The Lake Charles echo. [volume] (Lake Charles, Parish of Calcasieu, La.) 1876-1898, 1879-10-18

Il
SON.
[Leadville Letter in the Wyoming Journal ]
Many had, no doubt, come through
curiosity to see how Bill, recently con-
verted, would deport himself in this,
his initial sermon. Upon the stage sat
a burly, red-faced man, with arms fold
ed in careless manner, who looked
over the large audience with an air Of
the most decided independence. This
was Faro Bill, the speaker of the occa-
sion, When he arose he glanced around
the tent for a moment, evidently col
lecting his thoughts, and began:
"Feller-citizcns, the preacher bein'
absent, it falls on me to take his hand
and play it fur all it is worth. You all
know that I'm just learnin' the game,
and, of course, | may be expected to
make wild breaks, but ] don't believe
thar's a rooster IN the camp mean
enough to take advantage q my igno-
rance and cold-deck me right on the
first deal. I'm sincere in this new de-
parture, an | believe that I've struck q
game that | can play clear through
without copperin' bet, for when a
man tackles such a layout as this he
plays every card to win, an if he goes
through the deal as he orter do, when
he lays down to die, an the last card
is ready to slide from the box, he can
call the turn every time, ! was readin'
in the Bible to-day that yarn about the
Prodigal Son, an ! want to tell yer the
story, The book don't give no dates,
but it happened long, long ago, This
Prodigal Son had an old man that put
up the coin every time the kid struck
him for q stake, an never kicked at the
size of the pile either. | reckon the
old man was purity well fixed, an when
he died he intended to give all his
wealth to this kid and his brother
Prod give the old man q little game o
talk one day, and injuced him to whack
up in advance o the death racket. He'd
no sooner got his dizzy IN his fist than
he shook the old man am struck ont to
take in some o the other camps. He
had way-up time for a while, an
slung his cash to the front like he
owned the best payin' lead on arth, but
hard luck hit him a lick at last an left
him fiat. Tho book don't state what
he went broke on, but | reckon he got
steered up agin some brace game. But
anyhow lie got left without a chip or
four-bit piece to 60 an eat on. An
old Granger then tux him home an set
him to herdin' hogs, an here he gotso
hard up an hungry that he piped off
the swine while they were feedin'' an
he stood in with 'em on a husk lunch.
He soon weakened on such plain prov
ender, an says to himself, says he:
Even the old mans hired hands are
livin' on square grub, while I'm wor-
ryin' along here on corn7husks straight
I'll just take a grand tumble to myself
an chop on this racket at once. I'll
skip back to the governor, and try to
fix things up an call fur new deals
SO off be started, The old man seed
the kid COMM, and what do you reck-
on he dida Did he pull his gun an
lay for him, intendin' to- wipe him as
soon as he got into .rangea Did he
call the dogs to chase him off the
ranches Did he hustle around for O.
club, and give him q stand off al the
front gatel Ehg Not 10 any alarlain'
extent he didn't. No, sirl The Scrip
tare book says he waltzed out to meet
him, an froze to himaon the spot, AM
kissed him, an then marched him off
to a cIothin' store am fitted him ont in
the noblcst rig TO be had for coin.
Then the old gent invited all the neigh
bors AMI killed q fat cali, an give the I