Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-01-02
HOW SANTA CLAUS CANE TO
SIMPSONS BAR.
by BRFT HARTE-

Sacramento The North Fork had over
flowed its banks, and Rattlesnake creek
was impossible The few boulde-s that
had marked the summer ford at Simpson s
crossing were obliterated by vast sheet
of water stretching to the foot hills. The
up stage was stopped at Granger's; the
asst mail had been abandoned in the tules,
the rider swimming for his life. can
area" remarked the Sierra Aualaaache,
with pensive local pride, as large as the
State of Massachusetts is now under
water"
Nor was the weather any better in the
foothills. The mud lay deep on the
mountain road; wagons that neither
physical force nor moral ohiurgation
could move from the evil ways into which
they had fallen, encountered the track,
and the way to Simpsons Bar was in
dicated by broken down teams and hard
swearing. And farther on, cut off and
inaccessible, rained upon and bedraggled,
smitten by high winds and threatened
by high water, Simson's Bar on the eve
Of Christmas day, 1862, chung like swal-
lows nest to the rocky entablature and
splintercd capitals of Table Mountain,
and shook in the blast.
AS night shut down on the settlement,
s. few lights cleaned through the mist
from the windows of cabins on either
side of the highway now crossed and
quilted by lawless streams and swept by
marauding winds. Happily most of the
population were gathered at Thompson s
store, clustered around a red-hot stove,
at which they silently spat in some &C
cepted sense of social communion that
perhaps rendered conversation unneces-
IT, Ir Il
had long since been exhausted at Simp-
sons Bar; high water had suspended the
regular occupations on gulch and on
river, and consequent lack Of money
and whisky had taken the zest from most
illegitimate recreation. Even Mr. Ham
lin was fain to leave the Bar with fifty
dollars in his pocket-the only amount
actually realized of the large sums won
by him in the successful exercise of his
arduous profession. "Ef | was asked"
he remarked somewhat later-"ef | was
asked to pint out purity little village
where retired sport as didn't care for
money could exercise hisself, frequent and
lively, I'd say Simpsons Bar; but for a
young man with q large family depend
ing on his exertions, it don't pay" As
Mr.. Hamlin's family consisted mainly of
female adults, this remark is quoted
rather to show the breadth Of his humor
than the exact extent Of his responsible
ties.
Howbeit, the unconscious objects Of
this satire sat that evening in the listless
apathy begotten of idleness and lack Of
excitement. Even the sudden splashing
Of ho0fs before the door did not arouse
them. Dick Bullen alone paused in the
act of scraping out his pipe, and lifted
his head, but no other one of the group
indicated any interest in, or recognition
Of, the man who entered.
1t was a figure familiar enough to the
company and known il Simpsons Bar as
g The Old Man" 4 man of perhaps fifty
years; griZzled and scant of hair, but
still fresh and youthful Of complexion,
4 face full Of ready, but not very power
ful sympathy, with azcameieon-likea ptl-
tude for taking on the shade and color Of
contiguous moods and feelings. He had
evidently just left some hilarious com
panions, and did not at first notice the
gravity of the group, but clapped the
shoulder Of the nearest jocularly, and
threw himself into q vacant chair.
"Jest heard the best thing out, boys !
Ye know Smiley, over yar-Jim Smiley
funniest man in the Bar? Well, jim was
just telling the richest yarn about"
'Smiley's - fool" interrupted &
gloomy voice.
"a particular - skunk" added an
other in sepulchral accents.
y silence followed these positive state
ments. The old man glanced quickly
around the group. Then his face slowly
changed. "That's So" l.c said reflective
ly, after a pause, certingIy a sort of q
skunk and suthin of fool In course >
He was silent for moment as in painful
contemplation of the unsavoriness and
folly of the unpopular Smiley. "Disma]
weather, amt it?" he added, now fully
embarked on the current Of prevailing
sentiment. "Mighty rough papers on
the boys, and no show for money this
season. And to-morrow's Christmas.
There was movement among the men
a.5 this announcement, but whether Of sat
isfaction or disgust was not plain
I" Yes" continued the Old Man in the
luguorious tone he had, within the last
few moments, unconsciously adopted
Eyes, Christmas, and to-night's Christ
mas eve. Yesee, boys, kinder thought
that is, sorter had an idee, jest passin
like you know-that may be ye'd all like
to come over to my house tonight and
have sort Of tear round. But I sup
pose, now, you wouldn't? Don't fee
like it, may be ?' he added with anxious
syApathy, peering into the faces of hi:
companions.
"Well, l don't know" responded Ton
Flynn, with some cheerfulness. "P'r'ap:
we may. But how about your wife, Ole
Man? What does she say to it?'
The Old Man hesitated. His conjuga
experience had not been a happy one
and the fact was known to Simpson S Bar
His first wife, delicate, pretty, little wo
man, had suffered keenly and secretly
from the suspicious Of her husband, unit
one day he invited tie whole Bar to hi
house to expose her infidelity. On arriv
ing, the party found the shy, petite crea
tu7e quietly engaged in the household
duties, and retired abasned and discon
flied. But the sensitive woman did no
easily recover from the shock Of this ex
traordinary outrage. 1t was with Difficult
ty she regained her equanimity sufficient
ly to release her lover from the closet il
which he was concealed and escape will
him. She left a boy of three years tx
comfort her bereaved husband. The Ole
Mans present wife had been his cook
She was large, loyal and aggressive
Before he could reply, Joe Dimmicl
suggested, with great directness, that i
was the "Old Mans house, and that, in
voking the Divine Power, if the case wer,
his own, he would invite who he pleased
even if in so doing he imperiled his sal
walton. The powers of evil, he furthe
remarked, should contend against hin
valnly. (All this delivered with terse