The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1878-11-01
? 0 z T r Y
THE SPELLING BEE AT ANGELS

REPORTED By TRUTHFUL JAMES,
Waltz ill., waltz in, ye little kids and gather ronnd m
knee,
And drop them books and first Dot hooks and be.r
yarn from me-
kin not sling fairy tale of Jinny's fierce and wild
ForI hold it is unchristian to deceive simple child
But as frcm school yer driftin' BY thowt we'd ,ia
hear,
Of "spelIin' Bee at Angel that We orosniz var
last year.
II Warnt made up of gentle kids-of pretty kids
like you
but gents ez he'd their reg'lar growth, and some
enough fortwo.
There woz Lanky Jim of Suffers For and p;,ao, -
Lagrange,
And Pistol Bob who wore that day knife b, wav of
| change. -
fon start, you little kids, you think these ore mot
pretty Names
But each had man behind it-and nv name ia Trutb-
| tul James.
Ihere was Poker Dick OF Whisky Fiat and Smith Of
Shooters Bend,
| And Brown of Calayeras-ghich T want No hot+o.
| friend.
Three-fngered Jack-yes, pretty dears-three fingers
you have five.
Clapp cut two of-its singular too, that Clam ain,t
now alive
twas very wrong, ineeed, my dears and Clapp was
much to blame,
Likewise was Jack, in after years, for shooting Of
that same
The nights kinder lengthenin ont the ro;ns bsa
jest begun,
When all the camp came ND to Petes to have tboi-
usual fun;
But when we all sot kinder sad around the barroor
stove
Till Smith got up, permiskisslike, and this remark he
hove.
There's game down in Frisco, thet ez fur az
can see
Beats euchre, poker and yan-toon, they calls the
"Spellin' Bee."
Then Blown of Calaveras simply htcbe1 his chair ~,
spoke
Poker is good enough for me- and Lankv Tim |
sez, =" "shaker'
And Bob allowed he warnt proud but h. must GOV
right thar
That the man who tackled euchre had his education
squar.
This brought up Lenny Fairchild, the schoolnaster
who said
he knew the game and would give instructions on that
head.
=" For instance, take some simple word,n sez he
like separate,
Now who can spell it I" Dog my skin, ef thar WAS
one in eight,
This set the bows all wild at once the chairs was mt
in row,
And at the head sat Lanky Jim and at the foot WAS
joe
And high upon the bar itself the schoolmaster was
raised,
And the bar-keep put his glasses down and sat and
silent gazed.
me nrst word out was parallel and seven let it be-
Ill Joe waltzed in his double az" hetwixt the
and "e':
For, since he drilled them Mexcans in San Jaointos
fight, I
mar Warnt no prouder man got up than Pistol Joe
that night
I'LL rhythm" came! He tried to smile, then said
"they had him there"
nd Lanky Jim with one long stride, got up and 8
took his chair. =
little kidsl my pretty kids, twas touchn to sur. il
vey r.
hese bearded man, with weppings on, like school,
boys at their play. "
ae laugh with elee. and shpat to see eaehother u
10 pG0 s0a III as Ionitor with cue fos rattan,
IL the chair gave out ,inc1nerate" and Brown said
- he'd be dnrned
any such blamed word as that in school was ever
learned
hen phthisis' came they all sprang up, AID vowed h
the man who rung
lother blamed Greek word on them be taken out
and hung. d
they sat down again saw in Bilson's eye W
flash, fo
ID Brown of CalaYeras was a-twistin' his NOUS -
tache,
I'd when at last Brown slipped on "gnciss" and tS
Bison took his chair, D;
dropped casual words about some folks who nc
dyed their hair.
Id then the Chair grew very white and the Chair !,
said he'd adjourn, =.
Poker Dick remarked that he would wait and get
his turn
len with tremblin' voice and hand, and with | m
wanderin' eye, G;
le Chair next offered "eider-duck" " and Dick began
with "I'" ~
I'd Bilsen smed-then Bilson shrieKed! Just how "a
the fight begun bl
moved up one. |,
len certain gents arose and said "theyd business
down in camp"
ID ez the road was rather dark, and ez the night u
was damp, W
ey'd"--here got mp Three-hngered Jack and b,
locked the door and yelled; h.
70, not one mothers son goes ont till that thar I,
word is spelledI' VI
It while the words on his lips. he groaned and b(
nd eank with Webster on his chest and Worcester er
on his brain. 20
low the bar lodged Poker Dick and tried to look ez
as hun.in up authorities thet no one else could in
ID Brown got down behind the stove allowin' he tn
''was cold" m
Ii it upaot and down his legs the cinders freely =
I'd several gents called order! till in his simple n
way =
or Smith began with I" o" ar '-"or"-and he Ri
was dragged away. 4.
little kids, my pretty kids down your knees and ar
,uye got your eddicatlon in peaceful sort of way:
I'd bear in mind thar may be sharps ez slings their
speln square,
It likewise eliHgs their bowie-knlves without
thought or care
u wants to know the rest. my dears? Thet's all! Ey
e only gent that lived to tell about thet spellin' th
Bee! m
ceaseu went ath their wav ''A' - in
ith downcast heads and downcast hearts-but not tn
n when at eve the lamps were lit, and supperless tn
to bed -
ch child was sent, with tasks undone and lessons pr
man might know the awful woe that thrilled their
youthful frames, I'd
they dreamedo OF Angels Spelling Bee aud thought h.
of Truthful James. VI
Bret Harte, in Noyeaber scri6ner. ",
-.-@-s------- ~,
THE RAINBow's TREASURE. III
III
Where the foot of the rainbow meets the field, Ga
And the grass resplendent glows,
MI II ltov, afrra fFnQa n