The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1876-06-22
"reminiscences Of CalifGrnia Life.

"reminiscences or California Life.
s.fay Charlton, the New York CORE
spundont OF the Danbury Neacs, speak
inr ofsGabriol Conroy" and its aathor,
SAYS Bret Harte really owes little to
California. lie never made his pile
there. After il had refused to make
him wealthy he panned out from him.
self some sketches and poems that did
more FOR the glory OF California than
California; ever did for him. have
heard him express thesar1e aversion to.
California that be expresses in his book,
He IS personally not a popular man;
but I've always liked him. His CONVEX
satiou is as good as his writing. lie
once told me that at a certain time he
was IN an inland valley, where sunset
had taken to a tavern q number of
struggling travellers, of whom he was
one. In corner sat little man with
his head bowed upon his hands in MEL
ancholy meditation. Men were sitting
around and playing cards and drinking,
when suddenly there rose a tall, strong
stranger, who, folding his arms, roared:
al am the man from the noun
tains!n
There were no responses. This was
a challenge TO fight. There was fight
in the air. Again he said, with words
of emphatic intent:
-iis'I am the man from the noun
tains!" ss .sifji 4. 4I--s..., s-a
He got no takers. The affair became
yery impressive, and the mans manner
became more and more obtrusive. Sud-
denly the little fellowwho, had been sit
ting quietly with bowed head in the
corner, softly rose, and in subdued but
earnest tones, uttered; -... Js-. e.,
Observation-Disclosures
Valley"
The big bully looked at him mo-
ment, and then took out. ,. ..r ...r
This reminds me of a story told me
by Gen. John Goshwilder, one of the
leading capitalists of California, and
one of the really good fellows of that
State. One day in the early times he.
was standing in a pioneer shanty saloon,
in company with q great big fighter
who was the terror of the camp and
town. There was nothing that this giant
could not whip, and very little that he
had not whipped. This big fellow was
sitting near the bar when stranger en-
tered He was newcomer in town
He was not more than twenty-five, slen-
derby built, pale, with big eyes, delicate
features, and hand like girl. He
stepped quietly up to the bar and asked
for a glass of brandy. The glass was
,,loaoI l,,f,,-o hT,,, barnnrnr tho hnIlU
rose from his chair, put his big, brawny
hand in front of the youngster, took
the brandy and drank it. The young
man said nothing, but quietly laid down
four bits and said: ..
"Give me another glass of brandy"
The brandy was put out, the glass
was filed, and the bully again reached
forward, took the brandy and drank
it. The youngster put four bits on the
counter, and said, easily:
'1Give me tUo glasses of brandy"
The two glasses were put out, filed,
and the bully the. third time reached
forward, took glass and drank it. The
young man paid no attention, even to
the giants pistols and knives, but, tax
ing the other glass, drank it, and put
down 81. Then, with easy manner, he
left the bar for the door, walked five sr
six steps, turned like a flash OF light
ming and shot the bully through the
heart. As he walked out of the door
he said to one of the bystanders:
.' 60 That fellow might have hurt some
body yet"
jim Kavanagh, formerly member of
Congress from Montana, was telling
me the other day that on one occasion
there were seven men standing on
empty boxes and with ropes round their
neckS under the limbs of a tree, just
ready to be hanged. One of them, a
German, began to cry bitterly as he
thought that he was about to die. The
man next to him was an IriShman, who
was much bothered by the Germans
weeping. So hitching his foot to one
side he gave the Germans box push,
leaving him swinging in the air, and
said, 80 Stop, you big sucker, won't
you?'' But the same act tOppled over
his own box, he could not regain his
own footing, and, with laugh at the
trick he was playing on the German,
he, too, swung into eternity.
was one day standing on the plat
form of the worst of all restaurants of
the world-at Rawlins, Wyoming Ter
ritory. A lady and her little girl were
sitting at one of the tables inside. On
the platform was a hunter with a
rifle, and belt full of
cartridges. In fOOling with the piece
it suddenly went off; the bullet drove
the thin clapboard, passed
the coat of man inside, and |
between the heads of the lady
and her little daughter. He quietly
smiled, and put in another cartridge.
[ was thoroughly maddened at his cool
and under the impulse of
the moment said: aid like to be big
enough to lick you, You big chuckle-
head" He turned round indifferently,
slapped me on the shoulder till
thought the earth was shaking for miles
round, and said, with asmile: "Pard,
yer amt big enuff, an yer. can't do it.
Yer'd better git yer hair cut and go
West. Pard, OF boy what'l you drink?
Nothin'? Not even with meP Then
yer'd better tie a tin pan ter yer tail
and git West Say pard," said he, pat
ling the clapboard, " Amt that purity |
smuthe hole? Them Henry brich-lOad- |
srs is---1 gI t-1s .-r ss
When Horace Greeley was on his
way to California he met Forty-niner
coming East. The Californian was in
a terrible stew about his accommoda-
ions. He kept saying, 81 wish l had
some o. them Californy pertaters. |
Them's eatin', them is. bern this yer
lentry ennyways. I'd give thousand |
dollars for a snoOtful of OF CalifOrny |
air. That's the place to live in-on'y |
1entry with livin' in. Mountings and |
valley, strawbries in winter, sparegrass
alters, bes' BRAN water ennywheres,
inest climate on the face Their yurth.
bern kentry like this down yer. Cali
'orny's the only place fit ter live. "
-, Horace smiled that child-like smile of
his, and thought he had the Californian
,ad when he said: "''8 -iliiD % ..i'
envy friend, if California is such a
.1a.l;J oo,,n+,x- univ did Won ava1.