National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1871-01-27
California Scenes and Incidents.

A correspondent writes from Sal
Francisco last evening, as 4 passed
the door Of restaurant, uext to the OF
fice Of the Western Union Telegraph
on California street, l heard shot, and
looking in, saw waiter rush up to &
young man who sat at table, collar
him, and take pistol away from him.
The young man was well dressed and in.
telligent-looking. A torrent Of blood
was pouring from his mouth and nose.
The story was soon told. He was Il
stranger in the place. He had called foi
two-dollar supper and ate it, drinking
II two dollar and half bottle of wine
with it, then placed small single-bar,,
relied pistol in his mouth, pointed up
ward and pulled the Trigger The shot
was ineffective. The bullet passed
through his palate, struck the base
Of the skull, glanced downward, and
lodged somewhere in the neck, with
out inhictng mortal, or, for that mat.
ter, very dangerous wound. After he
bad got rid of about two quarts of blood,
| asked him why he did it, "Why, to
kill myself, of course. A man would
naturally suppose that when another fires
a bullet into his brain, he meant il,
wouldn't he The blamed thing would
not work, though | thought had dead
thing on it, and | have got to do it all
over " What is your name ?" / asked.
None of your business | don't owe
you cent, do Z" suggested that his
friends might care to know what had
happened him. Friends ? who the
devil has friends in strange city with
out dollar in his pockets ?" was his
sneering reJoinder, as he spit out another
mouthtul Of blood
The proprietor Of the restaurant, n
German, came up and said, mime
friend, 1t wasn't necessary you should
had telled Inc that you wanted something
to eat and had no money, l would have
given you square meal at any time,
and if you wanted to kill yourself you
might have done it on the sidewalk, not
came i'll here and blood mine things all
up in this way"
The would-be suicide replied " Well,
! am sorry, old feller, about the blood,
and | never thought about that but as
to asking for q square meal, | amt beg
ger if | am out of coin Then IN old
mountaineer walked up, examined the
pistol, and remarked disdaiHfully, " Wal,
stranger, you are about us neat fool as
ever struck this side Of the mountains !
You must be from the States, you must.
The idee of tryin' to blow your brains
out with that derned little pop gun what
amt fit for nuthin but ter kill tumble
bugs with for sport . You ought ter die
for bein' such n bloody ignolamus 7"
The young man spat out another mouth
ful OF blood, and said in hall regret
full half humorous tone, "Well, old fel-
Ter, | suppose my education has been
somewhat neglected, but | can't help it.
| meant well enough. you bet | didn't
suppose it would take columbiad to do
it The mountaineer looked at HIM
and said " Darn me if |
don't think you did. Yer bout the gam
est chicken I've seen lately, and l hope
YOU will live ter think the better of il,
and buck at life with better luck
The police thea cleared the sidewalk,
one of them remarked, " Gentlemen, the
performance is over for this evening, we
shall be most happy to see you all again
tomorrow evening, when there will be
two new clowns and an entire change of