The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1878-07-31
ing discourse, and is very careful not to

ny ulSSouioo, uuu ~ very Chrclul uDI 10
say anything which may wound the feel
ings OF the two Bengal tigers, who stand
in the front pew overlooking the collins,
as chief mourners, holding together by
their left hands the same hymn book,
while they sing out Of it, while the right
Of either grasps his revolver, ready to
send ball through the clerical organ
ization should he say anything In the
funeral sermon personally offensive to
them. Everybody for twenty miles
round comes on horseback or in buggies
The saloons and shops DO a good business
and the day commonly winds up with a
grand ball and supper. All the young
ladies are proud to dance with the two
Bengals, all the young men envy them
and resolve to xii somebody at the first
convenient opportunity. Before morn
ing there are probably two or three
more "tatal ARRAYS and so the life and
excitement peculiar to our free, and easy,
unconventional society is sustained from
month to month and year to year.
"When all this is over, a subscription
is generally put on foot in the camp for
erecting monuments over the graves, and
when the money is allraised, the man to
whom it is entrusted goes co San Fran
cisco to buy the marbles, and there he
falls in with old friends, and drinks,
spreos and CANDLES all the money away.
II he comes back and makes confession,
either we blow the top of his head off, or
we say no matter. If you had good
time it is just as well. Bob, jim and
Tom will rest quite as easy without any
monuments Then we put over them a
cheap wooden tombstone, with pretty
verse printed on it. These boards, after
a few years rot away at the lower end,
and the goats and cows pastured in our
camp burying ground, rub against them
and knock them over, and finally we
gather and split them up for stove kindl-
ings." .-.....0 -s.... w..
They liked this sketch of California
life. They ,el'shed it. They picked its
very bones clean. ........ .l ..
At a certain social gathering, the name
Joaquin Miller was introduced. sa
@"Miller has been engaged in some
attravs, | suppose" said a gentleman to
me. =. ".s.a ...,..
said, "He had slain many men" s.
burden Miller with every sort of
crime. 1t does him no injury, here. A
little blood gives his poems a game rel
ish
''Do you know Miller?' he asked. ,.s
II do. He was my friend; but
Here I became agitated and corrugated
my brows. l continued, II wish never
to meet that man again. I'll do
Here my right hand travelled involuntar-
lily toward my Derringer pocket "The
| truth is we once had fought in California
with double. barreed shot-guns, at six
PAGES We have not done fighting yet
| the war has scarcely begun. The next
gale that sweeps from the path--I beg
your pardon! but if we meet again and
no matter where we meet-the affair
must be brough to final conclusion. 7
trust the coming ARRAY may never occur
in any quiet British household, because
| cannot back down nor back out Of the
customs Of my native West. With US
the contingencies involved BY the doc
trine of personal responsibility knows no
suspension by reason of time, place, cir
cumstance, or company. We will fight,
be it in the church, theatre, or by the
hospitabe fireside Of the stranger. And
among our people, upon such occasions,
every one feels in duty and honor bound
to lake all the chances Of being hit by
the stray bullets which the combatants
may distribute amono the company"
| British society insists On providing
the bloody niche for the Western Amer
lean. Why not fill it, The British pub
lie demand that we smell Of blood, bowie
knives and the sulphurous vapors of the
pistol When a man finds ready, made
for him such q robe of dark and tragic
hue, should he not wear it-especiaK
when the public insist on admiring him
wrapped, stern, bloody, vindictive and
sanguinary therein2 I like it. I never
harmed man, woman OR child; yet, how I
feel permeated by the reckless, life-scorn-
ing murder loving spirit Of my country
men. I count my victims by the score:
see them weltering in the usual gore; I
travel through my private metropolis; I
visit my own private dead house, full of
my slain, as yetunclainled, unrecognized.
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