Beaufort Republican. [volume] (Beaufort, S.C.) 1871-1873, 1871-10-12

81 say, bar keeper, hurry up give me
brandy straight'' 81
The bar-keeper would first cast a glance
at the position of the hand, and then ten
der the bottle to Shakes,.w would un-
concernedly drink. "Here's luck" and
retire from the counter without paying.
"Ho, Shakesl' l'' I IL : vt ~. g
"Eh ?n = ".2a "'"jf'.,
'Come and see me.'' ,,'"''
'sNo, thankee don't feel like 1t now !;
jest had un." j.. IL 81 ~ ''''''1 go
And the bar-keeper learned that he'was
drped once more, but dared not attempt
to punish his deceiver. The indignation
of the entire camp wonld most assuredly
fall upon the individual who dared to
abuse Shakes. He was Norway Flats
"privileged character" ''Likes his whis-
key, know but he's a harmless, good
natured old devil for all that" was the
sentiment universally expressed by the
members of that little mining communi-
ty.
Inebriate as he was, Shakes was not in
delert. He was always, in sunshine or
rain, engaged in chopping eord-wood, or
in irving shakes-long shingles; from
which latter occupation he received his
nickname. The sun rose on Shakes en-
teripg the woods , 1t set upon him max
inga "bee-line" for the ''Pony Saloon"
Fire-wood was worth Sc a cord, and
shakes SIG thousand, in those days, on
Norway Flat. Shakes always chopped
from two to three cords per day. Three
dollars cord he paid d'Billy the boat
mm' for hauling it, which, of cours',
considerably diminished his earnings;
stA, there was good margin left. How
iHame to pass that he should always be
por, could never be satisfactorily ex-
panied. His condition of being, what he
trmed s'fat broke" was patent to all,
ad was considered another of the mys-
tries of his peculiar life that no one cared
| 3 solved, and accepted unquestioned. ~
Norway Flat, since the time of its dis
.oyery in 80, had continued to be a pros
erous .r1ining camp. The fabulous yleih
! itF MANY offs claims ho.'- b >A', r4p"e eIGi
;. ~ -. Ct the leading newspapers
'.r the civ Il world, Numerous oppor-
F,nities hs; been offered Shakes TO De-
i,eome the yasscsor Of ground of promis
strg character, subsequently proving rich.
mining, however, possessed no attractions
for him. There existed no affinity be-
tween his nature and the excitement of
the average goldminer's life. He never
owned a foot of mining ground, s'and
didn't intend to-" he was accustomed to
say az 60 FUR the sure thing" Even
when the Makeup Jake Company struck
a two ounces-to-the-pan prospect, Shakes
declined to stalking off the adjoining
ground, then vacant, and upon which he
was at the time chopping wood. The
same piece of ground afterward proved
the richest spot on the whole Flat, near
ly ] 200 ounces being obtained from it as
the proceeding of one days washing.
This lack of enterprise-this disinclina-
ton to venture-was supposed to be the
morbid offspring of his dissipated career.
The only things for which he appeared to
have any care were his axe, cross cut saw,
and frower. These constituted his entire
stock in trade, and for them he cherished
something bordering upon affection.
Shakes was viewed as one Of Norway
Flats fixtures. 1t had been settled long
ago in the minds of its inhabitants that
his bones would decay in the little ceme-
terry on the knoll overlooking the Flat.
The idea of his removing was never for a
moment entertained by any one in that
secluded community. Shakes and Nor
W " Flat had grown up with one anoth-
er. Norway Flat was Shakes's home.
If he possessed home elsewhere, he had
never been heard to speak of it.
The winter of $50 had set in. 1t was
about the middle of November. The
ground was covered with several inches of
snow. The tinkling of sleigh-bells was
heard in the distance, and the little town
on the Flat was instantly thrown into a
commotion. 1t was all occasioued by the
arrival of ''Barnard's Monthly Express"
The arrival of the express was an import
ant event in the otherwise monotonous
routine of everyday life at Norway Flat;