Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1870-02-04

names TO Know us apart. L was Centre
pole Bill, cause drove that wagon there
was Canvas Bill, as drove that wagon;
and Stubby Bill, as was general hand.
We travelled and travelled until we got to
Mound City, in Ioway and there Stubby
was knitted for something or other in a
row, and died. He and / didn't go cahoots
so much as Canvas and me, but we missed
him for all o. that Wesee some hubby
life off and on, VIC did and if was a
youngster I'd rather set up in any proies-
sion but circus driver, but a man can't
always have his 'drathers. Leastwise if
he could, p'r'aps he wouldn't be no better
off" .|s
"We got to Ioway, as was sayin, and
the boss was mighty teary one night. He
had swivel-eye, and was hot when he
was drunk; and he give us partickler
diviltry, which no man hankers fur If he
don't deserve it, which we didn't; and
that night Canvas comes to me, and says
he, 'Centrepole, hain't goin' to sling
this cart any more And l says TO him,
'WhyT No man, says he, can drive
over me with sharp-corked horses Which
/ knew then he meant to leave the show,
and was bound to iine him any way.
And he says to me, There's an old pard
of mine here, and he says as how there's
a Guv'ment train goin' to start from
Omaha next week, and we can get job
there to go out to the 1njun country.
Well, Canvas says l, kinder slowly like,
if you goes, l goes .All right says he
l couldn't help wishin' twas somers else
than the Iniun country, for had heerd
them critters was lightnin' to fight, and
ate up the dead 'uns. It's all well enough
to stay at home and talk about it but
when it comes to going, it's horse of
another color"
"You teamsters have strange, wan
dering life. How do you manage to live
SOY" =
"Most fellers as comes out here to work
or drive has run away from the East for
robbin' or murders. And they can't stay
in no one place: it hunts them all the
time, and they must keep agoin'. But l
never did no such thing. Have you ever
been in the Injun country?"
Never in my life; but l have often
wished to-"
"You had better stow that and keep
out of it. It's temptin' Providence and
many red devils to go there. But as |
was sayin', we squared up with the boss
which there wasn't much comm to us,
as there always is, for we was just
like sailors, and never had dollar
in the dunnage- e-box-and it don't
take much drinkin' and dancin' and
poker to clean a fcller out. But we
| got away from there, and got to Omaha
the best we could-there wasn't any rail
| roads in them days-and Canvas and me
wasn't long in hirin' out ter drive; for
some O. them Guv'ment sojers-partickly
them as has dirty uniforms-has bug.
gered smart eye to pick out feller as
knnvuo nd at ot
| how Canvas and me saveyed hosses up to
the handkerchief it was true, though
| say it, for Canvas and me had saveyed
hosses ever sence he was knee high to a
snipe-and some o them drivers didn't
know no more about hosses than o dog
does the price of hymn books"
What made you and Canvas such
| friends!"
"Waal, you see, we had padded to-
| gether, and was made to go in double
harness. Don't you know that Natur
makes everything in pairs? And some
men gifts married ed-which never could
sence that city chap carried off 'Mela
and which is resky, anyhow, cause one OF
t'other is bound to kick over the pole Ol
bust the breechin' but there's some az
gets to pards, and them's better nor mar
and wife. And old Canvas, he onst saved
my life when l was attached by euchre
singer in Chicago, which 1 sometimes
think he didn't ought ter, as hain't beer
wuth much to nobody"
>. =" But" said /, "there's always some
thing for a man to do, if he only knows
it."
| And the teamster drained his glass, anG
answered
"You're right, there, but it's lucky i
1 I IL E,,l 8 H. "a
down, like. You amt getting tired
Ten Commandments through Sunday
School"
"By no means; it interests me very
much" @ - g
"Waal, we started on our trip, and wa
bound for Arizona; twenty eight wagons
four amb'lances, and two companies o
cavalry-a right smart line of us. 1t ain
very interestin', goin' over the Plains
nothin' but sage-brush and jackass rab
bits, and deer, and such vermin. And tn
deserts where we had TO drag along, hub
deep, in the sand, water forty miles apart
and no grass nor nothin'-in som
O. them nights used to wish to get hom
agin. But Canvas and me was goiu
to git gold, and go back ricl
and see the old folks-but which it cal
never be. Canvas and me done the bes
we could. We didn't see many Iniun
.fust along; onst in while a few woul
hang around behind us, or we would sc
one or two skurrying up a canon. Afte
we got well away from the settlement;
they tried TO stampede the cattle; but W
| was prepared for them, and they didn
get but few. 1t wasn't pleasant for
man to be thinkin' of Iniuns all the tim'
and many night as I've been on guard
thought see big 'un under every busl
My old mother used to read in the ScriI
tur' about 'roarin' lions and 'seekin' to dC
vour,' but that book don't say nothir
bout PEACHES, which is very sing'lar, if
makes for to show us how to go. P'r'ar
the fellers as wrote it never was in ArizC
ma, and often thought as how God LEI
that country out of his day book, as beil
O. no account-leastwise pr'aps that wa
7 theplace where the devil squatted whe
he was jerked ont o the gardin, as graz
'ther used to tell on.
al guess I'll lie up little; it runs ray
ther heavy tonight" said he, as he file
himself another glass, and continued:
1--WE camped out one night at the ia,
of canon, ate our suppers, and CanvG
and me was on guard together, in tt
early watch. We used TO meet at the en-
! of the walk, and stop bit and talk. Bl
we had a good look out all the Will
1t was very da.k, and every one wt
asleep. Bye and bye, Canvas. saws /
Center, I'm going up to the spring 10 q,
} drink The spring was about a hui
, dred yards up the gulch, among Ii
bushes. Well says !, don't be Ion,
and if you see anything, YELL And o
he went, whistlin' softly like to hissell
and ] stepped away again. He was go1
long time-longer than he had any ougl
to, and though FbEdn't heerd any noise,
was kind o 'narvous, as we never knoWe
! how many InJins might be doggin' u
At last, couldn't stand it no longer, an
) l put for the wagons, and walked up Jil
Bruce, which was outside, and Bill Yves
, and says to 'em as how Canvas had bee
gone too long, and would they 90 along
4 me to look arter him which they di
s bein' good fellers and never hard to do
| good turn, particly, for me and Canya
Q which had often helped them shoe the
/ team when the blacksmith was sick; an
D we went up to the spring together. Yo
n | aouldnit aaa a wink and NE d..,o.s