Orangeburg times. [volume] (Orangeburg, S.C.) 1872-1875, 1874-07-02
ARMSTRONG.

aeAto SahAJ VI SdlllOEuld-Gu6
olden days of gold, or the golden days
of old, as you please-in a certain
miners camp on the Yuba river, there
lived queer genius named Armstrong.
He was an honest miner, not differing
materially from his fellows, excepting
that he had curious habit of talking
to himself. For the simple reason that
ne departed from common custom in
shls one particular, he was, of course,
voted crazy by the other miners. To
call all persons "crazy" who do not
follow the customs of the majority is a
constant habit with men. But, day
after day, Armstrong worked away with
bis pick and shovel, caring nothing for
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 in
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 follows:
Rather tough work, Armstrong
rich dirt, though-grub dollar n pound
no time to waste-pitch in, sir
hanged ii | don't wish L was in the
states. This INNINGS mighty hard
work. Nonsense. Armstrong; what a
fool you are to be talking in that way,
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 70 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 tho example of his
fellows, he paid the new comers visit.
1t ls the same old story. After watch
ing the game awhile, he concluded it
was the simplest thing in the world.
So he tiled his luck, and won-S10O /!
Now, any experience would always set
Armstrong to thinking and talking to
himself worse than ever. It was go
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 hole in the ground to dig for
three ounces 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
snovei, leave the mines, buy suit of
store-clothes and dress up like born
gentleman, and go at 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 new profess
sion. Walking forth in his fresh outfit,
he had just concluded long talk with
himself about his bright prospects,
when he had halted 10 front of large
tent with sign on it, Miners Rest"
Armstrong went in. 1t did not seem to
him that ho remained very long, but 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-l
everything, but his new clothes and his
old hnbit of talking to himself. It is
useless to say that he was mad. Arm
strong was very mad. But there was
no one TO be mad Mt but Armstrong him
self, 30 self number two was in for a
rough lecture:
Nov, Armstrong, you are mic,
sspecimen-you fool-you bilk-you
dead -beat-you inf" Well, 1 need
not repeat all the hard things he said
Like King Richard, he "found within
himself no pity for himself.
But mere words were not sufficient.
1t was time for action. But Arm
strong never once thought of shooting
drowning, hanging, or any other form
OF suicide. He was altogether too orig
Inal as we'll as too sensible for that.
Yet he was resolved upon something
real and practical in tho way of reforma
tory punishment. He felt the need of n
self-imposel | decree of bankruptcy Tint
should render the present failure as
com lete as possible, and prevent n
similar course in the future.
30 the broken firm of " "Armstrong &
Self " went forth in meditation long and
deep. Some of his thoughts we're nj.
most too deep for utterance. But finally
he stood by the dusty road along which
the great freighting wagons were haul.
ing supplies to the mining camps mp
the Sacramento. One Of these wagons,
drawn by ak yoke of oxen, was jnat
passing. Snap, snap, snap, in slow, ir-
regular succession, came the keen,