The Vancouver independent. (Vancouver, W.T. [Wash.]) 1875-1910, 1879-01-09
The Polished Boots.

| menu In Drltlba Oo1uAOih hAA soies "nV
classes of persons hazarded their " lit
tie ALL to obtain more. It was in 1860.
an Englishman, just arrived from the
"Old Country" He was quite re-
spectacle in appearance, and engaging
in manners. l should judge he ema-
mated from the "middle classes He
was remarkably good tempered, but
like all fresh arrivals, terribly verdant
to com bat the difficulties of new,
rough country. Being about to depart
for Carriboo very. shortly, and this
mans destination being the same place.
he proposed to travel with me; l con
scented. Having previously made the
trip | knew what difficulties one had to
encounter. L consequently advised
him what kind of apparel to select,
such as boots. pants, hat, etc, for his
comfort, and suitable. "Thankee; l
am an Englishman and know how u
gentleman should travel"
The day of our departure arrived,
and Mr.. Englishman presented himself,
clearly shaved and scrupulously- neatly
clad, his boots polished like u mirror,
in fact they were painfuly Shiny.
"Who brushed your boots?' exclaimed
at once dozen rough, ragged miners,
the large crowd of loafers joining the
general outburst of laughter that fol-
lowed. With much pride aud limo
cence he replied, IL did. l always
black and POLISH my own boots. Aren't
they nicely donc?' BY the tine we ar
rived vt the junction, say about 800
miles, or midway 10 Carriboo. the mule
drivers, old miners and frontiersmen,
who had "roughed it" all their lives,
in fact knew no other mode OF EXIT
ence, had so numerically jeered and
gibed, lampooned and abused this sim
gular being, that from absolute exhaus-
ton they we're forced to desist. He,
poor fellow. enduring their taunts with
such good nature and san5 frsid most
wonderful to behold.
BY thi. time, his get up" when
starting from Victoria had shyhly
changed, his light drsb pants were
Hght indeed, his vest torn to shreds,
his silk stove pipe hat gone, aud his
head WAS bound around with An snor-
nous variegated cotton handkerchief.
but still the one idea OF polished boots
chung to him. The roads at that time
being in q frlghtful condition, in fact,
soft enough to bog = blanket; fancy,
if you can, this man travelling day NJ
ter day, for six or seven weeks, III such
a country. following q pack train OF
mules, constantly enduring the rough
est kind of tauuts, from the toughest
kind of men with a smile on his face,
and apparently as unperturbed as an
oyster Still, every night we camped
the first thing he did was pull Oft his
boots, wash and dry them, then, out
came his brushes and backing, and
the inevitable polish was restored.
A year or SO afterwards l met him
again mining at "Casey's Greek" He
then presented the appearance OF IA
man " no knew how to work, and fitted
to his station. He greeted me very
cordially, saying he had done well ut
mining" etc,
We both instinctively looked at his
boots. The same good-natured smile
beamed on his face, as he exclaimed
"Ah! | have no time now to POLISH EN-.
About four months subsequently
again met him ut Victoria. He told me
that he had made quite II little pile,
AMI was homeward bound to "Old En-
gland"
He was "got up" in a style regardless
of cost, and oh ! has JOats d,d shine !
His farewell remark was, tapping his
foot with a slight cane held in his
hand, "You see Ihare not forgoHe,e the
pohsh."
May not this man have had singular
hishrg' Beneath the smooth, unruf-
fled surface what siidenel, silent grief
possibly gaa,red his he m?
French MONEY Writing from Par
is, Mr.. Fulton, of the Baltimore Amer
lean, thus discourses about French
money
The French sous, or pennies, and
double sous, are made of bronze, and
the quantity of them in circulation
Is immense.
Among tho lower classes it is the
principal circulating medium. On the
great fete days, when the price Of ad-
mission to the Exposition was five sous.
four wagon loads OF this bronze money
WAS sent to tho Treasury next day,
weighing about six tons.
The passenger railway and omnibus
conductors receive Lothing hut bronse
money, and must have cart loads
brought in daily. The markets and
email shop keepers conduct their busi-
ness largely with bronse money.
Gold il moro abundant than silver in
the larger branches Of trade, and Gov
eminent notes are seldom seeu Of .
smaller denOnin atom than ono hmm