New Orleans Republican., 1873-07-13
"JI.N SNILEY.o


"JIM SMILEY"
las related by Simon Wheeler. Esq. c: Angels
Camp Caiaveras county, California, on being
asked for information concerning d certain
Rev. 1t tonidas W. Smiley.
There was fellow here once by the name
of Jim Smiley. in the winter of iS49-or ma
be it was in the spring of 1861 don't re-
collect exactly. somehow though what
makes me think it was the one or the other,
is because ! remember the big fume wasn't
finished when he first cane to the camp;
but. any way. he was the curiosest man
about always betting on anything that
turned up you ever see, if he could get any.
body to bet On the other side: and if he
couldn't he'd change sides.
ANY way that suited the other man
would suit hin-any way just SOS he got
bet, he was satisfied. But still he was
lucky, uncommon lucky; he almost always
came out winner. He was always ready
and laying for chance; there couldn't be
no solitary thing mentioned but that tel-
ler'd offer to let on it, and take any
side you please, as was just telling you.
1t there was horse race. you'd find him
flush or you'd find him busted at the end OF
it; if there was dog fight, he'd bet on it;
if there was cat fight. he'd bet on it; if
there was chicken tight, he'd bet On 1t:
why, if there was two birds sitting on a
fence, he'd bet you which one would fly
first; or if there was camp meeting, he
would be there reg'lar to bet on ParsOn
Walker, which he Judged to be the best ex-
horter about here-and SO he was, too, and a
good man. If he even saw a straddle-bug
start to go anywhere. ne would bet you
how long it would take him to get wherever
he was going to, and if you took him up he
would fellow that straddle-bug to Mexico
but what he would find out where he was
bound for and how long he was on the road.
Lots of the boys here has seen that
Smiley. and can tell you about him. Why.
it never made no difference to him-he
would bet on any ything-the dangdest feller.
Parson Walkers wife lay very sick once.
for a good while, and it seemed as If they
warn't agoin' to save her. But one morn
ing he come in, and Smiley asked how she
was, and he said ehe was considerably
b .tte1-.hank the Lord for His infinite
mercy-and coming on SO smart that, with
the blessing of Providence. she'd get well
vet; and Smiley. before he thought. says:
swell, I'll risk two and half that she don't.
anyway
This yer Smiley had a mare-the boys
called her the fifteen minute nag, but that
was only IN fun you know, because, OF
course, she was faster than that-and he
used to win money on that horse for all she
was SO slow, and always had the asthma.
or the distemper, or the consumption, or
something Of that kind. They used to give
her two OF three hundred yards start, and
then pass her under way: but always at
the fag end of the race she'd get excited
and desperate like, and come cavOrting and
straddling up, and scatteriDg her legs
around timber. sometimes in the air. and
sometimes ou. to one side among the fences,
and kicking up more dust and raising
more racket with her coughing and
sneezing and blowing her nOse-and always
fetch up at the stand just about neck
ahead, as near as you could cypher it down.
And he had a little. small bull pup. that
to look at him you'd think he wasn't worth
a cent but to set around and look ornery
and lay for chance to steal something.
But as soon as the money was up on him he
was different dog; his under jaw'd begin
to stick ont like the fo'castle Of a steam
savage like the furnaces. And dog might
tackle him. and bullyrag him. and bite
him, and throw him over his shoulder two
or three times, and Andrew Jackson
which was the name of the pup-Andrew
Jackson would never let on but what he
was satisfied and hadn't expected nothing
else-and the bets being doubled and
GOuDleu Oh luO OtutI EIUc dill LILO tllIc tlll
the money was all up, and then all of q
sudden he would grab the other dog jest by
the tint Of his hind leg and freeze to it
not chaw, you understand, but only jest grip
and hang on till they throwed up the
sponge, it it was year.
Smiley always come out winner On that
pup ill he harnessed dog once that didn't
have no hind legs, because they'd been
sawed of by a circular saw. and when the
l. x1a
money was all up, and he come to make
snatch for his pet holt, he saw in minute
how he'd been imposed on. and how the
other dog had him in the door. so to speak.
and he 'peared surprised, and then he
looked sorter discouraged like, and didn't
try no more to win the fight, and SO he got
shucked out bad. He give Smiley look,
as much as to say his heart was broke. and
it was his fault. putting up dog that
which was his main dependence in fight.
and then he limped Oft piece, and laid
down and died.
It was good pup. was tina. Andrew
Jackson, and would have made a name
for hisself if he'd lived, for the stuff was III
him, and ne had genius: / know it, because
he hadn't had any opportunities to speak
of. and il don't stand to reason that dog
could make such fight as he could under
the circumstances ii he hadn't no talent.
1t always makes me feel sorry when think
of that last tight Of his'n. and the way it
turned out.
Well. this yer Smiley had rat-tarriers and
ehicken-cocks, and all them kind of things.
till you couldn't rest, and you couldn't
fetch nothing for him to bet on but he'd
match you. He ketched frog and took
him home, and said he cal'klated to eder-
cate him. and SO he never done nothing for
three months but sit in his back yard and
learn that frog to jump. And you pct he
did learn him, too. He'd give him little
punch behind, and the next minute you'd
see that frog whirling in the air like
doughnut-see him turn one summerset, or
maybe couple, if he got good start. and
come down fatfooted and ali right, just like
a cat.
He got him so up in the matter of catch
ing flies, and kept him in practice 60 con-
slant, that he'd nail fly every time as far
az he could see him. Smiley said all frog
wanted VA education and he could do