Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1871-01-31

DIV" hiCu iubO NuO REONo aI the neaC
OF the gulch. The meeting was cal
led TO order by Col. Starbottle, who
having once enjoyed legislative func.
tons, and being vaguely known as q
war horse" was considered to bo q
valuable partisan of York. He con
cluded AN appeal for his friend with
an enunciation of principle, inter.
spersed With one or two anecdotes
so gratuitously coarse, that the very
pines might have been moved to pelt
him with their cast off cones, as be
stood there. But he created laugh,
on which his candidate rode int
popular notice and when York rose
To speak he was greeted with cheers.
But, to the general astonishment,
the new speaker at once launched
into bitter denunciation of his riv-
al He not only dwelt upon SCOTS
deeds and example, as known to San
dy Bar, but spoke Of facts connected
with his previous career, hitherto un-
known TO his auditors To great
precision of epithet anu discussion of
statement, the speaker added the
fascination of revelation and expos
are. The crowd cheered, yelled, and
were delighted ; but when This as
founding philippe was concluded,
there Was "a unanimous cali for Scott
Col. Starbottle would have resisted
this manifest improperly, but in vain
Partly from crude sense of Justice,
partly from q meaner craving for ex-
element, the assemblage was infiex-
ible ; and Scott was dragged, pushed,
and pulled upon the platform
As his frowsy head and unkept
beard appeared above the railing, it
was evident that he was drunk. But
1t was also evident, before he opened
his lips, that the orator of Sandy Bar
tho man who could touch their
vagabond sympathies (perhaps be-
cause he was not above appealing to
them -stood before them A con-
seriousness of this pc wer lent a GER
ain dignity to his figure, and l am
not sure but that his very physical
condition impressed them as a kind
of regal unbending and large condes-
cension. Howbeit, when this unex-
pected Hector arose from the ditch,
York s myrmidons trembled.
"Tner's nau,ht, gentlemen" said
Scott, leaning forward on the railing
there's naught as that man hez
said Is isn't true. | was run outer
Cairo /; did belong to the regulators !;
l did desert from the army / did
leave a wife in Kansas But thar's
one thing he didn't charge we with,
and may be he's forgotten. For
three Years, gentlemen, | was that
mans pardner ="
Whether be intended to say more,
l cannot tell (; burst of applause ar
tistically rounded and enforced the
climax, and virtually elected tie
speaker. That fall be went TO Sac
ramento; York went abroad, and for
the first time in many years. distance
and new atmosphere isolated the
old antagonists.
With little of change in the green
wood, gray rock and yellow river,
but with much shifting of human
landmarks, and new faces in its hab-
tiations, three years passed over
Sandy Bar. The two men, once so
identified with it's character, seemed
to have been quite forgotten. "You
will never return to Sandy Bar"
said Miss Folinsbee, the Lilly of Pow
erty Flat" on meeting York in Paris
for Sandy Bar is no more. They
call it Riverside now ; and the new
town is built higher up on the river
bank" by the by, Joe says that
Scott has won his suit about the
'Amity' claim, and that be lives in
the cabin, and is drunk half the time"
oh, | beg your pardon" added the
lady, as a flush crossed York = sai0w
cheek; "but, bless me, really thought
that old grudge was made up. | am
sure it ought to be-"
1t was three months after this con-
versation, and a pleasant summer
evening. that the Poverty Flat coach
drew up before the veranda of the
Union Hotel at Sandy Bar. Among
its passengers was one, apparently a
stranger, in the local distinction of
well-ftting clothes and closely shaw
en- face, who demanded a private
room and retired early to rest. But
before SUNRISE the next morning be
arose, and, drawing some clothes
from his carpet-hag, proceeded to ar
ray himself In white duck trowsers,
a white duck over-shirt and straw
hat. When his toilet was completed,
he tied red bandanna handkerchief
in loop and threw it loosely over
his shoulders. The transfc rmation
was complete and as be crept softly
down stairs and stepped into the
road, no one would have detected in
him the elegant stranger of the pre-
vious night. and but few have recog-
nizcd the face and figure of Henry
York, OF Sandy Bar.
II the uncertain light of that early
hour, and in the change that had
come over the settlement, be had to
panso for a moment to recall where
he stood. The Sandy Bar Of his rec
objection lay below him, nearer the
river the buildings around him were
of later date and newer fashion. As
he strobe toward the river, he MOTTO
ed here school house, and there a
church. A little further on, The
Sunny South" came in view-trans-
formed into restaurant-its gliding
faded and its paint rubbed off He
now knew where he was; and run
ming down swift declivity, crossed
a ditch and stood upon the lower
boundary of the "Amity" claim.
The gray mist was rising slowly
from the river, clinging to the tree
tops and clinging to the mountain
side, until it was caught among those
rocky affairs, and held sacrifice to
the ASCENDING sun AT his feet the