Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1877-04-04

l i e
Remember. curses sometimes. like
"Our chickeps. rOost at hOme;r
Don't speak OF Others faults until
We have none Of our own.
THE FIRST MAN.
New York Sun.
Some repairs were needed to Tho
engine when the train reached Reno
and while most of tho passenger
were taking philosophical view Of
the delay and making themselves al
comfortable as possible in the depot
in walked q native. He wasn't ma
tive Indian, nor native grizzly, bu
a'native Nevadian, and he was rugged
out in imperial style. He wore &
bearskin coat and cap, buckskin leg
gins and moccasins, and in his bell
was big knife and two revolvers
There was lightning in his eye, de
struction in HIS walk, and as he saun.
tered up to the red hot stove and
scattered tobacco juice over 1t, Q
dozen passengers looked pale will
fear. Among the travellers was a
car-painter from Jersey City, and af-
ter surveying the native for moment
he coolly inquired:
"Aren't you afraid you'll fall dowr
and hurt yourself with those wcap
ons p
..W1whatl' gasped the native ii
asto nishment.
| 81 suppose they sell such outfits as
you've got on at auction out here
don't they ?" continued the painter.
W-What dye mean-who ar We 2
whispered the native as he walked
around the stove and put on terri
BILE look.
"My name is Logwood," was thu
calm reply, "and l mean that, if
were you, I'd crawl out of those old
duds and put ON some decent Clothes
"Don't talk that way to me, or yor
won't live mint p exclaimed the
native as he hoped around. "Why
you homesick coyote, I'm Grizzly
Dan, the heaviest Indian fighter in
the world! I was the first man te
scout for Gen. Crook l was the frs
white man in the Black Hills! Twas
the first white man among the Mo.
docs y
81 don't believe It'll" fatty replied
the painter, "You look more like the
first white man down to the dinner
table I"
The native drew his knife, put il
back again, looked around, aud then
softly said:
"Strangcr, will yc come over behind
the ridge and shoot aud slash till this
thing is settled?"
"You bet l will I" replied the mar
from Jersey, as he rose up. "Jusl
pace right out and I'll follow ~
Every man in tho room jumped to
his feet in wild excitement. The ma.
tive started for the back door, but
when he found the car-painter at his
heels, with six-barrclcd Colt in his
hand, he halted and said:
"Fricnd, come to think of il, DOM
won't to kill you and have your wild.
ow come on me for damages"
"Go right ahcad-Pm not a married
man I" replied the painter.
"But you've got relatives, and
don't want no lawsuits to bother me
just as spring is coming"
"I'm an orphan, without relative
in the world I" shouted the Jerscyite
"Well, the law will make me bury
you, and It would be weeks work
to dig a grave at this season Of the
year. l think I'll break a rib or two
for you, smash your nose, gouge out
your left eye, and let it go at that I"
"That suits me to dot y said the
painter. "Gentlemen, please stand
back, and some of you shut the door
to the ladies' room ~
81 was the first man to attack q
grizzly bear with the bowie knife,
remarked the native as he looked
around. 81 was the first man to dis.
cover silver in Nevada. made the
first scout up Powder River. l was
the first man to make hunting-shirt:
out of the skins of Pawnee Indians
don't want to hurt this man, as ht
seems kinder sad and down.hearted
but he must apologize 10 me-"
81 won't do it y cried the painter.
"Gentlemen, ] never fight without
taking off my coat, and l don't set
any nail here to hang it on" said tht
native.
an hold it'll hold it y shouted (
dozen voices in chorus.
"And another thing" softly contin
ued the native. II never fight in {
hot room. / used to do it years ago
but found 1t was running me int
the consumption. I always do my
fighting out doors now"
"I'll 60 out with you, you old rab
bit killer y exclaimed the painter, ,wht
had his coat off.
"That's another deadly insult, to b.
wiped out in blood, and see / mus
finish you. I never fight around {
depot, though. L go out on the prairie
where there is chance to throw my
self"
"Whcre's your prairie, lead tn,
way I" howled the crowd.
at wouldn't do any good" replied
the native, rs he leaned against tn,
wall. sI always hold $40 goli
piece in my mouth when ] fight, anf
haven't got one to-day,-in fact. I'm
dead broke"
"Here's a gold piece !" called a tai
man, holding up the metal.
| "I'm q thousand times 0bleeged,
mournfully replied tho native, shaking
his head. II never 90 into o figh
without putting rcd paint on my lef
ear for luck; and / haven't any ret
paint by me, and there isn't bit Il
licno."
aAre--you-going-to-fight9" z" dc
manded the car-painter, reaching GU
for the bear-skin cap.
~ took a solemn oath when a bo,
never TO fight without painting m
left ear" protested the Indian killer
l"You wouldn't want me to go bac1
ON my solemn oath, would your"
| "YOu're a cabbage, squash,
pumpkin, dressed up in leggings
contemptu0usly remarked the. car
painter. as he put on his coat.
eyes he's great coward" remark
ed several others az they turned away
i "I'll give $4,000 for ten drops Q
red paint !" shrieked the native. "Oh
why is it that havc no paint for m
ear when hero is such chance to g
in and kill I"
i A big blacksmith from Illinois too
him by the mock and run him out, an
he was seen no more for an houl
Just before the train started, and al
ter all the passengers had taken seat
the ssfirst man" was seen on the plat
form. He had another bowie-knifi
and had also put q tomahawk in hi
belt. There was red paint ON his lei
ear, his eyes rolled, and, in tcrribl
voice, he called out:
"Whcrc is that man Logwood LIZ
him come out and meet his doom
"Is that your Count me in p roar
ed the car-painter, AZ he opened
window. He rushed for tho dool
lcapcd down, and was pulling on hl
ovcrcoat again, when the native bega
to retreat, calling out:
u "Tll get my hair cut and be bac
here in seventeen seconds. I neve
fight with long hair. l promised m
, dying mother not to-"
i When tho train rolled away he wa
seen flonrishing his tomahawk aroun
his head in the widest manner.
| An important question in life il
surancc has just been decided in II
! United States Court at Brooklyn, in