Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1872-12-14
a Night With Sam Tibbetts.
Iron ApPIeton's Journal. I

And Sam Tibbetts blew out a cloud Of smoke
and chuekled at the sbsurdity of the idea.
In the days gone by, Sam and had sat upon
the same bench in the little red school-house
over by Kent mountain, but our paths had di-
yerged in early youth. He had remained By
the homes of his fathers; / had wandered the
wide world over. And now, after many years OF
separation, We had met again on the occasion
of my visit 10 IRy native valley. In the fuldll-
ment Of proase, had come to spent the
night with HIM. in anticipation OF which he b al
given Zoe, hss assistant, sn ''of night"
We were lolling on the grass in front of Sans
hut, halfway up the mountain side, with Old
Bose Crowsily blinking at our feet. On little
plateau, few yards beyond, the coal pit was
burning. sending up cloud Of vapor that filled
our eyTis we overlooked a vast tract CT broken
cOUntry-rugged hills, some bristIing with
chestnut, oak, and hemlOck, some stripped to
their rocky skeletons; black gorges, where the
sun set long before nj ht; opeR wales, with mea-
dOwS and silver STREAMS, and here and there
farm houses and the tall chimneys OF furnaces
vomiting smoke. cloud Of dust through the
yalIey marked the course of the ore-wag0ns.
"Hhst Is there so difficult about it?'' 1 asked.
9 It's merely question OF manual labor and OF
patience. You cut your wood, pile 1T, cover II
with turf set FIRE to il, and lie here at your ease
until tie time comes TO draw your charcoal. 1t
certainly requires little skili.r
- Js-t like you fellows who git yer knowledge
second handed. and don't know VII at eXper 'ense
Is. Book edicatiOn's well enough for preacher
or schOol-teacher, but, in burnin' cOsl-pit, it
ant with a cent. You might as well tell Parson
mon l. 10 put paper and pen an ink on Tue
table, ard then set down and wait for it 10
come.
.. NOar smile is not a fair one, nv friend. far
you emit the IRE ia the parsons case. II you
Illed / your material, aud made your pit new
~ 80 Perfect, you neglected to hight 1t, yod d
scarcely expect TO get COAL
" Now you're a-gettln' too deep for me; but [
hhCE one thlng-l Kin run a e0ai-Pt, and
don Z Aeve sOh Kin"
"Nhy don't you say" replied, somswha.
liar n
yOJG-Ijie burn?''
a. vG1ldr't be afea1d to trust We that far. y
remarked Sam, dryIy; land 1 guess the woagi-
Pale VUaId burn up, too. Now, look at that DIT,
AID & Ue, n you kin, whats best to do"
4 glanced at the burning mound. 1t was still
ithi1s forth blue yaIcr, the smell OF which
IcnIhCcd me OF ths flames OF pyTJlIgneous acid.
III tLeIe Sas Any change, my mex perienced eye,
ulc Lot detect *. lccncladed that Sam, TO Us
one CT hlS own EXPRESSIONS was .'pokin' fun a
me- 80 replied, with an air OF intended face
:" II you really want my advice, suggest,
ihls JtEcture, that we taAe Iittle y. b, re
nj gu iipes, and EFT down quietly to initiate the
:. iiaw-hawI' laughed sam, s?ringing up
Look az thet west side. Give Us hand here
or theIe II be fury TO pay in live minutes. :"
Ike seized a shovel, and went energet .eally
WORK Throwing on the earth and sOjs. As IA
opened the side, heard a sharp, Kissing sound
a. o. penf gases seeking a vent. 1 uoti cei, too
thst TIC rising yspor was almost e1iorlcss, nix
tie tunes or charcoal My vanity hai bee
FIqGeu 1t Sam S good-natared railing; but 1 ran
10 bis aid cteTmined that the emergency should
lot hDG me lachjng in good will"
. Nov Tor the vents shouted Sam. 80 Then
the tuTIs got TO SO on agin."
While sam pOked the vent holes with q long
pole to start the draft, worked myself into a
perspirat lOn, replacing the turf and earth. 1
had nearly finished when L happened to glance
around, and saw, 70 my modification, that the
Tascsl vas only shamming work white watching
my efforts with q merry twinkle in his eye that
to- hcU thoroughly he enjoyed the scene.
Guess you got airth enough on that pitt"
he said, quietly, though ready 20 burst VITA
suppressed laughter.
"Confound you - i exclaimed, wiping nv
brow, ano looking at my bIistered hands,
- Why couldn't you tell me when had done
enough"
Ally petulance caused Sam to explode in a
hearty OUTLAW, that started the echoes from the
hills. / could have split his head with my shove
with good viii.
"I'H beton you, !" he sputtered, as SOON as he
the axe as with the shovel, you'll MAKE = pooty
good collier yet, notwithstanding your foreign
edisatiOn."
mo. thank you. I'm satisfied with my ex-
a. Cues it's time TO take that C. 4. -" observed
San, dryiy, a he niicd his pipe. AK yer par
don for sayin' it." he continued, 'but the
worlds full o jes' such folks as you be. Cos
they know about books, they calcIate there ant
nothin' else to learn. wouldn't give q chaw o.
tob2ckeT for all that was ever got out o. books
~
man that never seed q l-pit should know
more about runnln' on em than one who vas
born snd brought up among 'em, AMI has tend
Gu On en-, man and boy, day and night, for nigh
on TO twenty year, as I've done. You can't tell
such folks nothin'. faint no use to try. There
ParsoD simmons-sood man, I've got nothin'
sgin' Ini-but pears 10 me hes got an idee he's
most ekai to Divine Providence. Makes no
odds v Lat he picks out for a text, he's sure to
20 a-vsnderin' oil into politics and the science
o. gOvernin', or somethln' o. that sort, tellin 2
q President m VIII ~ ha
Oushn.'t to do, jest as n he'd been born and
brought up in the White House. L don's want
to IND no fault with ParsOn simmons, but
can't help a-thinkin' he'd better teach them
things he's had experience in, and leave other
things 10 them that understands 'em better.
Now, know ant iii to preach, nor TO run a
TO 90 en-. 1 DO clam TO know a coai-plt eos
there / m ter hum, and that 1 stick to-"
stand corrected for my presumption,
sam, 4 replied, with becoming meekness.
a. Let the shoemaker stick 10 his last Is an adj
age almost as old as civilization; but consider M
disciple at your feet in quest of knowledge.
Initiate me- II you please, into the mysteries OF
Can't be done, !" replied Sam. with the ut
mos, sIssiiY- Nothin' but exPere nce N do
short o. one hand.'
"The temptation is great" answered, with
as much sobriety OF countenance As 1 coul
command "bat l lear that can't spare the
time just now"
Sam iooked from out the corner of his eve
u he bali suspected . Jest, but, treasured by my
looks lie went On.
Mebbe you've got business where more mo-
ney's to be made; but wouldn't swsp even
with We. I've tried most everything that's A.
gOin' on about here. I've worked on a farm
I've druv ore wagons, We run q saw-mill and a
cider mill, and L spent pooty much All o. one
wear a-getting out ties and bark But to nv
minc there ant Dothin' like coalin'. I've sot a
watching pit on a summers night. when tn
moon Was cut and the stars -sh nin' and All VA
so still you conid hear the mill-dam as plain a
AZ IL vas up here On the mountain, and thou oht
what fools people WAS TO shut 'emselves M in
stores and factories when they could be a-brea-
thin TIE pure air. and enjoyin' 'emseives in a
sensible sort o. way. 1 s'pose everybody ID
take 20 coslin' if 'twarr't for the trouble o.
learnin'."
Lucky for you, Sam, that they don't. II
would SPOIL your business"
Zee. Its wise provision o. natur, thst We
amt all made alike, and don't all think alike
cidsr-tIandy.