The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1871-06-20

by ]. W Palmer; "Robert Chambers, by
James Giant Wilson; "Vernal Pictures"
sonnet, by Paul II. Hayne; "a Province
Rose, part III, novelette, (concluded), by
''Ouida;' "'The Settlement of Maryland"
by Edward O. Bruce; 'Jim Wagman of Wag-
mans Lode, Western sketch, by David G.
Adee; ''Student Rambles in Prussia" part
Ill, by Stephen Powers; Enlightened to
DEATH" story, by Margaret Hosmer; ''Pub-
lie Libraries, by Edward c. Howland CAB
Initio," poem, by George Fl. Boxer;
''Wild Ireland, part ", by B. Donbavand;
"our Monthly Gossip" an unpublished Let
ter of John Quincy Adams, giving conversa-
tions with Madame de Stael, visit to the
battlefield of Sedan, letter from Rome, ETC.;
Literature of the Days" 'Serial Supple
ment, Rookstone,'" part V, by Katherine
S. Macquoid.
Mr.. David g. Adee's sketch is in the Bret
Harte vein. "Jim Wagman of Wagman's
Lode" is so clever that we give it entire:-
The country for many miles about Penny
Greek is wild and waste for such fertile
State as Nevada. Great lodges of rock and
boulders jagged and broken in form, are
strewn about as if Dame Nature had spurned
them from her lap as refuse material which
she dlsdained to mould into shapeliness.
Veins of silver and copper were generally
supposed to line this region, and adventurous
miners, scum from the great cities of our land,
sought refuge in that thinly-settled locali-
ty from many of the ills that flesh is heir to
in densely-populated districts. At this place,
in 1868 Jim Wagman of New
Jersey flung down his knapsack,
proclaimed, at the point of his revolver, the
surrounding area of many acres to be his
''lode," as was the wont of that class of ad-
venturers, and proposed, in his own words,
''to strike ile." There Jim stayed and had
it all his own way for a month, when his
provender gave out and his whisky -keg fell
empty. He also began to grow sick of soli-
tude, and sighed for the happiness and solace
incident to wedlock. Nobody had molested
him: he had spoken to no living soul. All was
serene. Mady owned the contiguous lode on
the left; Pete Mott farmed the next
nearest; Sal Scriber, scorning all lodes
as 'frauds," kept a hotel two miles
away, up the Lorg Saw road, and ''enter-
tained' the neighboring miners. Jim had
behaved so scurvily when he first arrived that
he well knew any chance of obtaining sup
plies from his male neighbors was out of the
question. So, with a squirt of the juice into
the big hole he had dug in the earth, he made
up his mind to try his hand with the old girl
for double purpose-to replenish his larder
and feel his way into the sacred bonds of
matrimony, or such substitute therefor as was
then customary in that particular section of
the Union.
'Curse it," said he: ga man must have fod-
der and feminines, or git"
Whether the "gitting" referred to consisted
in forsaking that portion of the country or
abruptly departing this life is unknown. But
Jim proceeded to get himself up to call on Sal
Scriber. Out of his ''chisp" he ral5ed a clean
red flannel shirt, pair of blue overalls, and a
glazed cap-also a Colt, O bowie stamped
E'San Fran, and a leathern wallet. Having
flung the chest into the dug out and hauled on
his jackboots, he took dry wash, dressed"
ripped out farewell oath and started
Sal Scribers hotel was broad-built cabin
of wood, unpainted and uncleanly, standing
on the right bank of Penny creek, and
guarded by an unequivocal animal with short
horns and deep bass voice. Sal Scriber's
black Durham was notorious character in
those parts, having nearly gored to death two
men, a mule, and hog within a week of his
arrival. Sal Scriber herself was diminutive
creature, broad as tall, muscular and fearless,
and of a swart but not unprepossessing coun-
tenance. Her history she exhibited marked
modesty about alluding to, which reticence
the miners duly respected and attributed to
motives of female delicacy. In free fight
Sal was quite at home, and for profanity aud
vulgarity hadn't her equal in Grow county;
which it is taking great deal upon ones self
to say. 1t was on 'cettars Saturday night"
that Jim Wagman stopped at the door
dered visible by tallow dip which sputtered
in the window, and noisy chorus of harsh,
gruff voices came from inside, as if painfully
struggling with the weighty burden of song.
Jim kicked loudly with his heel, when the
song suddenly ceased, and shrill tone rung
out on the night air:-"Do you want to knock
that door into finders, durn ye?"
81 only want to get in, mum, replied Jim,
politely.
'"Then, why in - don't YEP"
1t just occurred to Jim that the door might
not be locked; SO he hoisted heavy iron
latch and pushed his way into the single apart
ment of which the hotel consisted.
GOOD evening, mum, said Jim, address
ing the hostess, in order to effect favorable
impression in that quarter at the earliest
available moment
Good be =" rejoined that lady; ''it's
goin to rain afore long, if it amt rainin
now."
There was a table in the middle of the
room with bottles and cards upon it, about
which was gathered rugged group of sun.
burned, tawny, bearded men, with pipes in
their mouths and glasses in their hands, and
a mad, mslevolent scowl on their ugly faces
at sight of the stranger In corner o
the hearth, on which burned an armfu
of fagots (that ,hearthstone so familiarly
known as the 'ingleside' in canny Scotlaud)
sat Sal Scriber in person, warming her knees
and knitting up the heel of woollen stock
ing. Receiving no invitation to take seat
Jim dropped himself plump into one of hii
own accord, saying 81 believe I'll take
cheer, for he thought he'd be easy and com
Portable at first in order to conciate the fai
object Theoretically of his designs. An
Sal Scrihar waa avidantlv softanin0 pleaSa