Delaware gazette. [volume] (Delaware, Ohio) 1855-1886, 1871-01-20
TENNEssEE,s PARTNER.
BY BRET HARTE.

l do not think that we ever knew his
real name. Our ignorance of it certain
ly never gave US any social inconven-
ience, for at Sandy Bar in 1894 most
men were christened anew. Sometimes
these appellatives were derived from
some distinctiveness of dress, as in the
case of DuRgaree jack or from some
peculiarly Of habit. as shown in ''Sala-
ratus Bill, so called from an undue
proportion of that chemical in his daily
bread or from some unlucky slip, as
exhibited in "The Iron Pirate, mild,
inoffensive man, who earned that bale
full title by his unfortunate mispronun-
citation of the term iron pyrites. Per
haps this may have been the beginning
of a rude heraldry but l am constram-
ed to think that it was because a man S
real name in that day rested solely upon
his own unsupported statement "Call
yourself Clifford, do you p said Boston
addressing timid newcomer with inf
mite scorn hell is full of such Cliff
| fords = He then introduced the unfor-
tunate man, whose name happened to
be really Clifford, as "Jay-bird Charley
an unhallowed inspiration of the mo-
ment that clung to him ever after.
i T !,
whom we never knew by any other
than this relative title; that he had ever
existed as a separate and distinct indi-
viduality we only learned later. II
| seems that in 1858 he left Poker Flat to
go to San Francisco, ostensibly to pro-
! cure a wife He never got any farther
than Stockton. At that place he was
attracted by young person who waited
upon the table at the hotel where he
4 took his meals. One morning he said
something TO her which caused her to
smile not unkindly. to somewhat Co
quettishly break a plate Of toast over his
| upturned, serious, simple face and tc
retreat to the kitchen, He followed her
and emerged a few moments later, Gov
cred with more toast and victory, Thai
! day week they were married by a JUS
! tice of the Peace, and returned to Poker
Flat. am aware that something more
might be made OF this episode, but pre-.
1 fer 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 i
known, perhaps for the reason that Ten
nessee, then living with his partner, on,
day took occasion to say something Il
the bride on his own account, at which
it is said, she smiled not unIzindly ant
chastely retreated,-thi time as far a
Marysville, where Tennessee followet
her, and where they went to housekeep
ing without the aid of Justice of Peace
Tennessee's Partner took the loss of hi
wife simply and seriously, as was hi
fashion. But to everybody's surprise
when Tennessee one day returned iron
Marysville, without his partners wife
she having smiled and retreated wit
somebody else, Tennessee's Partner wa
the first man to shake his hand an
greet him with affection. The boys VIII
had gathered in the canon to see tn
shooting were naturally indignant. Thei
indignation might have found vent i
sarcasm but for a certain look in Ter
nessee's Partners eye, that indicated
, lack of humorous appreciation. In fac
he was grave man, with a steady ar
plication to practical detail which wa
r unpleasant in a difficulty.
g Meanwhile popular feeling again:
e Tennessee had grown up on the Ba
He was known to be a gambler he wa
suspected of being thief In thes
suspicious Tennessee's Partner Wa
}. equally compromised; his continued il
timacy with Tennessee after the affa
above quoted could only be accounte
e for on the hypothesis of copartnershi
5 of crime. At last Tennessee's guilt b
came hagrant. One day he overlook
stranger on his way to Red Dog. tt
stranger afterward related that Tenne
q see beguiled the time with interestir
~ anecdote and "reminiscences, but illogi
,. ally concluded the interview in the f