The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-10-08

forty minutes later the bridegroom wa:
also borne up stairs inseasible. AT
ter these to-be-expcctcd preliminaries
the company settled down to solid en-.
ioyment. In three hours after the re-
tirement Of the bride, every table
was roof TO at least one deeply
slumbcring Flatter. BY midnight
only party of four had not succumb-
ed. Their only employment was po-
ker. General Hardinge had One-ey-
ed Jim for vis-a-yis, and the dis.
trict attorney sat opposite Lanky
Tom. They were playing with that
self-possessed excitement and quick
eyed eagsrncss belonging to old poker
devoteeS.
"Bet an ounce" said the general,
in the professional low term, and
reaching over to snuff the candle.
"Jm out" said the district attor-
ney, so softly as scarcely to be heard
above the snores and gasps OF the
sleepers, who covered the floor.
"So'm l." said Lanky Jim, giving
sharp little kick to gentleman on
whom he was warming his feet, for
moving.
See your ounce and raise you
two" said One-eyed Jim.
Five better. quoth the general.
"See it-call"
-Four kings"
"You stole 'em," said One-eyed
jim, drawing his revolver and putting
his hand on the pile of gold
"You lie," answered the general
and shot him through the head
1t was done before poor One-eyed
Jim could raise his pistol, and as the
general would in all probability have
been killed himself but for his prompt
ness; nobody can blame him. Wheth-
er or not he stole the kings is another
and irrelevant question.
This was the Tiew taken Of it by
the Flat next morning, and as pub
lie manifestation of confidence in the
pnrity of tho generals motives, every
Flatter felt it a duty to ask the gen.
eral to drink. And then, poor One
eyed Jim had not been a favorite at
the Flat His profession having been
poker, many of the Flatters recalled
sundry losses and had their private
belief in an overruling Providence
strengthened.
But there was nothing mean about
the Flat 1t cheerfully voted holli-
day to bury One-eyed Jim. The
District Attorney was again pressed
into the service as master of the GER
emonies. A party was detailed to
dig the grave in an old claim that had
once been the property of the de-
ceased.
Onc-cyed jim, in lite, had a habit
of cursing this possession as the
means of driving him to poker, for
he had never seen the color in it after
months of patient working. Another
party knocked up rough coffin for
the body, and then, after a solemn
drink all around, the funeral cortege
left the Cosmopolitan-the coffin on q
rough bier, and General Hardinge fol-
lowing as chief monrner-fo the Gen
cral feelingly declared that no one
more than himself regretted the gen.
tleman's misfortune.
The district attorney began TO
think he had mistaken his profession.
Previous to the funeral, and while
drinking at the bar with the general,
he had coniided to that gentleman
hat the ministry might have been a
more congenial field. lie also made
a secret resolve to brush up on the
sacraments. We may write it to the
credit of the district attorney that
he made no pretence of following the
burial service over the body of One.
eyed Jim. He spoke knowingly Of
the increased uncertainty of life and
and the many accidents peculiarly to
this new western civilization. 1.-The
gentleman who has been the unwil
ling cause Of this unfortunate fellow
citizens decease." said the district at
tornev. looking soberly around upon
TIE solemn crowd, and indicating tho
General, who stood at the head o.
the grave, hat in nand with a woe
begone expression, "must, while re
GREETING the necessity, thank God
that no lower law than that univer.
sal one of selfpreservation has
At this instant, TO the astonishment
of every one, the general threw ur
bis hat, with shout ofjoy and jump
ed into the grave. In a second b,
stood up with his head just above
the surface, and called aloud to the
amazed crowd, as he exhibited hal
ounce nugget, Gentlemen, I give
notice that | take up this claim for
sixty yards, two hundred feet eacl
side, with all its dips, spurs, &c, ac
cording to the laws of the mining dis
trict Of Brandy Flat"
The body of poor One-eved jim
was not buried that day, nor the
next, nor the next; for all Brandy
Flat was wild with tearing up the
ground of new diggings and taking
out the chunks of gold that have
made the fiat famous. Then the dis
agreeable duty was done by the dis.
trict attorney and Mr. Finnegan at
night, in ground that they made sure
was not auriferous.
THAT marriage of Finnegan was q
lucky speculation for me-" Mr.. Brown
says, when talking of 40, ''for, be-
sides getting seven hundred dollars
from the bridegroom for my services,
| had quarrel with the rascally gen
cral. He wasn't so quick with me
as he had been with poor Jim, so
had the satisfaction Of burving him
beside that poor fellow two days aft
er, and then | jumped his claim and
made my fortune "-Auhur McEr
ca an OGkicad home journal.