The Redwood gazette. [volume] (Redwood Falls, Minn.) 1873-1940, 1878-11-07
1IfE SPELLING BEE TANGEL'S
REPORTED By TRUTHFUL. JAMES,

LIZ NJ EAEfNU DE Il Il L ANGEL -
REPORTED By TRUTHFUL JAMES.
WALrz in, waltz in. We little kids, and gathe
And drop them books and first pot-hooks, an,
hear yarn from me.
KIN not sling fairy tale of Jinny's fierce ant
For held it is unchristian to deceive a simple
But as from school yer driftin' by thowt ye'd
Ola "Spellin' Bee" at Angels that We organ
1t wern,t made up of gentle kids-cf pretty kid
But gents ez he'd their regular growth, and som,
There woz i.anky jim Of Suffers Fork and Bill
And Pistol Bob. who wore that day knit,
Yen ss sx way ys, it 18TH, sh an:
Bat each rad = man behind it, and-my name i.
truthful DANES.
Thar was Poker Dick from Whisky Flat and
Smith 1T shooters Bend.
ter friend.
Ihnee.tinsered Jack.yes, pretty dears-three
Cispp Gu, OFF two. i singular too, that Clapr
ain I now alive.
Twas very vr,ng. indeed. my dears, and Clapr
was much to blame:
Lke~,-c was Jack. in after years, for shootin' Of
The nights was kinder lengthenin' out, the rains
When all the camp came up to Pete's to have
their usual fun:
But We all sot kinder sad like around the bar.
I'LL Smith got up, permiskies-like, and this re.
~ mark ne hove:
Thar a new game down in Frisco, tibet ez fas
Beats eucher. poker and van-toon, they call. the
SpetlIu Bee.
Then Brown of Calaveras simply hitched his
char and spake:
Poker is good enough for me-" and Lsnky Jim
And Bob allow.d he want proud, but he must
rs,. say right thar ,,.,,, ,. -.
cation s0uar.
This brought up Lenny Fairchild, the school
master. who said,
tie knew the game and he would give instruc-
slons on that head.
For instance. take some simple word,' SEE he,
Now who can spell its" Dog my skin, eff thar
was one in eight.
This set the boys ali wild at once. The chairs
And at the head was Lanky Jim. and at the foot
WIS Joe,
And high upon the bar itself the schoolmaster
WAS raised.
And the bar-keep put his glasses down, and sat
and silent gazed.
The frs. word out WAS parallel" and seven
let it he.
Till Joe waited in his double Il" betwixt the
For, since he drilled them Mexicans in San ia
cutos fight
Thar warn, no prouder man got up than Pistol
Till rhythm came! he tried to smile, then
said. they had him there"
And Lanky Jim, with one long stride got up and
took his chair.
o little kids. my pretty kids, twas touchin' to
These bearded men, with weppings on, like
sehoolboys at their play.
They d laugh with glee, and shout to see each
other lead the van,
And Bob sat up as monitor with a cue for a rat
tan.
Till the chair gave out {" incnerate," and Brown
If any such blamed word as that in school was
ever learned.
When "phthisis" came they all sprang up, and
vowed the man who rung
Another blamed Greek word on them be taken
out aid hung.
As thay sat down again saw in Bison's eve q
And Brown of Calaveras was atwistin his mus
tiche,
And When at last Brown slipped on gneiss''
- and bison took his chair,
He dropped some casual words about some folks
who dyed their hair.
And then the Chair grew very white, and the
Chair said he d adjourn.
and get his turn:
Then with tremblin' voice and hand, and
~ with wautteliu eye,
The CHAIR next offered "eider-duck," and Dick
began with Il,
And Bilson sIn led then Bilson shrieked. just
flow the night begun
never knowe0. Tor Bison dropped and Dick he
moved UP one.
Then certain gents arose and said they d busi-
hess down IN camp,
And :" ez the road was rather dark, and ez the
- night Was damp,
They d-here got up Three Fingered Jack and
locked the door and yelled:
NO not one n"tt4er $ son goes out till that thar
word Is Spelled
But while the words were on his lips, he groaned
and sank in pain,
And sank with Webster on his chest and Worce-
ster on his brain.
lnok ez he
Was huntin' up authorities tibet no one else
could See:
And Brown got down behind the stove allowin'
Till it upset and and down his legs the cinden
freely rolled.
And several gents called "Order." till in his
simple way
Poor Smith began with "O' "R'-"or'-and
he was dragged away.
o, little kids. my pretty kids, down on your
knees and pray
You've got your eddication in peaceful sort of
way;
And bear in mind thar may be sharps sings
their spellin square,
Bat likewise sings their bowie-knives without a
thought or care
You wants to know the rest my dears? Thet's
all. In me you see
The only gent that lived to tell about that Spellin
Bee.
He ceased and passed, that truthful man; the
children went their way
With downcast heads and downcast hearts-but
not to sport or play.
For when at eve the lamps were Lit, and supper
less To bed
Each child was sent with tasks undone and les
sons all unsaid,
No man might low the awful woe that thrilled
their youthful frames,
A. they dreamed of Angels Spelling Bee and
thought of Truthful James.
Bret Hdste, in N0cenaber Scribner.