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After a wet, weary week with a wash-pan,
even the most ardent argonaut needs to stand up, stretch a bit, and head
into town for supplies: flour, bacon, beans, salt, and coffee. In profitable
areas, shopkeepers frequently expanded their services beyond mere necessities.
Some even sported a small library. Card games, such as three-card monte,
and ardent spirits were always popular methods of disposing of extra nuggets.
Bar-room brawls and public hangings were perennial favorites. And as civilization
encroached, traveling entertainers, road shows and even the Circus came
to town.
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