The Louisiana cotton-boll. [volume] (Vermilionville [i.e. Lafayette], Attakapas, La.) 1872-1883, 1874-07-08
ARMSTRONG.

of old, as yOH please-in a certail
miners camp'on the Yuba river, ther
lived queer genius named Armstrong
He was an honest miner, not differin!
materially from his fellows, excepting
that he had a curious habit of talking
to himself. For the simple reason tha
he departed from common custom il
this one particular, he was, of course
voted crazy by the other miners. TC
call all persons "crazy" who do no
s;;p&9lllow the customs of the majority is {
coIS;taRt5. habit with men. But, day
after day, I2tpss5tt:29'n4g2 worked away witt
his pick and shovel, cariIES" ES"'n nothing fol
the remarks of his neighbors, and seem
ing to wish for no other partner in his
tolls or his rest, save the invisible per,
sonage whom he always addressed il
the second person singular, and with
whom he was almost constantly in close
and earnest conversation. The common
drift of his talk, while at work, would
be as fellows: ..s
C Rather tough work, Armstrong
rich dirt, though-grub dollar a pound
no time to waste-pitch in. sir
hanged if don't wish I was in the
states. This INNINGS mighty hard
work. .. Nonsense, Armstrong; what a
fool you are to be talking in that way,
with three ounces a day right under
your feet, and nothing to do but just to
dig it out"
His conversation would be duly punc-
tuated with strokes of the pick and lifts
of the loaded shovel. And 30 the days
would pass along, and Armstrong work
ed and slept, and talked with his invisi-
BILE partner. Well, it happened, in due
| course of time, that the class of human
vampires, commonly called gamblers,
made their appearance at the camp
where Armstrong worked. AS he was
not above following the example of his
fellows, he paid the new comers q visit.
It is the same old story. After watch
ing the game awhile, he concluded it
was the simplest thing in the world.
So he tried his luck, and won-$100 !!
Now, any experience would always set
Armstrong to thinking and talking to
himself worse than ever. It was so
this time. ."Now, Armstrong" he said,
as he hesitated about going to his work
next morning, "that is the easiest
hundred dollars You ever made in your
life What's the use of your going
into a hole in the ground to dig for
three ounces a day? The fact is,
Armstrong, you are sharp. You were
not made for this kind Of work. Sup
pose you just throw away your pick and
shovel, leave the mines, buy o. suit Of
store-clothes and dress up like a born
gentleman. and go ut some- business
that suits your talent.
Armstrong was not long in putting
these thonghts and sayings into action.
He left the diggings and invested in fine
clothes. He looked like another man,
but he was still the same Armstrong,
nevertheless. He was not long in find
ing an opportunity to try q new profess
sion. Walking forth in his fresh outfit,
he had just concluded long talk with
himself abeRt7 his bright prospects,
when he had halted 10 front of large
tent with sign on it, "Miners' Rest. "
Armstrong wantin.s..-It did not seem to
him that he remained very long, bnt it
was long enough to work wonderful
revolution in his feelings. When he.
came out he was changed man-that
is to say, he was changeless " man.
He was thunder-struck, amazed, be-
wildered. He had lost his mOney, lost his
new prospect, lost his self-conceit-lost
everything, but his new clothes and his
old habit of talking to himself. 1t is
useless TO say that he was mad. Arm
stroug was very mad Bat there was
no one to be mad at but Armstrong him
self, SO self number two was in for
rough lecture ...'sr ....
CHOW, Armstrong, you are nice
specimen-you fool-you bilk-you
dead-beat-you inf" Well, I need
not repeat all the hard things he said.
Like King Richard, he "found within
himself no pity for himself. "
But mere words we're not safhclent.
It was a time for action. Bat Arm
strong never once thought Of shooting,
drowning, hanging, or any other form
of suicide. He was altogether too orig
inal as well rs too sensible for that.
Yet he was resolved upon something
real and practical in the way of reforma,
cory punishment. He felt the need of
seIf-impose l decree of bankruptcy that
should render the present failure as
com lete. as, possible, aud prevent
similar course ip, the future.
so the broken Arm of Armstrong 4.
Self went forth in meditation long and
deep. Some ot his thoughts we're al
most too deep for utterance. BIT fiually
he stood by the dusty road along which
the great freighting wagons were h'Ul-
ing supplies to the mining camps mp
the Sacramento. One of these wagons,
drawn by six yoke of oxen, was Just
passing. Snap, snap, snap, #inf slow, If
regular succession, came the keen,
stinging reports OF the long Missouri
ox-whip. "Glang g4ang wo-haw Y
shouted the tall, dust-begrimed driver,
as he swung his whip and cast side
long glance at the broken firm, wonder
ing "what in thunder all them store
clothes was a-doin' thar" Now, when
Armstrong saw the longs column OF
white dust rising behind that. wagon Ie
was taken with an idea. So he shouted
to the driver, to know if he might be
allowed to walk in the road. behind the
wagon.
%Get in and ride, " said the driver.
ono" said Armstrong; / wish TO
walk 80 t4 H.Rts5 hgkK#
"Then walk, you crazy fooi, " was the
accommodating response, as the dFIyer
swung his whip. peg -f" -
Then came the tug of war. Greek
never metsC4reek more ffercely than did
the two contending spirits composing
the firm Of Armstrong & Self, at that
particular moment ''Now, Armstrong,
said the imperious head of the firm,
Z You. get riaht into tha middle, of that
road, sir. and walk in that dusE behind
that wagon, ali fine way to thee Packers'
Rooss, on the Yuba river. " What
with these clothes on?" Yes, with
those clothes on. "Why, it is fifteen
miles and dusty all the way" "No mat