The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1878-04-12

Palmetto restaurant pushed away one of Mann
my Dowuey's pies with every expression of
disgust and dissatisfaction. At this juncture
Whisky Dick, considerably affected by his
favorite stimulant, approached the strangers
table, and, drawing up chair, sat unlimited
before him.
"Mebbee, young man," he began gravely,
Eye don't like Nanny Downey's piesf"
The stranger replied curtley, and in some
astonishment that he did not as rule, "eat
pie"
"Young man. continued Dick, with
drunken gravity, "mebbee you're accustom-
ed to Chariot rusks and blue mango; mebbee
ye cant eat unless your grub is got up by
one O. them French cooks? Yet we-us
boys var in this camp-calls that pe-a
good piew
The stranger again disclaimed anything
but a general dislike of that form of pas
| try.
young man." continued Dick, utterly
unheeding the explanation, n,-''young man.
mebbee you onct had an ole-a very ole
mother, who lettering down the vale o.
years, made pies. Mebbee, and it's like
your blank epicurean soul, ye turned back
on the pies, and on her! She that dandled
We when ye woz baby,--a little baby !!
Mebbee ye went back on her, and shook her
and played off on her, and gave her away
l wouldn't hurt ye for the word, but mebbee,
afore ye leave this var table, yell eat that
piev'
The stranger rose to his feet, but the muz-
zle of a dragoon revolver in the unsteady
hands of Whisky Dick, caused him to sit
down again. He ate the pie, and lost his
case likewise, before Rough Ready
jury.
Indeed, far from exhibiting the cynical
doubts and distrusts of age, Daddy Downcy
received always with child-like delight the
progress of modern improvement and ener-
gy 'Tn my day, long back in the twenties,
it took us nigh week-a week, boys,-to
get up barn, and all the young ones
was one then-for miles round at the raisin
and yers you boys-rascals ye are, too
runs up this yer shanty for Nanny .and me
twixt sun up and dark Eh, eh, you're
teaching the old folks new tricks, are ye u
All, get along you" and in playful simula'
ton of anger he would shake his white hail
and his hickory staff at the ''rascals." The
only indication of the conservative tenden
cies of age was visible in his continual pro
test against the extravaganza of the boys
"Why," he would say, "a family, a hul
family,-leav'n alone me and the old WON
an,--might be supported on what you youn!
rascals throw away in single spree. All
young dogs, didn't hear about your scat
tering half dollars on the stage the othe
night when that Eyetalian Papist was sing
T in And that money goes out Of Amerik
-ivry cent?
There was little doubt that the old coupl
were saving, if not avaricious. But when
!. was known through the indiscreet volubilt
= of Nanny Downey, that Pappy Downe
. sent the bulk of their savings, gratuites an
: gifts to dissipated and prodigal son in tn
y. East-whose photograph the old man a
ways carried with hint rather elevate
him in their regard "When We write
! that gay and festive son O. yourn, Daddy,
u said Joe Robinson, "send him this spec
. men. Give him my compliments, aud te
him, if he kin spend money faster than
can, call him Tell him, ef he wants
- u. first class jamboree, to KEN out here, al
and me and the boys will show him what
=, square drunk is !" In vain would the o
=, man continue to protest against the spirit
al the gift; the miner generally returned wi
: his pockets that much lighter, and it is n
\, improbable little less intoxicated than
-. otherwise might have been. 1t may
promised that Daddy Downey was strict
temperate. The only way he managed
10 avoid hurting the feelings Of the camp "
by accepting the frequent donations of VIII
ky to be used for the purpose Of liriment.
90 "Next to snake. oil, my son." be woe
~ say, "and dilberry-and ye don't seem
~ produce 'em ereabouts-whsky is good
- rubbin' onto old bones to make 'em limb
'" But pure cold water, "sparklin" and bris
70 in its liquid light" and, so to speak,
>. hectin of Gods own linyments on its 81
y, fss, is the best, onless, like..poor OF Ma
my and me, ye gifts the dumb agur ir
overuse."
The fame of the Downey couple was
INT confined to the foot hills. The Rev. Her
b;s Gushington, ID. D., of Boston, making
,nt bronchial tour of California, wrote to
to Christian Pathfnder an affecting account
,b- his visit to them placed Daddy Downe
age at l02, and attributed the recent cony
,;s sions in Rough and Ready to their ini
70 ence. That gifted literary Hessan, |
=, = Smith, travelling in the interests OF varl'
o, capitalists and the trustworthy correspt
-, dent of four" only independent Ameril
"a journals" quoted him as an evidence of
-, longevity supeTinduced by the climate,
- fered him as an example of the security
,ho helpless life and property in the mountai
80 used him as an advertisement of the I'm
Ditch, and, it is said, in some vague v
cited him AS proving the collateral facts {
timber aud ore-producing region existing
the foothills worthy the attention of l.
nd tern capitalists.
the Praised thus by the lips of distinguish
MI. report, fostered by the care and sustain
ate by the pecuniary offerings of their tell
his citizens, the Saints led for two years pet
old fu life of gentle absorption. To reli
Won them from the embarrassing appearance
oor elemosynary receipts, an embarrassm
een felt more by the givers than the recipie
ken the Postmastership OF Rough-and Ready
kin procured for Daddy, and the duty OF rec
ar ing and delivering the United States m
and performed by him, with the advice and
nrs sistance of the boys. Ifa few letters "
am. astray at this time, it was easily attribl
run to this undisciplined aid, and the boys tn
= to selves were always ready to make up
teI- value OF missing money-letter and *