The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1878-02-23
A NIGHT IN A BAR ROOM.

A NIGHT IN A BAR ROOM.
An old Time story, by Rambler.
n. Auoa'uL
Tvs away back in the old flush Cali.
a,Di, day. that, one rainy October even.
IN, A little alter dark, | found myself at
Sol4l Al Bidwell'd Bar, on the Feather
Her Al that period Bidwell's Bar was
Sa; . rough mining camp, not much dit-
I.,,nt from a hundred other camps in
C,iIorpi., soon discovered that some
S7i.,erou, characters were guests in the
bo,sl where had found quarters for the
night They we're miners, teamsters, and
.I,se drivers; and when the supper was
aver sad the ,eamsters and hostlers had
t,Eep care Of their stock for the night, "a
bJ mutual consent all gathered in the
long. low bar room, 10 make a night OF it.
Some clustered around rough table TO
IN their fortunes at poker; the teamsters
ia knot converted upon the state Of the
road., the probabilities Of an early and
h.rl winter, or the merits OF their res
pectiye mule; sententious stage driver
called Curly" was telling characteristic
.torie. ADD, for a while, were in the best
olhumOr. At length, however, there was
trouble al the poker game; = few hasty
sharp words we're passed between two OF
the players, when they sprang to their
i.st, and for three minutes fought like
tigers. The crowd separated the lighters,
and, a. they held them, asked what the
trouble was. 0ne answered hotly: al had
l,s GATED tive dollar piece, when the
bI,ck thief stole it,"
THAT yellow haired vagrant never had
6re dollars in his life." was the reply OF
Of the other, and then the two men strug-
gled like Wild beasts to get at each other,
Just then some one in the room saw
something glisten at a distance on the
door, and picking it up II proved to be
the missing half eagle, and il was appar-
eat that the money had been brushed
from the table by accident.
Then mutual apologies and expressions
Oiresptct and esteem followed between the
tEo men, 4 drink was taken all round and
The game resumed.
A broken.ofT story by "Curly" was
scarcely RECOMMENDED when a man !AI
goue in liquor reeled into the room, and
staggering up to the bar, demanded q
drink. The landlord was absent at the
time, but his daughter, a kindly faced
girl, Of fifteen or sixteen years OF age
who happened to be standing near The
bar, with genuine California canlor, said
"YOu have had too much bad whisky al
ready; yOu cannot get 4 drink here"
At this the man commenced to assai
The girl with a perfect shower Of epithels
bot in an instant one OF the teamsters
called "Posey," sprapg up, seized the man
aEung him 10 the door, and opening II
hurled him clear over the broad porcl
into the night. AT that moment the land
IIlT entered, and, seiZing one OF Posey'
hAuls in both Of hers, exclaimed, "0h
POsey, Posey, l owe you ten THOUSAND
thanks for that noble deed"
Without the change Of muscle Pose.
lnvered: "A thousand will do, my goot
soman; thousands plenty for carrying
A,mall load Of freight like that. He'
baIkY, but he don't weigh much"
Bot the episode furnished excuse for
drink all round, and the drinks were re
peisd until some Of the men present had
loo much aboard. At last Curly, the
,.ige.drivsr, proposed that literary SO.
eiety should be organized, that every mar
10 the room should join il and that when
: member was called upon he should
esbes tell story, sing a song, or trea'
tAtcrOWd.
Al uproar Of approval followed; The
cards we're put away, and the fun com
neaced, was one Of tie first called up
10 and, to manage the matter in The
ei,iest way possible, tade TIE landlord
set it up for the boys, and to give them
sigin also. Atthis they demanded my
name, and elected mo q true gentleman
and thorough old Californian, by accla.
nation, right there and then, as bystan'
dsteIp'es'edis, "splte Of his store clothes
aai or'nary looks"
Then followed such stories as were
never told outside Of California. such
,Ong, "A are only heard on the turbulent
i'O1der, and frequent drinks.
All through the evening, young man
Almost hoy indeed, had been sitting
alone in one corner OF the room. He
,sEP4le and trail looking. and had sat a.
bali slupefed amid the revel. never
e:aeeuoying, except when the ruttian had
ts'ullei the girl, when he sprang TO his
iNI; but the big te9mstet was too quick
io' bin, and SO he quickly settled back
"a ali chair. At Last one Of the men, ex.
1'ea With liquor, struck the youth under
NE shoulder, and said, rudely:
TOT. Tome, Pale-face, song, a story, or
The Young man rose to his feet, aud
10y, , ga!ekly: II can not sing. l can mol
VI! .!0'iss, and do not drink
lie deuce you can't and WON'T" said
as miner. Whist kind Of white.liver'
= monkey are you, any way :" aud turn
10 the crowd continued: u say
~ What DO you think OF this rooster
J,. Sa9,' sing, cant spin yarn, and dom
gtus'aI howl followed this outburst,
~ ne crowd gathered msnacingly
soand the youth.
a., Iatly, the ..nge driver, here interiered
~ tsald Young man, better consider
s ~ 0oy' don't like it; Try a story, or try /
"1s, or order the poison
~ col ! doH't drink" said the youth
~ aa 9ot 'ing, and can not tell stories,
N he 'Poke, he turned full, fearless
upon the excited crowd.
a. au'mnr Of disapprobation began
i Vae rusty miner was calling attention
IN, slsy chap "a was too proud TO e
~. With common miners and team
M , when the big teanster "POsey,
s n.y. slVe OF the hand stopped him, AMI
NJ 9 " to the youth said: ~ thinI
~, understanding here. II you
S Sat 'ing, nor tell ptories. nor drink
/, h. ,S sSas1IiO3 ha. been badly neglected
GjDI as kinds Of business, sure; bu
TSs. S sl'e, perhaps"
'"s '0Gng man looked down for