Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1869-09-30
How a Newspaper Man was ssCorraied
by aLandIord's Daughter.


by aLandlord's Daughter.
Correspondence of the Louisville Express.
1 haven't dated this letter, because l
don't know where / am. | am about
nine miles from Julesburg, at little
settlement on the south Platte River.
At daylight, tomorrow, l am TO catch
some of the finest salmon you ever saw.
They will not bite at any other time OF
day. / suppose they learned this disa-
greeable habit of early breakfasting from
the "Buli Whackers" who have naviga-
ted these plains. [ am stopping at i
little hotel about thirty by ten feet. The
scarceSt thing in this country is lumber,
settlers having to pay ever so many dol
lars foot for all they use, besides what
they brought in their valises. The land
lord is from Pennsylvania, and seems 10
be doing thriving business. BY dint oi
hard talking and liberal promises. got
a room to myself. 1t is just large enough
for the bed and candle-box set OH a
chair upon which [ am writing this let
ter. 1t is in one end of the building,
and separated from the next room by q
bed-quilt, which you must crawl under
to come in or go out. But it is my room,
and after the jolting | have had upon
the Indian pony, L expect to have good
Was ever a poor pilgrim in such q 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 /.
Enter the landlords daughter, a bux-
ON young lady, about seventeen years
Of age, should judge. She opeae,. her
rosy lips and spake as follows:
Mister, don't take off your clothes to-
night, when you go to bed.'
"Why?'
Because 1 am going to sleep with
you"
"WsIl, if you have no better reason
than that"
Hush! Shet up, You told par that
you would not sleep with a man."
Il had rather sleep with wet dog"
"Well have given up my bed to a
sick man. l have been hard at work all
day, and have to work hard all day to-
morrow, and L can't afford to set up
all night. That bed is wide enough for
US both. / shall stay on the back side,
and if you don't stay on your side, you'd
better, that's all''
As she said this she raised from her
dress pocket an internal jackknife, such
as farmers use in trimming fruit trees,
anu thCh fCbSiS pdSh WIN a SHbS'
comprehended the situation in half a
moment. and unto this maiden L quoth
as follows:
Miss, young lady, your intentions may
or may not, be honorable. | am travel
ing entirely by myself. My natural pro
tectors are miles and miles away beyond
the boundless prairie, ignor Mt of the
perils which may heset their idol. Thus
far have not been insulted by your sex
/ am man of a few words, but they are
always emphatic. I will give you up
part of my bed, and that's all [ will do.
If you attempt, during the silent watch
es of the night, any thing contrary t.
this firm determination, by St. Joseph,
my patron saint, / will shoot you right
through the midriff."
AS concluded, laid Slocum pistol
upon the candle-boX. A low chuckle
outside the bed-quilt gave evidence that
pdter .fdniiias had heard and approved
the arrangement.
My antagonist laughed, and saying:
sinister, reckon we understand each
other" bounced over to the backside of
the bed. There she is now, pretending
to be asleep. Ican't finish this letter. L
can't do any thing. Talk about the tri-
ais of the earlier saints-about being
broiled over live coals-about being fay
ed alive-about being boiled in oil.
What was all that to this?