Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1872-04-23
Uncle Tins Story.
"oUT WEST" FORTY YEARS AGO.

When / came Tout West" from
"down South" | had some peculiar mo-
tions concerning the dignity of gen
tleman. l had been we'll educated,
was wealthy, and not at all bad look
ing, though l was small of statue, and
lacked that plumpness of limb gener-
ally thought necessary to manly beau
ty. In fact 1 was dreadfully lean,
though my health was perfect.
took up my abode at the c.
hotel, and soon made lot of acquaint-
ances. Strange how easy this getting
acquainted is in new country. Ev-
erybody soon knows you and you know
everybody. So I found it at last, l
had not been in C more than a
fortnight before every little boy and
girl called me Tim Stcphigh, as if Mr..
Thimothy Stephigh were an utter i'm
possibility with them.
No matter how brightly my boots
were polished, the stout young men
went sloughing past with "Morning
Tim, hover ye, old fel p just as they
did with each other. No matter how
fine my broadcloth was, the girls seem
ed to care no more for me than they
did for the youths in blue jeans. l
might put on ten dollar shirts and ex-
cruciating neckties, but Mrs. Broad.
cap and Mrs. Scrubcabin didn't seem
to notice them. They would keep
asking me how it was | was out of EN-
ployment. "There is farmer Dugup
who wants hand, and Pete Jones is
hunting a man to tend his cattle
You might get clerks place here in
town, too, if you're good in writing
and figures" Thus they talked to me
"a man worth q cool hundred thous-
and and graduate of a fine college.
The fact is l was not appreciated. l
wrote some verses for the town paper,
but don't think any one ever read
them. -
True enough, every one treated me
kindly. They invited me to their
houses, introduced me to their friends,
took me out to see their horses and
cattle, all of which was quite fatter-
ing, only "Tim," that familiar "Tim''
on overybody's tongue did sound SO
indignant.
As for me, never forgot to say Mr..
Dugup, Miss Clothcspin, Miss Sorghum,
etc., etc. This politeness of mine
they all received as a matter of course;
but no one ever returned it. Just
Tim, that was all.
You may wonder why I stayed "out
West" at all this expense to my feel
ings, and I may as well tell you that
harmless flirtatation with a young
lady, at one of our Southern watering
places had got me into duel with her
brother, in which encounter 1 pretty
badly wounded my antagonist, aud so
! had to depart in peace and cover up
my tracks to avoid an unpleasant
meeting with a certain Sheriff.
When the winter came C was
a gay and festive town. They had
parties and balls and sleighing, and /
do not know what all. Of course /
was welcome everywhere and to say
the truth had deal Of fun with the
buxom lasscs of town and country, on
taking them sleighing by moonlight.
But through all this fun there ran
such broad stream Of familiarity l
could not turn round without hearing,
"Tilh." OF course they sometimes
flattered by saying, "Tim's an awful
fine dancer, he skips like a meadow
lark with horse hair round his fect,
or something OF THAT sort. 1 always
replied to such observations With call.
ing politeness, only il did not seem to
chill any ono in particular. How l
did wish for new fashionable ladies
aud gentlemen to come to C--l Just
one young woman Of society If no
more. II would be like sa,ckinr n fine