The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1869-09-16
HOW THEY SLEEP OUT WEST.
Tronbles and Trials OF Newspaper
Correspondent.
Correspondence Of the Louisville Express.


haven't dated this letter because l
don't know where | am. am about
| nine miles from Julesburg. little settle
| ment on the South Platte river. At day.
| light tomorrow I'll catch some OF the
| finest salmon you ever saw. They Will
| not bite at any other time OF the day. L
suppose they learned this disagreeble
habit of early breakfasting from the
"Bull Whackers' who navigate these
| plains. am stopping 1t little h0tel
about thirty by ten feet, Inc
scarcest thing in this country Is lumber,
settlers having to pay ever Q many a1i-
lars a foot for what they use. Desioes
What thcv brought in their .llses.
The landlord is from Pennsylva ANA and
| seems to be doing thriving business.
| By dint of hard talking and liberal FROM
| ices 7 got room to myself. 1t Is just
large enough for the bed and candle box
set on a chair, upon which l am writing
this letter. 1t is in one end of the build
ing, and separated from the next room
by bed quilt, which you must crawl I'M
der to come in or go out. But it is n,v
room, and after the jolting l have had
upon the Indian pony, / expect to have a
good night s.
Was ever a poor pilgrim in such a fix?
Just as | had written nights above,
and had sleep on the point of my pen, |
heard knocking on the floor outside the
bed quilt. Crawl UNDER" said I.
Enter the landlord S daug hter,a buxorl
young lady about II years Of age, [
should judge. She opened her rosy lips
and spoke as follows:
Mister, don't take off your clothes to-
nigh, when you 90 to bee"
"Why?
because I am going to sleep with
you
We'll if you have no better reason
than that"
Hush, Shet up! You told par that
you would not sleep with man.
Il had rather sleep with a wet dog. ="
We'll, L have given up my bed to a
sick man. | have been hard at work all
day, and have to work hard all day to-
morrow. and can afford to set ur ali
night. That beG is wide enough for us
both. | shall stay on the back side, and
if you don't stay on your side, you d bet
| ter, that's all. >
As she said this she raised from her
dress pocket an Internal jack knife, such
as farmers use in trimming fruit trees,
and then let it fall back with chug. |
comprehended the situation in half mo-
mcnt, and unto this maiden [ quoth as
| follows:
Miss young lady. your intentions may
or may not. be honorable. am travel
ing entirely by myself. Ny natural pro-
tectors are miles and miles away beyond
the boundless prairie, ignorant of the
| perlls which may beset their idol. Thus
far [ have not been insulted by your sex.
am man of few words, but they are
| always emphatic. [ will give you up a
| part of that bed, and that's all will do.
If you attempt, during the silent watches
| of the night, anything contrary to this
| firm determination, by St. Joseph, my
patron saint, | will shoot you right thro'
the midriff
As l concluded, laid Slocum pistol
| upon the candle box A low chuckle
outside the bed-quilt gave token that
pntertamiLtss had heard and approved
| the arrangement.
My antagonist laughed, and saying,
Mister, | reckon we understand each
other bounced over IL The back side of
the bed. There she is now. pretending
t be asleep. | cannot fni.h this letter. |
cannot do anything. Talk about the tri
ais of the earlier saints-about being
broilcd over live coals-about being flayed
alive-about being boiled IN OIL What
| was oil to this?