The Highland weekly news. [volume] (Hillsborough [Hillsboro], Highland County, Ohio) 1853-1886, 1870-05-05
The Luck Of Roaring Camp.
EConcluded.l


[Concluded.l
The introduction of female nurse
into the camp also met with objection.
1t was argued that no decent woman
could be prevailed-on to accept Roaring
Camp as her home, and the speaker
urged that "they did MT want any
more of the other kind" This un-
kind alIusion to the defunct mother,
harsh as it may seem, was the first
Symptom of the camps regeneration.
IStUmpy advanced nothing. Perhaps
he felt a certain delicacy in interfering
with the selection of a possible success
or in office. But when questioned he
IaveEred stOutly that he and "Jinny"
the mammal before alluded to-
could manage to rear the child. There
was something original, Independent
and heroic about the plan that pleased
the camp. StumPy was retained
Certain articles were sent for to Sacra-
mento. "Mind," said the treasurer,
as he pressed a bag of gold dust into
the expressman's hand, "the best that
can be gOt-lace, you know, and fill
gree work and frilIs - -d-n the
cost 20
Strange to say, the child thrived.-
Perhaps the invigorating climate of
the mountain camp was compensation
for maternal deficiencies. Nature
took the founding to her broader
breast. 1t that rare atmosphere of the
Sierra foOt-hilIs-that air pungent with
balsamic Odor-that ethereal cordial
at once bracing and eXhilerating, he
may have found food and nourish-
ment, or a subtle chemistry that trans
muted asses milk to lime and phOs-
Phorus. Stumpy inclined to the be-
lief that it was the latter and good
nursing. "Me and that ass,1 he
would say, "has been father and moth
er to him ~ "DOn't yOu," he would
add, apOstrOPhizing the helpless bun
die before him, "never go back on
US"
By the time he was a month old the
necessity of giving him a name be-
came apparent. He had generally
been known as "the kid, " "Stumpy's
boy" and "the Cayote"-(an allusiOn
to his vocal pOwers)-and even by
Kentuck's endearing diminutive Of
"the Id little cuss." But these
were felt to be vague and unsatisfactO-
~, and were at last dismissed under
another influence. Gamblers and ad-
Yenturers are generally superstitiOus,
and Oakhurst one day declared that
the baby had brought "the luck" to
Roaring Camp. 1t was certain that of
late they had been very successful
Luck" was the name agreed upon,
with the prefix of Tommy for greater
convenience. No allusion was made
to the mother, and the father was un-
known. "Its BETTER" said the philO-
sophical Oakhurst, "to take a fresh
deal all around. Call him Luck and
start him fair" A day was accord
ingly set apart for the christening
What was meant by this ceremony the
reader may imagine who has already
gathered some idea of the irreverence
of Roaring Camp. The master of GER
emOnieS was one "BOstOn," a noted
wag, and the occasion seemed to prom
ise the greatest facetiousness. This
ingenious satirist had spent two days
in preparing a burlesque of the Church
Service, with pointed local illusions.
The choir was properly trained, and
Sandy Upton was to stand godfather
But after the procession had marched
to the grove with music and banners,
and the child had been deposited be-
fore the mock altar, Stumpy stepped
before the eXpectant crowd. at amt
my style to spoil fun, boys" said the
little man, stOutly, eyeing the faces
around him, 'but it strikes me that
this thing amt exactly on the square.
It's playing it pretty low down on this
yer baby to ring in fun on him that
he amt going to understand. And if
there's going to be any godfathers
round. I'd like to see who's got any
better rights than me-" A silence
followed Stumpy's speech. To the
credit of ali humOrists be it said that
the first man to acknowledge its JUS
tice was the satirist, thus estopped of
his fun. But" said Stumpy quick
|ly, following up his advantage, "we're
here for christening. and Wen have
| it. Iproclaim you Thomas Luck, ac-
cording to the laws of the United
States and the State of CalifOrnia-sO
help me God" 1t was the first time
that the name Of the Deity had been
uttered aught but profanely in the
camp. The form of christening was
perhaps even more ludicrous than the
satirist had conceived, but strangely
enough, nobody saw it and nobody
laughed. "Tommy" was christened
as seriously as he would have been
under a Christian roof, and cried and
was cOmforted in as orthodox fashion
And so the work Ofregeneration be-
-, - pooripO OoDoO A AIV1Ogf i'm.