Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1873-08-26

VIC AOOiiiiSo Vi biC wv DShO"'
tigers, who stand in the front pew,
overlooking the coffins as quiet
mourners, holding together with
their left hands the same hymn
book, as they sing out of it, while
the right of either grasps his revol-
yer, ready to send ball through
the clerical organization, should he
say anything in the funearl sermon
personally offensive to them.
Everybody for twenty miles around
comes on horseback and in buggies.
The saloons and shops do good
business, and the day commonly
winds up with grand ball and
supper. All the young ladies are
proud to dance with the two Ben
gals all the young men envy them
and resolve to kill somebody at the
first opportunity. Before morning
there are probably two or three
more fatal affairs and so the life
and excitement peculiar to our free
and easy, unconventional society, is
sustained from month to month,
and year to year.
"When all this is over, q sub
scription is generally set on foot
in the camp for erecting monu-
ments over the graves and when
the money is all raised, the man to
whom it is intrusted goes to San
Francisco to buy the marbles, and
there he falls in with old friends,
and drinks, sprees, and gambles
the money away. If he comes
back and makes confession, we
: either blow the top of his head off,
. or we say, mo matter If you had
n good time it is just as well. Bob,
Jim and Tom will rest quite as easy
without any monuments Then
we put over them q cheap wooden
tombstone, with a pretty verse
D painted on it. These boards after
2 a few years, rot away at the lower
Q end, and the goats and cows, pas.
: tured in our camp burying ground
e rub against them and knock them
), over, and finally we gather and
e split them up for stove kindling.
It They liked this sketch of Califor
d MIA life. They relished it. They
h picked its very bones clean.
y At certain social gathering
| the name of joaquin Miller was
: introduced.
;, "Miller has been engaged ir
some affrays l suppose" said {
( gentleman near me.
: said "He has slain many men,"
burden Mil itlerwh every sort
, of crime. 1t does him no injury
here. A little blood gives his
, poems gamo relish.
"Do you know Miller!' he asked.
t 81 do. He was my friend, but
t "IIere l become agitated and cor
rugate my brow. continued
"I wish never to meet that man
again. If do-"Here my hand
travelled involuntarily towards my
derringer pocket. "The truth is
we once fought in California, with
double barrelled shot-guns, at six
pacrs. We have not done fighting
yet, the war has scarcely begun.
The next gale that sweeps from the
north--your pardon but if we
meet-the affair must be brought
to a final conclusion. / trust the
coming affray may never occur in o
quiet British household, because !
: cannot back down or back out OF
customs of my native West. With
+ us the contingencies involved by
the doctrine of personal RESPONSE
: bility know no suspension by rea-
) son of time, place, circumstances,
, or company. We will fight, be it
in the church, theatre, or by the
, hospital fireside of tho stranger
+ And among our people, on such
t occasions, everyone feels in duty
: and honor bound to take all the
chances of being hit by the stray
, bullets which the combatants may
, distribute among the company.
British society insists on pro-
{ viding this bloody niche for the
. western American. Why not fiji
q 1T The British public demand:
that we smell of blood, bowie
knives, and the sulphorous vapor'
Q of the pistol. When a man finds
I ready made for him, such robe Of
] dark and tragic hue, should he not
] wear ESPECIALLY when the pub
i lie insist on admiring him wrapped,
stern, bloody, vindictive, and san
, culinary, therein 7 l like it. l
!. never harmed man, women, or