The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1869-11-12

From tile Ne,o Eclectic.
TENNEssEE's PARTNER.

do not think that we ever knew his
real name. Our ignorance of it certainly
never gave us any social inconvenience, for
at Sandy Bar, in 1854, most men were
christened anew. Sometimes these appel
latives were derived from some distinctive
ness of dress, as in the case of "Dungaree
jack" or from some popularity of habit,
as shown in "Saleratus Bill" so called from
an undue proportion of that chemical in
his daily bread; or for some infelicitous
slip, as exhibited in "The Iron Pirate" q
mild, inofensiye man, who earned that bale
full title by his unfortunate mispronuncia-
ton of the term "iron pyrites." Perhaps
this may have been the beginning of q
rude heraldry; but l am constrained to
think that it was because real mans
name, in that day, rested solely upon his
own unsupported statement. "Call your
self Clifford, do you, 2" said Boston, adj
dressing timid new conner with infinite
scorn; "Hell is full of such Clifords !''-
He then introduced the unfortunate man,
whose name happened to be really Clifford,
as "Jaybird Charley"-an unhallowed in
spiration of the moment, that chung to him
ever after.
But to return to Tennessees Partner,
whom we never knew by any other than this
relative title. That he had ever existed as
a separate and distinct individual we only
learned later. 1t seems that in 1853 he left
Poker Flat to 60 to San Francisco, ostensi-
bly, to procure wife. He never got any
farther than Stockton. At that place he
was attracted by young person who wal
ted 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 somewhat coquettishly
break plate of toast over his upturned, Sc
rious, simple face and to retreat to the kitch-
en-. He followed her, and emerged few
moments later, covered with more toast and
victory. That day week they were mar
ried by Justice of the Peace and returned
to Poker Flat am aware that something
more might be made of this episode, but !
prefer to tell it as it was current at Sandy
BARN the gulches and bar-rooms-where
all sentiment was modified by q strong
sense of humor.
OF their married felicity but little is
known, perhaps for the reason that Tennes-
see, then living with his partner, one day
took occasion to say something to the bride
on his own account, at which, it is said
she smiled not unkindly, and chastely re-
treated-this time as far as Marysville
where Tennessee followed her and where
they went to housekeeping without the
aid of a Justice of the Peace. Tennessee
Partner took the loss of his wife simply
and seriously, as was his fashion. But, to
everybody's surprise, when Tennessee one
day returned from Marysville, without his
partners wife-she having smiled and re-
treated with somebody else-Tennessee's
Partner was the first man to shake his hand
and greet him with affection. The boys
who had gathered in the canon to see the
shooting were naturally indignant. Theil
indignation might have found vent in sar
casm but for certain look in Tennessee
Partners eye that indicated lack of hui
morous appreciation. In fact he was
grave man, with steady application tt
practical detail which was unpleasant in {
difficulty.
Meanwhile popular feeling agains
Tennessee had grown upon the Bar. HI
was known to be gambler-he was sus
pected to be thief. In these suspicious
Tennessee's Partner was equally comprom
ised his continued intimacy with Ten
nessee after the affair above quoted coule
only be accounted for on the hypothesis o
a co-partnership of crime. At last Ten
nessees guilt became fragrant. One day h
overlook stranger on his way to Red Dog
The stranger afterward related that Ten
nessee beguiled the time with interestin,
, anecdote and Renaissance, but illogical,
concluded the interview in the followin,
words :-"And now, young man, I'll trou
, BILE you for your knife, your pistol, ant
your money. You see your weppings Nigh
. get you into trouble in Red Dog, and Won