Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1871-09-19
NO 222.
@isfellaneoms.
SHAKES.

Everybody in and around Norway Flats
was acquainted with Shakes. Shakes was
every ones favorte, and every one s laugh
ing stock. What his real name was, no one
on the Flats, excepting the postmaster,
knew or seemed at all anxious to ascertain.
In outward appearance, he was speci-
men OF debased humanity. Debauchery
was indelibly stamped upon every feature.
1t was deemed rare sight to see him with
clean face. Streaks of gray forced them
selves through the accumulations that
clung to his long matted locks and un-
trimmed beard. A coarse blue wooden
overehirt, with tattered sleeves. covered
his back, from whence many doubted
whether it had been removed since the
day he first put it on, in Griffin's store,
twelve months ago. His duck pants had
completely lost their original whiteness,
and We're tucked into well-worn, much
patched pair OF gum boots. The yeritable
lelt hat, worn by him in 1852, still MAIN
tanned its usual position on the side of his
head The only change it had apparently
undergone since then, was that piece of
an Old rubber coat now constituted the
crown.
Shakes history, outside of the precincts
OF Norway Flat, was wrapped in complete
mystery. Even the time of his arriya al to
the camp was unknown. Brown, the pro-
prietor of the Occidental, Norway Flat,
principal hotel, drinking and dancing sa-
loon-and also one of the pioneers Of the
place, asserted, .'Shakes bummed around
here when fust rived, in '52'' 1t was
generally believed that he hailed from the
temperance State of Maine. Shakes, how
ever, was no Temperance man. himself;
to the contrary, he had earned the unenvi-
able reputation of being an inveterate
'whiskoy hummer" No one had ever
known him to pass a single night on the
Flats ''out of his cups" 1t is true that
these constant imbibings had so enfeebled
his system as to cause him to readily sue
cumb to its influence.
A lonely log cabin stood on the hillside
Shakes owned it, and professed to be its
occupant; but seldom. if ever, crossed its
threshold. The bar room of some one or
other of the numerous drinking hells was
his home; the floor, a bench or faro-table
| was his bed
Although slave to his appetite for in
toxlcating liquor, none of its venders on
Norway Flats were much the richer for
having Shakes as their customer. 1t was
seldom that a coin passed from his hands
to the barkeeper's drawer; but drink he
must have, and somehow or other he al
ways managed to obtain it. The manner
in which it was obtained was but second
AIRY consideration to him. Nothing was
too degrading for him to do for it When
begging failed, strategy was Immediately
resorted to, and in this he was invariably
successful. He would enter the saloon, go
up to the bar with thumb and forefinger
inserted in his pocket, and address the
barkeeper thus:
81 say barkeeper, hurry up; give me a
brandy straight"
The barkeeper would first cast glance
at the position of the hand, and then ten
der the bottle to Shakes, who would un-
concernedly drink Heres luck and re-
tire from the counter without paying.
"Ho, Shakesp"
"EhP"
Come and see me-"
mo, thankee; don't feel like it now;
just had un."
And the bar-keeper learned that he was
duped once more. but dared not attempt
to punish his deceiver. The indignation
of the entire camp would most assuredly
fall upon the individual who dared to abuse
Shakes. He was Norway Flats .'privi-
legged character" Likes his whiskev, I
know but he is harmless, good-natured
old devil for all that" was the sentiment
universally expressed by the members of
that little mining community.
lnebriate as he was, Shakes was not in
dolent. He was always. in sunshine or
rain, engaged in chopping cord-wood, or
in irving shakes-long shingles; from
which latter occupation he received his
nickname. The sun rose on Shakes enter
ing the woods; it set upon him making a
'bee linen for the Pony Saloon" Fire
wood was worth SO cord, and shakes
SIG a thousand, in those days, on Norway
Flat. Shakes always chopped from two
to three cords per day. Three dollars a
cord he paid BILLY" the boatman, for haul
ing it, which of course, considerably di-
minished his earnings; still there was a
good margin left. How it came to pass
that he should always be poor, could never
be satisfactorily explained. His condition
of being what he termed "tiat broke" was
patent to all, and was considered another
of the mysteries of his peculiar life that
no one cared to solve, and accepted un-
questionably.
Norway Flat, since the time of its dis
covery in '52, had continued to be a pros
porous mining camp. The fabulous yield
of many of its claims had been reported
in the columns of the leading newspapers
of the civilized world. Numerous oppor-
tunities had been offered Shakes to become
the possessor of ground of a promising
character, subsequently proving rich
Mining, however, possessed no attractions
for him. There existed no affinity between
his nature and the excitement of the aver
age gold miners life. He never owned
foot of mining ground, ''and he didn't in
tend to-" he was accustomed to say; II
go fur the sure thing" Even when the
Wake-up- Jack Company struck two
ounces-to-the-pan prospect, Shakes de-
clined stalking off the adjoining ground.
then vacant, and upon which he was at
the time chopping wood. That same piece
of ground alterward proved the richest
spot on the whole Flat, nearly l,2oo ounces
being obtained from it ms the proceeds Of
one DAVIS washing. This lack of enter
prise-this disinclination to venture-was
snpposed to be the morbid offspring Of his
dissIpated career. The only things for