Saint Paul weekly Minnesotian. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1858-1859, 1858-10-30

when Bessy arreeted my hand
From the New Orleans Picayune.
Love, Lunacy and Luck, or Twenty
Thousand Dollars on the Wag of an
AlligatOr's Tail.
We have heard in our time good many
tough fish stories, and among others that OF
the ''strange fish" recently caught at Chicot
Pass, in this State, which appeared to be a
cross between the alligatOr-gar and shark,
and had in his stomach 1912 in change, to-
gether with a stout bowie knife, a revolving
pistol, and other articles of fillibusterine
character.
That many ofthese tales were piscatory fic-
tons, we have always held since our arrival al
mans estate and now that truth is consid-
erably stranger than fiction, we shall proceed
with due sOberness, to show.
A few days ago Jarvis Wright was one OF
the smewdest and best Graders" of Choctaw
Nation. In early life he had left the granite
hills of New England and wended his way to-
wards the setting sun. His money making
instincts were pretty strongly developed, and
in the race for wealth he forgot the strong
affectional wants of his nature, and so, while
growing rich he grew DID, and was known
throughout the nation as the " rich bache-
lor"
Now it so happened that in things theolog-
ical the heart of Jarvis Wright, during his
wanderings and money gatherings, became
hardened, and in matters of religious faith he
was voted herterdoX In fact, he was almost
heretical as the heather ChOctaw, with whom
it was his boast to drive skillful " trades, "
and for whose spiritual benefit missionaries
were sent out annually by the Heaven siding
Christians of the North.
Among the missionaries who visited the
Choctaw wilds during the year 1854, there
was one who had daughter whom he loved
passing well. Jarvis saw her, and he too,
soon loved her with common love- 1t was,
indeed, strange to witness the effect of the
tender,passiOn ON that hardened unoeliever
Time, which was supposed to have blunted
and almost deadened all the finer sensibilities
of human organism, had been only concentra-
ting their essential fires, even as the spirit in
a cider barrel is concentrated and strengthen
ed by the frosts which render its exteriors
cold and icy. SO the love of Jarvis, in its wild
vehemence, was riddle to the men and maid
ems of the Choctaw tribe, and even the tender
wondered.
as to be considered ridiculous, and most of his
ting turned. And so, as the divers fates too
often have ii, Jarvis angel prove unkind. The
richly freight bark of his hopes was shipwreck-
ed and Il ''rooted sorrow, ,"settled on his soul
Far daughter of the missionary! She never
was to wed the rough and heretical, though
rich old bachelor, while younger and more at
ractive gallants were sueing for the favor of a
smile. She refused him and he became in
contincntly craZcd, and mopcd and wandered,
still talking about her.
AZ lengthhis friends concluded to bring him
to this wayward city of New Orleans, where
several of his relatives reside, and after spen-
ding a few months there, the demented lover
began to be in some measure forgetful of his
grief. Occasionally, indeed, he would be as
sane as any man iii existance, but with the
changes of an hour his fit of love lunacy
would return, and he would be as wild as
ever.
As he was perfectly harmless, even when
the fit was strongest upon him, nc was trans
fcrrcd to plantation at Tcrre Beuf, where
he was allowed the privilege of hunting
And in due time hunting alligators among the
bayous and lagoons became the fayoritc past
time Of the lovclorn Jarvis, and it was hoped
that eventually he would wholly forget how I'M
successfully he had been hunting for wife.
But now a new mOnOmania seize him.
Of killing alligators he became tired, but to
catch and tame one was a new idea. If he
could but tame a live alligator, the star of his
fortune would again rise in the ascendant, and
in the amphibious creature he would find a
guide, philosopher and friend"
With all the method of madness he set a.
bout the realization of his wild idea; and one
day, about six weeks or so ago, he captured
a juvenile monster of the class he sought and
commenced at once to cultivate with it kind
ly social intimacy. No more did he visit the
distant bayOus; for, to the wants of his new
found friend, he devoted all his time and at
tention. Scarcely, indeed, did he speak to any
one else; but when he did, it would be the
same parrot phrase
THE man that's lucky enough to catch and
tame a live alligator, can draw prize in the
Havana lottery''
This he would repeat, not only to the peo-
pie of the house where he resided, but to his
alligatorship thousand times, ,and thousand
times again.
After several days consultation with his
ming, to visit the city, buy lottery ticket, and
prove his luck. So he engaged a passage for
himself and alligator on the Mexican Gulf
Railroad and came After arriving, he went
straghtway to a mercantile house. where his
money is deposited, drew so, and cOmmen-
ced his search around the city for ticket that
his saurian counsellor. r.would be satisfied with
Long and weary was the search. A hun
L I A.. 4. .,Joc,
before he manifested his appreciation by an
an approving wag of his caudle appendage.-
AS soon however, as the ticket with the mys-
tic numbers was displayed, the mysterious
reptiles eye frightened and tail wagged wise
ly. And Jarvis interpreted the cabalistic wae
as sign to buy, and forthwith he bought
the ticket and went home rejoicing.
Two days afterward, the drawing tableau
of the Havana Lottery arrived, and strange
as itmay appear the ticket selected by the
approving wagof the alligator tail was down
for the 1000 prize. The story may appear
improbable, but it is no more strange than
true, as several respectable merchants on Ca
rOndelot street, who are familiar with the facts
and the members Of the commercial firm o
Camp street, where the money has since beer
deposited can attest. Indeed, we have tho
story from the lips of one nearly related tc
the unlucky yet lucky Jarvis. Nor did the
luck of the alligator hunter end with the draw
ing of the prize. Recently, as is well known,
exchange on Havana has been commanding a
handsome premium, and Jarvis, through one
of his relatives, received for his ticket not only
the $4,000 it called for, but a premium o
! $50 besides.
Who will not hereafter say that the tail o.
an alligator is not thing of wisdom 2
With this philosophic query our tale shall
end
Shooting a Minister i'm Mississippi.
We learn that the Rev. P. g. Green, Meth
odist preacher in charge of the Warren Cir