The Tiffin tribune. (Tiffin, Ohio) 1868-1887, 1871-02-23
From the Luck of Roaring Camp and othel
Sketches.
TenIeSSee'S Partner.
BY BRET HARTE.

do not think that we ever knew
his real name. Our ignorance of il
certainly never gave US any social in
convenience, for at Sandy Bar in 1854
most men were christened anew.
Sometimes these appellatives were de-
rived from some distinctiveness 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
from some unlucky slip, as exhibited
in 'rrhe Iron Pirate" a mild, inoffen-
sive man, who earned that baleful IT,
tie by his unfortunate misprOnuncia-
ton of the term ''iron pyrites." Per
haps this may have been the begin
ming of a rude heraldry; but I am
constrained to think that it was be-
cause a mans real name in that day
rested solely upon his own unsuppOrt-
ed statement. "Call yourself Clifford,
do you?" said Boston, addressing a
timid newcomer with infinite scorn;
"hell is full of such Cliffords ~ He
then introduced the unfortunate man,
whose name happened to be really
hallowed inspiration of the moment
that clung to him ever after.
But to return to Tennesse's Part
ner, whom we never knew by any
other than this relative title; that he
had ever existed as a separate and dis
tinct individuality we only learned
later. 1t seems that in 1853 he left
Poker Flat to go to San Francisco, Os-
tensibly to procure a wife. He never
got any further than Stockton. At
that place he was attracted by ayOung
person who waited upon the table at
the hotel where he took his meals.
One morning he said something to
her which caused her to smile not un-
kindly, but to somewhat cOquettishly
break a plate of toast over his upturn-
ed, serious, simple face, and to retreat
to the kitchen. He followed her, and
emerged few minutes later, covered
with more toast and victory. That
day they were married by "a Justice of
the Peace, andreturned to Poker Flat.
I am aware that something more
might be made of this episode, but I
prefer to tell it as it was current at
Sandy BARN the gulches and bar
rooms,-where all sentiment was
modified by a strong sense of humor.
OF their married felicity but little is
known, perhaps for the reason that
Tennessee, then living with his Part
ner, one day took occasion to say
something to his bride on his own ac-
count. at which, it is said, she smiled
not unkindly and chastely retreated-
this time as far as MaTysville, where
Tennessee followed her, and where he
went to housekeeping without the aid
of Justice of the Peace. Tennessee's
Partner took the loss of his wife simp-
ly 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 retreated with
somebody else, Teneessee'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. Their indignation might
have found vent in sarcasm but for a
certain look in Tennessee's Partners
eve that indicated lack of humorous
appreciation. In fact, he was grave
man, with a steady application to
practical detail which was unpleasant
in a difficulty.
Meanwhile 6 popular feeling against
Tennessee had grown up on the Bar.
He was known to be a gambler; he
was suspected to be thief. In these
suspicious Tennessee's Partner was
equally compromised; his continued
intimacy with Tennessee after the af-
fair above quoted could only be ae-
counted for on the hypothesis of CO.
partnership of crime. At last Tennes-
sees guilt became fragrant. One day
he overlook a stranger on his way to
Red Dog. The stranger afterward re-
lated that Tennessee beguiled the time
with interesting anecdotes and remi-
nescences, but illogically concluded
the interview in the following words:
"And now, young man, I'll trouble
You for your knife, your pistols, and
your money. You see your weppings
might get YOU into trouble at Red
Dog, and your moneys temptation
tothe evilly disposed. Think you said
your address was San Francisco. l
shall endeavor to call" 1t may be
stated here that Tennessee had a fine
flow of humor, which no business pre-
occupation could wholly subdue. q.
This exploit was his last. Red Dog
and Sandy Bar made common cause
against the highwayman. Tennessee
was hunted in very much the same
fashion as his prototype, the grizzly.
As the tolls closed around him, he
made desperate dash through the
Bar, emptying his revolver at the
crowd before the Arcade Saloon, and
so up Grizzly Canon; but at its farther
extremity he was stopped by small
man on a gray horse. The men look
ed at each other a moment in silence.
Both were fearless, both self-pOssess-
ed and independent; and both types
of civilization that in the seven
teenth century would have been call
ed heroic, but in the nineteenth, simp-
" reckless What have you got
there ?-I call, " said Tennessee, quiet
". 1.-TWO bowers and aee,n said the
gtra1OeF as 0uiatlv showing two re-