The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1877-02-02
|" TnEM,S MINE.v
why the Lunch stand Suspended.
IFrom the Eureka (Nev.) Sentinel


Our friend Joe Nelson, who has re-
Gently received the appointment of I'm.
der Sheriff, is genial gentleman, and
by all odds the best story teller in the
State. We have known Joe for good
many years, and in all his wanderings,
whether as drug clerk in New York, n
bearded miner in South America, a hotel
clerk in Virginia City, or saloon keeper
on Parks bar in 40, he was always the
same jovial, good fellow. In early times
in California, Joe was running popular
saloon on Parks bar, and Kettle Belly
Brown, famous in the annals of Com
stock, and the original of Mark Twain
Scotty Briggs, was also denizen of that
locality. Business was lively, for the
placers were rich, and X. b. thought he
saw chance for a speculation, and APP
piled to Joe for corner in the saloon to
to establish an oyster-stand, which priv
ilege was granted. X. b. entered into
partnership with one Smith, the popular
constable at the bar, and the concern
started on the high road to prosperity.
The outfit consisted Of one brass kettle
and stove, two dozen soup-plates, knives,
forks, etc., and counter improvised
from plank and two barrels. All the
canned oysters were bought up, and,
when served up, retailed at 81 plate.
"There was millions it," and X. b.
ladled out the stews with much satisfac
ton beaming from his ford counte-
nance, but with a canker eating at his
heart. and his partner was the cause of
it. Poor Smith, like all great men, HAD
weakness, gentle woman was his fail
ing. In the excess Of his gallantry he
"set up" the oysters whenever their
delicate appetites demanded them. and,
settling for them, fell back on his half
in the concern by remarking, "Them's
NINE"
The thing was growing very monoton-
GUS and X. B. demonstrated with his
partner, who promised to restrict his
liberality. One evening after a good
run of custom. Brown was pensively
stirring the contents Of the kettle and
reckoning up the receipts, when party
came in and ranged up to the counter.
They were three high-toned sports, four
ladies' of the Bret Harte type, and Smith.
X. b. supposing some of the boys had
made n winning, and WIS treating on the
strength of it, deity arranged eight
plates of stew In front of the crowd. 1t
was q fearful draft on the contents of
the kettle, but SO cash was Sc profit,
thought Brown, as he passed the pickles
to lady, and blandly asked Smith if he
would have little pepper sauce in his.
Wine wae called for and procured at the
bar, the stand being responsible for it,
and the bar-keeper said Arkansas Dick
must have struck the right card" and
asked eff he was treating" Brown did
not know, but rushed back with the
wine, which soon followed the oysters,
and the repast was over. The guests
slowly fled ont, the rear brought up by
Smith, who remarked to his partner,
"Them's mine, Brown" 1t was too
much. Overcome with rage, Brown
seized an ak, and with one fell bow de-
molished the brass kettle, scattering the
stew in all directions, and shouting,
"That's mine I" Another sweep Of the
ak, and the soup-plates were total
wreck. "Them's mine !" Once more
the AK descended, and the counter was
kindling wood. "Thats mine |" rung
out on the air, and as Smith reached the
door the AK, propelled by his partner s
vigorous arm, shaved off his left ear, in
which fingered the cry of "D--n your
heart, that is mine, too |" That is what
bursted up the oyster stand on Parks