed. Gamblers and women came to Buxton every pay day to get their share of the easy and free flowing money. In 1904 a little black wom had come to Buxton and remained after the others had gone but on this pay-day s met with foul play. Her body was found about 200 yards east of the Hotel on the railroad track. Apparently she was killed in the rear of the business places and some one dragged her body or carried it and placed it on the track. There was few suspects but with elimination it was finally charge to Charley Foster through circumstancial evidence because he was last seen with her by several people. The preliminary trail was held in Reuben Gaines Sr. building by the track and highway and he was acquitted but the consensus of opinion by the peopl was very much against him. It is true that she was a prostitute but everybody h the right to "Life, liberty and the persuit of happiness". During this same time in 1904 a few hundred head of wild horses were driven from the west into th stock yards at Buxton which was located near the second Bass Ball park and auctioned off to the public. They were all branded and had to be broken to serv in one capacity or another. My father bought two matched soil ponies from this auction they were soon broken to pull a surrey. Two men had to appear before the court in Oskaloosa and they wanted me to drive them there which was 20 miles from Buxton. We started about noon and the team of ponies trotted all the way t Oskaloosa and when the appointment was over we started for home and it rained al the way back on the return but regardless of the rain and the muddy roads they were tough and ready to go again. Now I am only four blocks from home so I let my two passengers out. to keep out the rain we had the side curtains on and the