The Republican journal., 1869-10-28
From the Overland Monthly.
TENNESSEE'S PARTNER.
A STORY OF CALIF0fNIA LIFf

TENNESSEE'S PARTNER.
STORY on CAIIF0ENIA LIFE.
| do not know that we ever knew his real
name. Our Ignorance of it never gave us
| any social Inconvenience, for at Sandy Bar
| IN 1884 most men Were cirstened anew.
Sometimes these appelalives were derived
from some distmctivencss of dress, rs to the
case of ''Dungaree Jack" or from some
| pcculiality Of habit, as shown in ''Salcratus
BILL Sc called from an undue proportion of
that chemical in his daily bread OF from
some inlelicitous slip, as exhibited in ''Iron
pirate,'' a mild, inotlcnsvc man who earned
that baleiu title by his unfortunate mspro-
nuncation of the term ''iron pyrites." Per
haps this may have been the beginning of Il
rude heraldry but am constrained to think
that it was because a mans real name in
that day, rested solely upon his own unsup-
ported statement.
! But to return to Tennessee's Partner whom
we never knew by any other name than this
relative title. That he had ever existed as a
separate and distinct individuality we only
learned later. IT seems that in 1888 he left
Poker Flat to 90 to San Francisco, ostensibly
to procure a wife. He never got any farther
than Stockton. At that place he was attract
ed by young person who waited upon the
table at the hotel where he took his meals
One morning he said something to her which
caused her to smile not unkindly, to some
what coquettishly break a plate Of toast over
his uptulmcd, serious, simple face, and to re-
treat to the kitchen. He followed her, and
emerged q few moments later, covered With
more toast and victory. That day week they
were married by Il Justice of the Peace, and
returned to Poker Flat. | am aware that
something more might be made of this cpl
sodc, but | prefer to tell it as it was current
at Sandy BARN the gulches and bal-roonls
where all the sentiment was modified by u
strong sense of hlmor.
OF their married felicity but little is known,
perhaps for the reason that Tennessee then
living with his partner, one day took occa-
sion to say something to the bride on his own
account, at which, ii is said, She smiled not
unkindly and chastely retired this time as
far rs Marysvillc where Tennessee followed
her, and where they went 10 housekeeping
without the aid Of a justice of the peace.
Icmcssees partner took the loss of his wife
simply and seriously, rs was his fashion. But
to cvervbody's surprise, when Tennessee one
day returned from Marysville, without his
partners wite,-shc having smiled and re
treated with somebody else-TenneSsce's
Partner was the first to shake his hand and
S!ttt lllii Will ultttloll. ne lblA WHO Iltu
gathered in the canon to see the shooting,
We're naturally indignant. Their Indignation
might have found vent in sarcasm, but for n
certain look in Tennessec's Partners eye that
indicated n lack Of humorous appreciation.
In fact, he was Il grave man, with Il steady
application TO practical detail which was mn
pleasant in a difficulty.
Meanwhile a popular feeling against Ten
ncssec had grown up on the Bar. lie was
known to be a gambler-he was suspected to
be !; thief In these suspicious Tenncssee's
Partner was equally compromised; his cou-
tinucd intimacy with Tennessee after the al-
tain above quoted could only be accounted
for on the hypothesis of u copartcrship of
crime. At last Tennessee's guilt became
ilagrant. One day he overlook q stranger
on his way to Red Dog The stranger after
wards related that Tennessee beguicd the
time with interesting anectote and reninis-
cence, but illogically concluded the interview
in the following words: "And now, young
man, I'll trouble you tor your knife, your
pistols, and your money. You see your
weapons might get you into trouble in Red
Dog, and your moneys a temptation to the
cyilly disposed think you said your ad
dress was San Francisco. | shall endeavor
to call" 1t may be stated here that Tennes-
see had fine flow Of humor, which no bnsi-
ness prcoccupation could wholly subdue.
This exploit was his last. Red Dog and
Sandy Bar made common cause against the
hi@hwayman. Tennessee was hunted in very
much the same fashion Us his prototype-the
grizzly. As the tolls closed around him, he
made a dcpelate dash through the Bar,
cmptying his revolver at the crowd before
the Arcade Saloon, and so on up Grizzly
Canon: but at its further extremity he was
stopped by q small man, on a gray horse
The men looked ut each other in silence
Both were fearless; both selfpossessed and
independent; and both types Of Il civilization
which in the seventeenth century would have
been called heroic, but, in the nineteenth
simply ''rcckless.' ''What have you got
there FL call" said Tennessee, quietly
''Two bowers and an acc' said the stran-
ger, us quietly, showing two revolvers and a
bowie knife. ''That takes me-" returned
Tennessee; and, with this gamblers epigram,
he threw away his useless pistol and rode
back with his captor.
1t was a warm night The cool breeze
which usually sprung up with the going down
of the sun behind the chapparal- noun
tain was that evening withheld from Sandy
Bar. The little canon was sitting with heat
ed, resnous odors and the decaying drift
wood on the Bar sent forth faint sickenng
cAntlallollS. ne itNtflSnneSS OF Gay, anu
its fierce passions, still filled the camp Lights
moved restlessly along the bank of the river,
striking no answering reflection from its
tawny current. Against the blackness Of the
pines the windows of the old loft above the
express Office stood out staringly bright and
through their curtanless panes the loungers
below could see the forms of those who were
even then deciding the fate of Tennessee.
And above all this, etched on the dark tirma-
ment, rose the Sierra, ,iremOtc and passionless,
crowned with remotet, passonless stars.
The trial of Tennessee was conducted as
fairly rs was consistent with a judge and
Jury who felt themselves to some extent OBJ
liged to justify, in their verdict, the previous
irregularities of arrest and indictment. The
law of Sandy Bar was implacable but not
vengeiul. The excitement and personal feel
ing of the chase was over; with Tennessee
safe in their hands, they We're ready to listen
,.,t;op+l1 10 any Infanca which fbnv yVorn