The Elk County advocate. [volume] (Ridgway, Pa.) 1868-1883, 1875-02-04
THE P0SY or SANDY GULCH.

The POSi OF SANDY GULCH.
They called the place Sandy Gulch; it
was hard to understand why, for it was
full of rocks, apparently. There was
not sand enough visible to scour pan
hut then, pans i'll Sandy Gulch We're not
secured. There was a deeply bronzed
and heavily bearded set of men, heavy
drinkers all; and there were no women,
ut least until Phoebe arrived. Slim Jim
was the autocrat of the place; he kept
the New Orleans Saloon. Liquors were
dispensed i'll the front room, and faro in
the rear.
Phoebe lived ga smart piece above
half logs What old Langsdale had
brought her there for no one could i'm
aginc; she had been the only woman on
the ship when they made their weary
siX-months voyage from New York, and
now she was the only woman in Sandy
Gulch.
Phoebe was twenty-most girls are
pretty at twenty, if they are ever going
to be pretty; Phoebe had hazel eyes, and
rounded, rose-pink cheeks, and the
The Sandy Gulchers thought her god
uCoo, anu duclCu htl dtCO1ltlllSlN.
Old Langsdale took the best of care of
his daughter When he moved his
claim he moved his cabin, too: and al
hear the sound of his pick. When the
cabin was "toted" " to where they had
not given out. He never lacked help in
moving his cabin-there were always
1,lnntxy ,f Sandy H,,1nl,nro onv;a,,, D.,
lend hand; they even quarreled about
it, and Langsdale obliged them to take
turns. You see, they called it "helping
Phoebe"
There were not many loafers in camp;
the people had come there to make a
fortune, and could not afford to loaf; but
there were few, couple of Mexicans-
" Greasers," the miners called them--and
two or three of the stamp of Slim Jim.
They were always busy enough at
night; in the daytime they hung round
the New Orleans Saloon, and they would
have liked to have visited Phoebe, but
old Langsdale would not have it. He
borrowed pot of black paint and a
brush, and painted over his door,
"NorIcE. No LoAFERs WANTED"
He thought that this would do, but
one day he came home and found Apo
doca there. Phoebe was sitting on an
empty butter keg, the rose-pink in her
round cheeks deepened little, and the
pouting mouth was as smiling as YOU
please.
Old Langsdale was mad; he called
Apodoca out, and pointed to the notice
ON the door, Apodoca planted his feet
firmly on the ground, placed his arms
akimbo, and gazed intently at the letter
ing for some time: then, turning to
Langsdale, he said, in his politest ac-
cents
No sabbee."
You no read :" interrupted Langs-
dale.
Ne no sabbee read Inglis," replied
Apodoca, taking his sombrero from the
bush by the door which caught the hats
of most of Phebe's visitors; once in a
while hat was taken inside, if it Glanced
to be new, and kicked under the table for
safe keeping,
Well, said Langsdale, "I'll read it
for yer: Notice '"-he said this in /
laundering tones, which increased in
volume as he went on--"s No loafers .
wanted. That means, Git You sabbee .
that p"
"Si, Senor, replied Apodoca, with a |
Sardonlc smile, as, after most profound |
bow to Phoebe, he placed his sombrero .
on his head, and walked serenely away.
"Ill horsewhip that fool, eff ketch .
him yere agin, said Langsdale, frown- /
ing at Phoebe.
Why, papa, don't blame me-" said
she, tossing her head; 81 couldn't tell .
him to clear out"
d" You needn't have been so dreadful
sweet and smiling, though !" he replied.
" just gave him a pleasant word"
pouted Phoebe; 81 can't be cross to
people, and Jose was very polite, I'm
sure.
Langsdale muttered something about .
g breaking his head, ," and went into the
cabin for his dinner. Phoebe went in
after him. When he had gone into the
rear room, which was his room, par e.
celtense, she softly closed the door be-
l6nd him. The front room was her own;
1t contained her bed, her wardrobe, and
her trinkets; the latter were all presents,
and all of one sort. They stood in
row ON rough board shelf" speci-
mems, which would have made Eastern
ladies' eyes shine.
when odnuy Gllcher founu mug
get which was remarkable for purity or
beauty, he set il aside for Posy"-
they all liked to call the blooming
maid their s. Posy." The consequence
was that Miss Phoebe had several thou
sand dollars on her rough shelf, and
went barefooted and bareheaded, and
wore calico gown. She had no fear of
any one robhing her, though there were
seamps in the camp who would have cut
mans throat for tenth of the wealth l
which Phoebe 3 nuggets represented; hut
woe unto the man in Sandy Gulch who
W have robbed the Posy
- went TO attend the grand
Bar, although she was
she left her trinkets