The herald and mail. [volume] (Columbia, Tenn.) 1873-188?, 1874-07-03
ARMSTRONG.

| VI Olu, Us you Dl0dSS-l0 C6fIal
miners camp on the Yuba river, ther
lived queer genius named Armstrong
He was an honest miner, not differiu
materially from his fellows, excepting
| that he had a curious habit of talkin
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. II
call all persons "crazy" who do no
follow the customs of the majority is
| constant habit with men. But, da7
after day, Armstrong worked away witt
| his pick and shovel, caring nothing fo,
| the remarks of his neighbors, and seem
| ing to wish for no other partner in hi,
| tolls or his rest, save the invisible per
| sOnage whom he always addressed il
| the second person singular, and will
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 pound
no time to waste-pitch in, sir
hanged if don't wish 1 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 pune
tuated with strokes of the pick and lifts
of the loaded shovel. And so 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 corners a visit.
1t 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-S1OO |!
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 a suit of
store-clothes and dress up like a 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 a new profess
sion. Walking forth in his fresh outfit,
he had just concluded a long talk with
himself about his bright prospects,
when he had halted in front of a large
tent with a sign on it, "Miners' Rest"
Armstrong went in. It did not seem to
him that he remained very long, but it
was long enough to work a wonderful
revolution in his feelings. When he
came out he was a 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-los
everything, but his new clothes and his
old habit 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 at but Armstrong him
self, so self number two was in for a
rough lecture
Now, Armstrong, you are nice
specimen-yOu fOOl-yOu bilk-you
dead-beat-you inf" Well, 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 a 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 well as 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 a
decree of bankl uptcy that
should render the present failure as
com lete as possible, and prevent a
similar course in the future.
So the broken firm of Armstrong &
Self went forth in meditation long and
deep. Some of his thoughts were al
most too deep for utterance. But finally
he stood by the dusty road along which
the great freighting wagons were haul
ng supplies to the mining camps mp
The Sacramento. One of these wagons,
lrawr by six yoke of oxen, was just
passing. Snap, snap, snap, in slow, ir-
regular succession, came the keen,
'tinging reports of the long Missouri
,x-whip. "G'lang g'lang wo-haw -
shouted the tall, dust-begrimed driver,
Is he swung his whip and cast side
ong glance at the broken firm, wonder
ng "what in thunder all them store
,lOthes was a-doin' thar" Now, when
Armstrong saw the long column of
white dust rising behind that wagon he
vas taken with an idea. So he shouted
20 the driver, to know if he might be
allowed to walk in the road behind the
wagon.
"Get in and ride" said the driver.
"No," said Armstrong 81 wish to
walk. "
"Then walk, you crazy fool, " was the |
accommodating response, as the driver |
iwung his whip.
Then came the tug of war. Greek |
never met Greek more fiercely than did |
he two contending spirits composing |
he firm of Armstrong & Self, at that |
moment. "Now, Armstrong"
aid the imperious head of the firm,
9 you get right into the middle of that |
.oad, sir, and walk in that dust, behind |
hat wagon, all the way to the Packers |
Reost, on the Yuba river" "What, |
With these clothes on ?" eyes, with |
hose clothes on" "Why, it is fifteen
miles and dusty all thewav." "No mat
5er, sir; take the road. You squander |
you mOney at thraa Oor1 y,,opfa. TIL |
each you a lesson"
"G'lang g'lang !" drawled the dri-
yer, as he looked over his shoulder with
/ curious mingling of pity, contempt
md wonder on his dusty face. More
md more spitefully snapped the swing
ng whip as the slow-paced oxen toiied |
nile after mile under the heat of a Sgresi
ember sun. And there, in tbe field, {
rudged Armstrong behiH55 6siI.' The
'lowly, YEARLY, thog. "!dLaS 'he | sc -, va.
- Ilavk1yv 10 F&N