American citizen. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1864-1890, 1873-01-11
A NIGHT WITH SAN TIBBETTs.

A NIGHT WITH SAN TIBBETTS.
t.sYou could! I'd jest like to see you
tate bold and burn q cOal-pit."
And Sam Tibbetts blew out cloud OF
smoke and chuckled at the abSurdity of
In the days gone by, Sam and I had sat
upon tho Same bench In the little RED
schoolhouse over by Kent Mountain, but
our paths had diverRed in early youth.
He had feunained BY the homes Of his IA
Tiers; ! had wandered the wide world
over. And now, after many years Of sep
aFaGiDn, Ne had met again on the occasion
81 my visit to my native valley. In the
1dlfillment of a promise, 1 had come to
Spend the night with him, IN anticipation
IN "ofnight."
4swhat Is there so difficult about it?' l
hbof and patience. You cut your wood,
pile it, cover it with turf, set fire to it, and
I, Re here at your case until the time comes
to draw your charcoal. 1t certainly re-
quires little skill"
"Jest Ike you fellows who git yer
knowledge second-handed, and don't
know what experience is. Book edica-
TONS well enough tor q preacher or a
sch0Ol-teacher, hut, in burnin' cOal-pit,
1t ant with a cent. You might as well
tell Parson Simmons that all he's got to
do to git up a sermon is to put paper and
a pen an ink on the table, and then set
down and wait for it to come"
tsYOur simile is not fair one, my
friend, for you omit the fire in the par
sons case. II you piled up your materi-
al, and made your pit never so perfect,
yet neglected to light it, you'd scarcely
expect to get coal"
ssNow you're a-gettin' too deep for me.
But know one thing-I kin run a coal
pit, and don't b'lieve you KIM
s'Why don't you say" 1 replied, some
what testify, ''that can't lie in the grass
and watch q wood-pile burn.''
81 wouldn't be afraid to trust we that
Tar, remarked Sam. dryly; land guess
the wood-pile ,oould burn MP, too. Now,
hook at that pit, and tell me, if you kin,
what's best to Dc"
e glanced at the burning mound. 1t was
still belching forth blue vapor, the smell
Of which reminded me of the fumes OF
pyroligneous acid. If there was any
change, my inexperienced eyes did not
detect 1t. 1 concluded that Sam, to use
one OF his own expressions, was "pOkin'
fun at me-" so 1 replied with an air of in
tended righteousness:
''f you really want my advice, sug-
gest, at this juncture, that we take lite
c. B., &c. D. - in the Kent vernacular,
- :, u faes1.s. 81 49,
s'Haw-hsw!" laughed Sem, springing
up. ssLook at that west side. Give US .
hand here, or there'n be fury to pay in
five minutes!''
He seized a shovel, and went energeti-
cally to work throwing OIL the earth and
sOds. As he opened the side, 1 heard a
sharp, Kissing sound, as of pent gases
seeking a vent. l noticed, too, that the
rising vapor was almost colorless, like the
fumes of charcoal. My vanity had been
piqued- at Sans gOOd-natured railing ;
but 1 ran to his aid, determined that The
emergency should not find me lacking in
goodwill.
sNow for the vents!'' shouted Sam.
ssThen the turfs got to go on ag'in."
While Sam poked the vent-hOles with a
long pole to start the draught, worked
myself into q perspiration, replacing the
turf and earth. had nearly finished
when happened to glance around, and
s9w, to my modification, that the rascal
was only shamming work while watching
my efforts with merry twinkle in his
eye that told how thoroughly he enjoyed
the kcene.
t'Guess We got airth enough on that
pit" he said, quietly, though ready to
burst With suppressed laughter.
''Cohtound you'll p 1 exclaimed, wiping
mr. brow, and looking at my blistered
y
had done enOugh?''
My petulance caused Sam to explode in
a hearty outlaw that started the echoes
from the hills. 1 could have spit his
head with my shovel with a good will.
I'm bet on you," he sputtered, as soon
as he could catch breath. ST you're as
good wi h the axe as with the shovel,
you'n make . pooty good collier. yet,
notwithstanding your foreign edicatiOn.' -
s'NO, thank you. Pm satisfied with my
experience"
s'Guess it's time to take that C. B." OBJ.
served Sam, dryly, as he filled his pipe.
LAX yer pardon for sayin' it." he contin-
ned, ''but the worlds full o. jes' such
folks as you be- Cos they know about
books, they cale2ete there ant nothin'
else to learn. Iwo2dn't give a chaw o.
books about coalin'. 1t don't stand to
reason that man that never see a coal
pit should know more about runnin' on
'em than one that was born and brought
up among 'em, and has tended on 'em,
man and boy, day and night, for nigh on
70 twenty year. as I've done. You can't
tell such folks nothin'. faint no use to
man, I've got nOthin' agin' 'imSbht
pears to me he's got an idee he's most
ekal to Divine Providence. Makes
no odds what he picks out for text, he's
sure to go Q wanderin' OF onto politics
and the science o. governin', OF somethin'
o. that sort, telling what the President
ought to do. and what he oughtn't to do.
Jest as II he'd been born and brought up
in the White House. don't want to find
no fault with ParsOn Simmons, but l
can't help a-thinkin' he'd better teach
them things he's had experience in, and
leave other things to them that under
stands 'em better. Now, know l ant
1t to preach, nor to run a newspaper, nor
to teach school; but don't try to do 'em.
I'm ter hum. and that stick tor
81 stand corrected for my presumption,
Sam, | replied, with becoming mees ness.
"'Let the shoemaker stick to his last is
an adage almost as old as civilization. But
consider me disciple at your feet in quest
OF knowledge. Initiate me, if you please,
into the mysteries Of coal-pits."
'sCan't be DONE" replied Sam, with the
utmost gravity, ssNothin' but experience
III do it. If you'll prentice yourself to
me for year, I'll agree to make a good
collier of We. I'm short o one hand.3'
1.-The temptation is great" / answered
with as much sObriety of cOuntenance as
could command, shut 1 fear that can't
spare the time just now"
Sam looked from out the corner of his
eye as If he half suspected a jest, but reas-
sured by my looks, he went on:
.'Mebbeyou've got business where more
moneys to be made but wouldn't swsp
even with We. I've tried most every thing
that's a-goin' on about here. I've worked
on farm, I've druv Ore-wagon, I've
run a saw-miIl and a cider-stlll, and
spent poorly much all o. one year a-get-
tin out ties and bark. But to my mind
there ant nothin' like cOalin.' I've often
sot a-watching pit on a summer night,
when the moon was out and the stars a.