The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1875-01-14

town, and want to continue in the square
business, but some of you uns are doing
what you can to turn me aside. dom sup
pose you are overly anxious for me TO
give you a lecture, and as I'm not pub
lie speaker I'll cut my remarks short.
Allow me, then, to say, that a man as
eats three meals day and won't pay fur
them, amt doing the fair thing. He aint
worth shucks to tavern-keeper, and the
sooner he passes in his checks the better
it is fur the boarding-house community.
| don't want you fur to understand
me to say that I'm missionary, or been
called TO preach 10 gospil, but do
wish you to bear in mind that | have a
mission to perform, and have had call to
do it. l have bills to pay, and must have
money. Quite number of you uns owe me
money, have money, and must pay me, or
out goes your lamps. | have had three
nice, comfortable graves dug out under
the old cedar tree this morning. You'll
all agree with me that the place isn't too
lonesome, and any reasonable fellow ought
TO be satisfied to sleep forever thar; and
I'm going to fill them holes with those Of
my debtors who kin but won't pay. I'll
have the dining-room door locked. and
want you all to step up to the captains
office and settle before you go out. | am
awaiting fur you"
The speaker ceased; his fingers played
with one of the 1eyolvers, while his eyes
took in the antonished countenances before
him. There was an almost painful silence
for moment, when one of the gamblers
spoke up:
"Dollv, you've been taking snap judg-
ment onto us, and haint acted exactly on
the square with US. We all know that
you are bully good gambler, an1 could
win enough money to pay all the running
expenses of this house if y ou was a mind
to; but no, you've thrown off Oh yer old
profession, ard are tryin' to get along in
sneakin' sort of a way. Now, of all
things in this world abominate a sneak
the most. You've tried to catch us in the
doer, but you will have to learn that old
birds amt caught by chaff want you to
understand that | am going to board here
Just as long as you set table and ring
bell, and III pay you when see fit, not
before"
Breakfast was finished in silence, and
one by one the men lett the table, stepped
up to the clerk, paid the amount of their
indebtedness, took their receipts, and made
tlNiI CAlb. az tdoh ttlC WIN udu
made the speech above quoted arose and
stalked toward the door, without as much
as giving a look at the clerk.
Dolly Hamilton, who from his position
at the head of the room could observe
every move, cried out, Lock that door,
and permit no one to 60 out unless he
shows a card ~
The man who had been stationed at the
door turned the key in the lock, placed
himself before it and awaited further Or
ders.
"Open that door," exclaimed the gam
bier, ''or you are dead man in minute !"
The man replied that he could not do so
unless he received his orders from the
landlord.
''Then, by holy st. Paul, your blood be
upon your own head" shouted the gam
bier, fairly livid with rage, as he drew his
revolver and leveled it at the head of the
offender; before he had time to pull the
trigger, Dolly Hamilton's pistol exploded,
a ball pierced the gamblers brain, and he
fell to the floor a corpse, while Dolly, with
the GOODNESS of a veteran soldier, shot his
glances around the room and said, Are
there any more going to try to get out in
that mannerT'
The killing of the gambler created no
excitement whatever, for it was only an
other added to the already long list of sim
liar episodes of life in Nevada Gulch.
The landlord, after having prepared the
cornerstone for his new graveyard, sent
ont boy with bell to call in the citizens
of the town TO attend the funeral, and in
due time goodly crowd collected to pay
the last tribute of respect to the departed.
The remains, incased in a neat burial-caSe,
were carried to the grave and deposited
therein without any more ceremony than
would have been observed in burying the
body of dog. The crowd proceeded to
the hotel after the funeral. where several
drinks were INDUCED in, and, while so en-
gagged, general conversation concerning
the character of the deceased ensued. Dur
ing the conversation one of the takers re-
marked that it did not appear to him that
the funeral had been conducted in regular
style.
"Why? What was wrong about il? ?"
swell, you see, I'm not funeral sharp,
and don't know much about such things;
but il strikes me that something ought 10
have been said by some one afOre we cum
away and left Jeff. forever"
That's a fact" said Dolly. snow.
when come to think of it, it is customary
to say something; but then | was so con-
founded busy that entirely forgot about
it. But it's better late than never; so if
you'll 90 back we will endeayor to remedy
the oversight"
The proposition was hailed with appro-
baton, and again the crowd assembled
around the grave. when Dolly, in his
hOmely way, preached a funeral sermon.
| shall not attempt to give my readers a
of this Lost / ha 1Sn1 nj
attempting to bring ridicule upon religion,
but justice to history compels me to state
that the speaker acquitted himself in sat
isfactory manner, praising the good traits
in the character of the deceased, and touch
ing lightly upon or altogether emitting to
mention the bad.
The funeral being over, Dolly proceeded
10 administer upcl the estate of the de-
ceased. He took charge of his effects,
paid off his debts, sought out the relatives
and paid over to them what remained, AID
finally wiped his hands of the transaction.
The handsome manner in which Dolly
had conducted himself after the killing,
and the satisfaction he had rendered to all
in the discharge of his duties as admins
traitor, made him great favorite with the
excitable and chivalric citizens of Nevada
Gulch, and they insisted upon bestowing
on him the highest office in their gift.
He was accordingly elected Mayor, with
out opposition, at the election in the fol-
lowing spring.
Mayor Hamilton, having demonstrated
that he could collect bill, found no
trouble thereafter in keeping hotel. But
the two extra graves had to be filled up,
because there were no occupants for them.
Col. C. w. Crocker, in the San Francisco
Craftsman.
A VERY curious controversy respect
ing a will has just been settled at Newton,
Mass. Mr.. Seth Adams left a large sum
to found in that place "The Adams Ner-
vine Asylum" declaring in the will that
the inmates of this asylum should not be
insane people, but merely inhabitants OF
Massachusetts who had become dcbilitated
and nervous, and thereby unable TO pro
vide for themselves. His heirs contested
the will, and the case has finally been
compromised so that the asylum will re.
ceive SS50,000 and the heirs $500, OF
the testator's money. Mr.. Adams also
gave $4,000 to the Consumptives' Home,
$50, 0O0 to the Home for Aged Men, S20,.
600 TO the Association for the Relief OF
Aged Females, $4,000 to the Baldwin
Place Home for Little Wanderers, $1,000
to the Protestant Association. 81 900 each
TO the Industrial Woman's Friendly Socie