The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1878-09-04
A Virginia ClIr Enisodo.

Droll things happen IN Nevada. The
air out there, as everybody knows, is
full of ozone, and ozone in the atmos-
phere makes people wonderfully vigor-
GUS and original. A story which comes
from Virginia City illustrates the fact
pleasantly. It isn't quite assured that
the pleasant account really comes from
that place, but IL Is credited to it, and,
as the story drifts eastward in the vague
sort of way stories from the Far West
usually do, and is merely in its bearing
barOmetrical showing of the condition
of tho social atmosphere I'M mining
towns generally, it may be located in
Virginia City as we'll as anywhere else.
There came to Virginia City young
physician from "the States," possibly
from st. Louis, talented, nice young
fellow, with considerable genius In maxi
ing out diagnosis or bill, but inherit
ing from decent parents a fatal weak
ness. He could not overcome a fatal
passion for putting on occasionally q
clean shirt, for taking his pantaloons
out OF the tops of his boots and in other
ways conforming to habits popular with
the super civilization of the Orient. He
forgot he was in the Occident, where
ways are different. For time after his
arrival among the ozone-faced Virginia
Oityites he conformed in modesty and
decency to their ways. He wore a dirty
shirt of miners flannel, and tucked his
pantaloons inside his boots, and swore
with strange oaths, grew bearded like
the bard, chewed navy-plug tobacco and
spat wickedly to leeward. He was
rapidly acquiring popularity and an i'm
mense practice in his profession, when
he yielded to temptation and so fell
fell as thousands of bright minds have
fallen in the past.
There came upon the young physician
a passion for old phantasies. He clung
again to the hesh-pots of his early life,
and took course insulting to all about
him and dangerous to himself. AS upon
the reformed drunkarn comes at timeS
horrible thirst for drink, as comes to the
opium-eater who has tried to save him.
self an overwhelming passion for the
fatal drug, so upon the young physician
came fierce longing to wear again shirt
all clean, and washed, and starched to
don in. otherwise the garb of Eastern
cities.
OF course the infatuated young man
knew well enough that he was wronging
those about him. He knew that in put
ting on clean shirt he was offering
gratuitous insult to every other man in
Virginia City, in the intimation thus ex-
pressed of his own superiority. He knew
the risk and took it. He was infatuated.
He knew of the popularity he had gain
ed, and relied upon it for protection.
The rest is soon told. One morning
the young physician came down town
with his trowsers worn outside his boots.
His friends noticed it, but said nothing;
they thought it merely an oversight on
his part. The night passed, and the next
morning the young man appeared upon
the streets wearing white shirt. He
had shown tact enough to put on his
adornments gradually, but he did not re-
alize the full terror of his situation.
Still nothing was said. There was a
muttering among the populace, and
nothing more. Another day came, and
with it the appearance of the Eastern
man in public, his white shirt still worn,
his pantaloons still outside his boots,
and upon these boots, not plain Nevada
mud, but polish OF blacking. Then
the people gathered in groups, and dis
cussed something earnestly. The blind
ed victim of impending fate saw moth
ing. He appeared next day, still clean
and neat, and carrying a cane. That
night the Vigilance Committee met
The next morning proved a clear and
pleasant one, which was lucky circum-
stance, as it enabled most of the popula-
tion of Virginia City to stroll out and
speculate upon a droll object in the
suburbs. Suspended from the limb of a
tree, swinging gently in the morning
breeze, hung the foolish young physi-
clan from the East. Upon the back of
an old envelope pinned to his breast
was inscribed the curt legend:
" He TUX risks. He banked too heavy
on his popularity"
But, as said before, the scene of this
interesting episode OF the ozone-bathed
mountain regions may not have been
Virginia City. The story comes irregu-
larly.-T. Louis Republican.