The Arizona sentinel., 1874-09-12
YUMA, A. IT, SATURDAY. SEPTEMBER l2 1874

get awful dry, and I started ft
 the boat to Ticker up. But the
 kept along with me and went o
 singin'.
 , Says I "girls go home and be have yourselves; here's a quarte to buy some kick-nacks, and trea . y0Ur58l yes" !"
 No,n said they, "whither thor
 g0eth we g0eth, and we all wen ] aboard the ''BuI O the Wo0ds.' ! If was 8 tryin' momentin the hA ! tory Of my career to be made the
 ''cOynOSure" Of all eyes, and to bt | followed by that crowd as though
 l Was some "big injun" or some
 other natural curiosity, but there
 was no escape, not even in re-
 treat.
 When we got aboard the boat l felt considerably relieved, for, in the language of the immortal bard, was on my own dunghill. 1 felt it was my time to do some of the boSSin' of the job, but didn't want to be hard on lem, SO said 'sgirls let's compromise"
 "Not much," says they; "no compromise us; nothing but un- conditional surrender"
 "Never," says I, colorin' with patriotism, tho not forgetting that 1 was in the presence of the female persuatiOn. which I hold no high-bred gentleman will ever do.
 Negotiations bein' at an end, they again began services by singin' "We're Afioat, We're Afloat" with great pathos and ef- feet.
 Says I ''you struck it right that time, for you are on the way to| Jones' saw-mill, distant seventy five miles. q would say here for the benefit of the trrveling com- munity that the Bull O the Woods makes two trips a week in the trade regular; passage g. 50,meals included: drinks extra
 As we turned around the pint above Juggies grocery, they chanoed the tune and began sing in' My Native Land, Good Night" Well says I to iayself, if them Wimin aiD't gos more cheek than a government mule, they ain't carin' wh ether they go to Liverpool or narver.
 Seein' as to how I couldn't bluff lem off I ordered the pilot to go on back to the landin' and went down off the roof into the cabin and told the ladies to put up their hymn books and we'd talk busi- ness.
 The old woman with the wart on her nose says, 'Mr. ROllinpin, will you agree to sign the pledge and cease this unlawful traffic%
 Says I, "Old gal, I don't think I will"
 "Oh the ignorant old creature" says the woman with the specks on, "the mans unconscious of the misery he is sowing broad cast in the land"
 Says I, "I don't SOW, neither do | I reap; I am steamboat Captain" And rememberin' my brilliant H. terary carer, I added, ''and al manacker; suppose you've read my almanac?
 She replied she hadn't. |
 "Then," said I, ''you've missed your opportunities. How can you expect to be qualified to preach on temperance or anything else if you haven't read my almanac. I am astonished at your egotism: It's time you were teddlln' home"
 "H0me 5. where the heart is" said both the women, speaking at | the same time, S'and we don't in- tend t0 go home till morning"
 ''Then," said I, ''Mr. barkeeper. ! bring ne out decanter of liquor and a pitcher of water and I'll try to put ina pleasant night"
 The two old women said I was firm and withdrew for a consulta- tion. They picked out six of the handsomest young ladies of the crowd and sent them out, as we bOatmen call it, to stand watch over me and keep the thing up. AS the girls approacned me, took good sWig, set the jug down and leaned back in my chair to enjoy a snooze One of them put her arm around my neck, and, batting me on the cheek said, "Oh, my dear MT. ROllinpin. l know you will sign the pledge for me, come, that's a good, dear old man."
 Says I, "WeIl, really-I-"
 "Oh, I know you will, you dear old soul," and she gave me a smack on the cheek that made me think I was a boy again, and was wandering on the sea-beat shore of Duck Creek. Before knew what I was doing I had signed about dozen pledges, and l reckon if my own death warrant had hQnn npoSonfnd Ttd hau0 Cinn. |