The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1875-08-14
Our Young Man from Natchez.

He came up stairs at exactly twelve o'clock
noon, when all the staff with one exception,
were at dinner The exception was young
man living in Natchez, here on trial as Il re-
porter, and he was paving over the eXchang-
es, and making himself at home in the edi-
torial room, and waiting to gather his
thoughts and write up a thrilling account OF
q bloody dog fight on the bottoms"
The she who came up stairs was an old
chap Just the length of a siX-toot tape line.
He had on a fur cap, his red wooded shirt
was open enough to show breast all cover
ed with ridges and scars, and the sweat was
rolling down his checks in rivulets The
young man looked up with a sweet smile,
and he recognised the visitor as gentleman
residing on the edge Of the canebrake down
the river, gentleman who thinks nothing OF
swimming INTO bayou and catching two OF
the biggest alligators in it and tying their
tails in hard not-a gentleman who eats
SOUP with a bOwie.knlte and wipes his mouth
on the muzzle of derlnger
ITS a fine day." remarked tue new report
err, as u slckly smile fllckered around his
ears.
The visitor felt in his pocket pulled out a
daily Herald, and placing one OF his big fin
gers on marked article on the fourth page,
he soemnly and earnestly remarked:
"Who writ herr"
"Yes-ah-less see" unused the young man
from Matches. as he whirled the paper
around
1t was one of his first articles; it was a
funny article and the young man mad offered
to bet US that 1t would 60 the rounds like a
prairie fire running across lots. 1t was an
article about "a cross-eyed old moss-back and
his freckleinose wife, from down the river,
sucking lemons on the Court House steps
and wandering around town in search OF q
three-legged door.plate. The young man
was even now looking over the exchanges to
see if 1t had been republshed.
YES" he SAID as he looked up at the
stranger.
you writ her, did ye?" asked the moss
back.
1T wasn't you, of course" gasped the
young man Ill was pale.faCed man with
white hair and one eye gone
"Peel!' sighed the stranger, as he unbutton.
ed his shirtcollar.
II beg your pardon, sir, but this article
doesn't refer to you at all. You are gentle.
man, while the other man was a regular
snipe, and his wife looked like steamboa,
explosion
tShuck off," murmured the man from The
canebrake, as lie rolled up his sleeves.
II can't fight you about this" replied the
young ludh III luShg NNSSh AC'
fleet on you in the least, and I'll take my SOL
emn oath to that effect"
"Mc an the ole woman war thar-come
out herem continued the stranger moving the
chairs back against the wall.
My dear sir, let me assure you again that
You are not the party referred to. That man
was a onehorse man, whom the dogs would
Mt bite, while you are a cultivated gentle
man. His wife didn't know enough TO cut
pork, while your esteemed lady has every
grace and accomplishment which a liberal
education and refined surroundings car
give!"
"a squar' fight and no gougln' = whispered
the stranger, as he spit on bis hands
my dear sir, ! am consumptiyc'
emit
But the moss-bock f.s.nred % IS coat-col
lar, lifted him over the liable, and what fol
lowed no man knows.
When the rest of the staff returned from
dinner, one Of the young mans boots was OF