Belmont chronicle. [volume] (St. Clairsville, Ohio) 1855-1973, 1878-02-28
A NIGHT M A BAR ROOM.
An Old Time stery, by Rambler
The Argonaut.

The Argonaut.
ntawas away back In the old flush
California days, one rainy October eve
ming, a little after dusk, I found my.
eelf at hotel al. Bidwell's Bar, on the
Feather river. At that period Bid.
welFs Bar was bat rough mining
camp, not. much different from hum
dred other camps In California. I soon
discovered that some boistetous char
acters were guests In the hctei where
! had found quarters for the night.
They were miners, teamsters, and
stage drivers; and when the supper
was over and the teamsters and host
lers had taken care of their stock for
the night, as by mutual consent all
ali gathered in the Ions, low bar room,
to make O night of it. Some clustered
ar0und a rough table to try their for
tunes at poker; the teamsterss in a
knot conversedl upon the state OF. the
reads, the, Probabilities OF an early
winter, srthemerits Of their respective
mules; sententiOus stage driver, call
ed Curly, was telling characteristic
stories, and, for awhile, were in the
best Of hufnor. At length, however,
there was trouble at the poker game;
Gfew hasty sharp words were passed
between two Of the players, when they
sprang t0ldtheir feet, and, for three
minutes, fought like tigers. The crowd
separated the fighters, and, as they
held them ask ed what the trouble was.
One answered holly. Il had just d,lte0
o five dollar piece, when the black
thief stole it, .roir1-r4q -
That yellow haired vagrant never
had five dollars in his Hfe,' was the
reply of the other, and then the two
men struggled like wild beasts to gel
at each Other. ~ HEeC4 EaoInfo3 y fra
Just then some one in the room saw
something glisten ata distance on the
floor, and picking tup il proved to bt
the missing half eagle, and it was ap
parent that the money had been brush
ed from the table by accident. =
Then mutual apologies and expires
sions OF respect and esteem followed
between the two men, drink was ta,
ken all round, and the game resumed
a br0ken,of story by Curly was
scarcely Erecommeueed when man fal
gone In Liquor reeled into the room
and, staggering up to the bar, deman
ded q drink The landlord was abeen
etthe time, but his daughter, q kindly
faced girl, of fifteen or sixteen years Ol
age. who happened to be standing
near the bar, with genuine Cslifornis
candor, said: You have had too mnci
bad whisky already; you cannot get
drink here s.as7 10 = ois..sse, b 49,
AT this the man commenced to as
sail the girl with q perfect shower o
eptthets, but In an instant one of ths
teamsters, called 'Posey,' sprang up
seized the man, swung him to tn,
door, and opening 1t, hurled him clea
over the brosd porch into the night
AT that moment the landiedy entered
and, seizing one Of Posey's hands Il
both OF hers exclaimed sOh, P0sey
Posey, owe you ten thousand thank
for that noble deed. ,tt ,.,,.g 4 4
Without the change of a muscle Pc
sey answered: "a thousand will do, 10,
good woman; q thousands plenty TO
carrying a small load Of freight lik
that. He's bulky, but be don't weigl
much, ssii1asffi ssmHt
But the episode furnished excus
for drink all round, and the drink
were repeated until some of the mel
present had too much aboard. At las
Curly. the stage driver, proposed tina
n literary society should be organized
that every man should Join ii, and tina
when o member was called upon h
should either tell q story, sing a song
or treat the crowd. i-stiss = 80 ia !
An uproar ofapprovsl followed; th
cards weEe. put away, and the fun CON
IDeRced. / was one of the first calle
upon, and, TO manage the matter i
the easiest way possible, / bade th
landlord set 1t up for the boys, aud {
give them cigars also. At this the
demanded my name, and elected me
true gentleman and thorough old Ca
iiornian, by reclamation, right theI
and then, as a bs stander expressed /
1t, spite of his store clothes and 0r'ns
ry iooKs.' ,ll= 8 80 s'ras.if
Then followed such stories as wei
never told outside of California, sue
songs as are only heard on the turbG
lent frontier, and frequent drinks.
sAll through the evening, a yOun
Dsan, almost boy, indeed, had bee
sitting alone in one corner OF the room
He was pale and frail looking, and ha
satas If half stupefied amid the reve
never once moving, except when tt
rufiian had insulted the girl, when /
sprang to his feet; but the big teamst,
was too quick for him, and so he quicl
ly settled back in his chair. At las
one. of the men, excited with liquO
struck, the youth under the shoulde
and said, rudely: sss
Come. pale face, song, story {
8 treat s, B 4..,
The young man rose to his feet, an
said quickly: i cannot sing, / cann'
tell stories, and / do not drink
sThe deuce you won't and can't
said the miner. What kind OF whit
llvered monkey are you, any way
and turning to the crowd continue,
Il say, boys, what do you think Of tn
roostet? He can't sing, can't spin
yarn, end don't drink -.-'
IA general howl followed this ou
burst, and the crowd gathered men
cingiy around the youth. .-a
Curly. the stage driver, here inte
ferrd, and said; Young man, bett
eonsider;.the boys don't like it; try
story. or try a song, or order the pC
aeeBut don't drink said the yout
Il csnrot sing, ana cannot tell st
.ries.' aud, as he spoke, he turned
juli. fearless face npoH tho excite
crowd. .asI $50 o. p.ar asi.,,s ssii aa "a.
IA rpurniur OF disapprebation bega
aud sone rusty miner Was calling Q
tentioh to y city chap as was too pros
to 90 chats with common miners al
teamste<s,' ,'When the big teamster sP
sey,' With q waveof the hand stops
hin. and marching up TO the yout
said. = think there's q misunderstan'
ing here, If You don't sing. nor u
stories, Der drink, your education b
been badly neglected for some kinds
Business, sure; but think It over q .mi
ute. y6n might do something else, re
haps.' ''-'
The young man locked down for