Juliet signal. [volume] (Juliet [i.e. Joliet], Ill.) 1844-1???, 1846-12-15
DEAD OPEN AND SHUT.
OR,
The way they play in Arkansas,
BY TOM HARRINGTON.

Few who have travelled much on the
broad Mississippi at an early day. but have
heard with dread the name of General
| William Montgomery, and none bat knew
| of the landing called s'Montgomcry'S
Point, which for its location and peculiar
advantages was hard to be exceiled !;
Montgomery himself was shrcwd, quick
witted, low-bre fellow. who in roguish
exploits was seldom fever equalled. He
was the terror of the South, to all who
knew him, and as a sportsman, gambler,
&c, vas S notorious as was the ceiebra-
ted Captain Kidd as pirate. The Gen.
eral was said to have many redeeming
qualities in his gaming transactions, which
might he classed as follows -
First. If be found a man naked, he
clothed him. If he was hungry, he fed
him.
Second. lfhe was thirsty and poor, he
gave him drink, and advised him to leave
for some more salubrious cline.
And last though, not least. if he was
thirsty and RICH, he made him drink and
then robbed him.
His notorious life was the occasion of
all gamblers Welding to his nefarious de-
signs, who CHANGED to fall in with him;
and whatever the General said must of
course be right, as none dared to gainsay
him.
1t was about the time when his notori.
ETY. had gained its height, that French
gentleman, accompanied by huge Yam
kee. arrived at the Point on their way
to the head waters of the Arkansas river,
and, as there was no other hotel in the
place, put up with the General.
Application being made 10 him for con-
veyance, he advised them to defer their
journey for few days, as he thought the
prospect of high w=ter was in their favor
This proposition was by no means well
come one to Jonathan, who had heard.
more than once, of the desperate charac-
ter of their host; and he declared he
would rather walk, and make pack horse
of himself, than remain. The Frenchman
assured him, likewise that his business
was very urgent that be must go on foot
even, if there was no other conveyance.
The General was not pleased with the
determined ohstinacy of the two. but he
could not well hit upon a plan whereby
to detain them with their own consent, so
he finally agreed to take them through on
horseback as far as Fort Smith. The
horses were accordingly equipped, and
the General, with his negro, the French.
man and the Yankee, Of length set out,
making quite respectable looking cara,
van for the Arkansas wilderness.
Ere they mounted. however, the Gen.
eral beg IN running his s'soft sawder"s GA
the Yankee about the many advantages
he possessed over multitudes of the South
ern people, which were no other than be-
ing sufficient in strength TO answer as his
own pack hofsy&s and though he might
have bushels Of Wooden nutmegs and horn
gun Aints 10 pack through the State, he
could Away accommodate himself.
The Yankee felt somewhat chagrined
al the insinuatia0, for fear that the French.
man might consider him a man Of that
character. After their leaving the Gen.
eraI stilfcaused Jonathan no small unea.
siness by his continual attacks upon his
nativity, &c. The Frenchman soon dis.
covered the annoyance the General was
giving the Yankee, and insisted that he
was too hard in accusing his honest friend
of having 10 do with anything Of so base
character. At this the General laugh
ed, and told him his ACCUSATIONS were ia
no wise erroneous. Fhe Yankee ground
his teeth and remarked