The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1875-08-26

offered him the nightly hospItu''y VI
| curling up TO sleep in front OF inc par
room Fireplace. His mules ioau
nrovcd TO consist largely OF tracts,
which he vigorously distributed, ana
which the boys used 10 wrap up dust H.
TIE nearly starved while trying to learn
IN cook bis own food, 10 some OF the boys
took him in and fed him. He tried to
persuade the boys to stop drinking,
md they good.naturally laughed, but
when he attempted TO break up the
"littIe game" which was tho only
amusement Of the camps-the only
stcady amusement, for fights were short
and irregular-the camp rose III wrath,
and the young man hastily rose ana
went for his mule.
But mt the time Of which this story
treats n missionary would have Jared
v G worse, for the boys were wholly
absorbed by n very unrighteous, but
still very daring, pleasure. A pair OF
veteran knifeists, who had fought each
other at sight for almost ten years every
time they met, had again found them
selves in the same settlement, and Han
ncy's had the honor TO be that partic-
nlar settlement. "Judge" Briggs, one
Of the heroes, had many years before
discussed with his neighbor, Billy Bent,
the merits Of two opposing brands OF
mining shOyels. In the cour6e OF the
| chat they drank considerable yillainous
whisky, and naturally resorted to knives
as final arguments. Tho matter might
| baye ended here had either gained q de-
cidcd advantage over the other, but
both were skiIlcd-each inflicted and
received 10 nCar the same number OF
wounds that the wlBcBt men in camp
were unable to decide which whipped.
Now, TO average CnlifornlanB IN the
mines, this is II most distressing state
Of affairs the spectators aud friends OF
the cOmbatants waste Il great deal Of
time, liquor and blood on the subject,
while the cOmbatants themselves feel
u~ugpGakablG uneasy on the neutral
ground between victory and defeat Az
| sonora, where Billy and the Judge had
their frat encounter, there was no
verdict, 80 the Judge Indignantly shook
the dust from his feet and went else
where. Soon Billy happened IN Mt the
same place, and a Bet.to occurred at
sight, in which the average WAS not dis
arranged. Both men went about for a
month or two in II patched'np condition,
and then Billy roamed of, to be soon
met by the Judge, with the usual re-
suit. Both men were known by repnta-
ton all through the gold regions, and
the advent of either at any "gulch" or
" washin'" was tho best advertisements
the snloon-kcepers could desire. In the
cast hundreds OF men would have tried
10 reagon the men out Of this feud, and
some few would have forcibly separated
them while fighting, but III the dlggings
any interference in such matters IL con
siderod impertinent and deserving OF
punishment.
Hanney's had been fairly excited for
IA week, for the Judge had arrived the
week before, and his points had been
carefully s%crutinizod and weighed time
and again by every man III the camp.
There seemed nothing unusual about
him--ho waa of middle size, had long
hujr and beard, n not unpleasant ex'
preston, and very dirty clothes he
never Jumped n claim, always took his
"lllsky bCraIBn', Pi'yo" "' i"'t " S"in'
Oi poker aS 1ho "VornRo VI uno ooJ''
ana never stoio " mnio from "nSpn1
WINTER n'h " nucA'oei' iuo Doysna
iinn";n "Iiind" Lota nm the reauJt If tLc
nnvt Goht wbcn fhe whole camp wog
'onnu lanoj wifi tho intoIIioencn that
HJIIv Rent bod olso arrived. Work i'm.
mrdioteIy cnasod. except in the imme-
Jiote vicinity of the champions. and
iLn hovq stuc,l, close TO tho chapeI that
hcino The spot where the encounter
ahnnId naturally take place. Miners
,hronged sin from fiitv miles around,
and n]oIhiSg INIT n %snecioI mulo ~oynress
saved tho camp from the horror of
Pontecoat's bur- being inadeonate to the
dcmnn1 Retweon "stroioht bets" and
"bcdoino most NJ fine gold dust in
comn Gnd been emit nm for n bet il
tba onIv California baclinp Of An
oni,ion As the mon did not seem IN
an.L eocb other ibe bovs had annie
,imo to grind things down ton mint"
Az the camp concisely expressed it, and
The matter had given excus for a dozen
minor fights, when order was suddenly
restored one afternoon by the enterance
of Billy and his neighbors, lust as the
.Jndoe and his peiphbors were finishing
drink.
Tho horo mmo1iotoIv or5 s;,oruv
III ooy ~ thn outor odaa -,
lprtnr' LUZ, ~ III nV a., o, orsI ~,
wn,on wUtJ ,n "mJ m hn ' onna mV nam WIN ~
ptrh o1.'' hd, nn' "no o, oa,nu por NJ ~,
linz ii,1' oI I.roa un no" "I o no
hIIn1'oo :, h"sBnu ~ ""n' y "aa
ulncrSe1oa 'ina 'noSo e"o moh douBn'
oniy mi,n N nh, aI w. "u'po''' "o'o
III a s''tp o. "'Joo' s"io.yi A..
lho 'inBo; n,5or Sos'l'uB ,of ,ne
arlnhS, t.r"e" Ill" s"" iof 'ho nrS' ''nio
MS enemy.
nello, bii,y ! salu me- pieaSah''y
" Inn Il hIf IN II