The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1873-09-26

cussions The rival Bengal tiger
shoot about at random in the, dark
and hit everybody save themselves
The nnhurt portion Of the company
scramble behind the bar and under
ethe billiard tables, and cry out, Don
shoot this way When the barreli
Of both revolvers are emptied, tbt
combatants clinch, and, as they i'm
agine, cut each otherall to pieces with
bowie knives althoughowhen the
lights are brought, it turns out to be
somebody else; Then the two roya
BeDgals shake hands, fraternize over 3
drink, and go off together 10 the gun
smith'sto get their pistols reloaded
The survivors pick up the dead and
wounded. There, is a great deal oi
talk over the affair for several days
The bodies are kept until Sunday
Then thereis splendid funeral, The
| Odd Fellows, the Masons, the milita-
ry companies, and the temperance So
cielies, all turn out, with music and
banners. Tae Sunday school children,
dressedin white, appear in the pro-
cession, singing "There is a happy
land far, far away" etc. The minis
ter breaches very affecting discourse,
and is very careful not to say any
thing TO wound the feelings Of the
two Bengal tigers, who stand at the
frpnt Of the pew, overlooking the cof-
fins as quiet mourners, holding togeth7
er BY their left hands the same hymn
book, as they sing ont of 1t, while the
right of either grasps his revolver,
ready to send ball through the criti-
cal organization, should he say any,
thing in the funeral sermon personally
offensive to them. Everybody for
twenty miles around comes on horse
back and in buggies. The saloons
and shops do good business, and the
day commonly winds up with a grand
ball and supper All the young la
dies are proud to dance with the two
Bengals, all the young men envy
them, and resolve TO kill somebody at
the first convenient opportunity, Be-
fore morning there are probably two
or three more fatal affrays, and SO
the life and excitement peculiar to-
our free, easy, unconventional society
is sustained from month TO month and
year to year.
e"When all this sover, a subscrip-
ton is generally set on foot in the
camp for erecting monuments over
the graves; and when the money is
raised, the man to whom it is intrust-
ed, goes to San Francisco to buy the
marbles, and there be falls III with old
friends, and drinks, and sprees, and
CANDLES all the money away. fhe
comes back and makes confession, we
either blow the top of his head off, or
say, No matter. If you had good
time, it is just as well, Bob, Jim and
Tom will rest quite as easy. without
any ornaments Then we put over
them a cheap wooden mbstohe, with
afpretty verse painted on it. These
boards, after few years, rot away at
the lower end the goats and COWS,
pastured in our camp burying-ground,
rub against them and knock them
over, and finally we gather and split
them up for stove kindling."
They liked this sketch Of California
life. They relished it. They picked
its very bones clean .f..t., B,
AT certain social gathering the
name OF Joaquin Miller was intro
duced. SD t1 .apf ai8n g.' ti
| said, "He has slain many men," 4
l burden Miller with every sort Of
crime. 1t does him no injury here.
Ahttle blood gives his poems game
relish.
do you know Miller ?" he asked.
II do. He was my friend, but"
Here | become agitated, and corr1gate
my brow, l continued-"I wish never
to meet that man dgain. II | do"
Here my hand travelled invo!untarily
toward my derringer pocket. The
truth is, we once fought in California,
with double barreled shot guns, al six
PAGES. We have not done fighting
yet-the war has scarcely begun. The
next gale that sweeps from the north.
/ beg your pardonl but if we meet
again-and no matter where we meet
the affair must be brought 10 final
conclusion. / trust the coming atfray
may never occur in any quiet British
household, because | cannot back
down, or back out of the customs Of
my native West. With US, the con
tingencies involved by the doctrine of
personal responsibility, know no sus-
pension by reason of time, place, cir
cumstanees or company. We will
fight, be, it in the church, theatre, or
by the hospitable treside of the
stranger. And among our people,
upon such occasions, every one seems
in duty and honor bound to take all
the chances Of being bit by the stray
bullets which the combatantS may dis
tribute among the company"
British society insists upon provid-
ing this bloody niche for the western
American. Why not fill it? The
British public demands that we smell
of blood, bowie knives, and the sui
phurous fumes of the pistol. When
man finds, ready made for him, such
robe of dark and tragic hue, should
he not wear it-especially when the
public insists on admiring him,
wrapped, stern, bloody, vindictive and
sanguinary, therein ? | like it.
never harmed man, woman, or child
yet, now ! feel permeated by the reck-
less, life.scorning, murder-loving spirit
OF my countrymen. | count my vic
Tins by the score; / see them weIter-
ing in the usual gore; travel through
my own metropolis / visit my own
private dead houses, full Of my slain,
as yet unclaimed, unrecognized. a
A. German peddler is the innocent
author of a problem of which we beg
the solution. lie was asked if it was