Owyhee bullion. [volume] (Silver City, I.T. [Idaho]) 1866-1867, 1867-06-27

bSsStA - tS Nheh'
Our traveller seeing that he had an orig
inal to deal with, and being himself an
amateur performer on the instrument to
which tho settler was SO ardently attach
ed, thought he would change his tactics
and draw his determined not to be hoss
out little before informing him of the
fact that he, too, could play "The Arkan-
sas Travaler," which once being known,
he rightly conjectured would be pass
port to his better graces.
Traveler-"Well, friend, if I can't
stay, how far is it to the next house?"
Ark. Art.-"Ten miles; and you'll
think they're mighty long ones, too, a.
fore you git thar. came nigh onto for
gettin' to tell you the big creek is up;
the bridge is carried of there's nary
yearthly chance to ford it; and if yer
bound to cross it, you'll have to 60 about
seven miles up stream, to old Dave Lo-
dys's puncheon bridge, through one of
the darndest bamboo swamps ever you
see. l reckon the bridge is standin' yet
twas yesterday mornin' though one
end had started down stream about iif-
teen feet, or sich matter"
Traveler-"Friend, youseem commu-
NEGATIVE, and if it's no offense, I'd like to
know what you do for living here"
Ark. Art.-"No offense on yearth,
stranger; we jest keep grocery"
Traveler-"A grocery! Where in the
name of all that is mercantile, do your
customers come from? Your nearest
neighber is ten miles distant"
Ark. Art.-"The fact is, me and the
old woman is the best customers yet but
we 'spect these diggings will improve,
and, in course, business will improve, too.
Hows'ever, we do suthin now, even. Me
and the old woman took the cart t'other
day, and went to town; we bot a bar'l of
whisky ; and arter we come home and
gin to count the balance on hand, we
found thar want but jist one solitary
picayune left, and as the old woman al
lus carries the puss, in course, she had it.
Well, | sot the bar'l agin one side of the
house, and shortly arter, the old woman
seA: 'Spozen you tap your eend of the
bar'l, and did and she bought drink,
and paid me the picayune. Pretty soon,
l began to get dry, and sez L: 'Old wom-
an, spozen you tap your eend of the bar'l !
and she did and then she sells me a
drink and the way that picayune travel
ed back ards and for'ards over the bung
of that bar'l is caution to them as loves
red eye! But, stranger losses is apt to
come In evsry business; and me and the
ole woman's lost some in the grocery line;
and III tell you how twas: That boy
Bill, our Oldest son, he see how the lick
er was goin', and he didn't have nary
red to jine in the retail bisiness; so, one
night, he crawls under the house, and
taps the bar'l twixt the cracks in the
punchen floor; and rally b'lieve he's
got more than me or the old woman eth
er; the good-for-nothin' vagabond, to
come the giraff over his nat'ral born par
entsl Its enutf to make a man sour agin
all creation. That boy'l be the ruina-
ton of US yet. He takes to trickery jist
as natral as a hungry possum takes to
hen-roost. Now, stranger, what on yearth
am | to do? He beats me and the old
woman all holler."
Traveler-"It would be difficult to ad-
wise in regard to your son, as l have no
family of my own. You say it is ten
miles to the next house the big creek is
up; the bridge is carried away; no pos.
sibility of fording it, and it's seven miles
through swamp to the only bridge in
the vicinity This is rather gloomy pros
pect, particularly as the sun is just about
down; still, my curiosity is excited, and
as you have played only part of the
"Arkansas Traveller" ever since my ar
rival, I would like to know, befor leave,
why you don't play the tune through !"
Ark. Art.-"For one of the best reasons
on yearth, old boss, 1 can't do it. Ihain't
larnt the turn of that chune, and dratme
if believe ever shall"
Taaveler-"Give me your instrument,
and I'll see if I can't play the turn for
you"
Ark RI -NT oob boro .t,ono,oxt J..