Fayetteville observer. [volume] (Fayetteville, Tenn.) 1850-1966, 1879-01-30

lSOFCtlL WITH lIlS OlicT3 tHuS-
and thus-and thus; and now
will bet two, four or six ounce
that no gentleman can, the frs
time trying, raise the cup that th'
ball is under; if he can, he cal
win all the money that Bill, b,
patient toll and industry, ha
Iscraped together"
What Lucky Bills name was
or what State he was from, l d.
not know, for, as | scarcely ex
pectcd to become his biographer
| never took thetrouble TO ascer
tain either. The first time
ever saw him was in the spring
of 1851, although i bad offer
heard Of him before that time
| had been mining some three
or four miles north of Placer.
vile, and, taking a a~notion into
my head to visit Sacramento
had arrived in town just in time
for the stage. We had Travelled
probably six miles, when a coup
lie of men presented themselves
by the side Of the road, and ask
ed a passage into the city. AS
there was but one vacant seat,
the driver told them he could
not accommodate bothsof them
unless the passengers were viii
ling, which was found not to be
the case. Noticing that the
travellers looked wearicd, and
recognizing one of them, al
though he did not remember me,
[ protested against the decision
of the passengers SO strongly,and
TO their humanity so
earnestly that ! at length secured
them seats, although l could
plainly see at the expense of the
ill-will Of the remainder of the
passengers. However, | cared
but little about that, as the jour
ncy would last but a few hours.
The newcomers took their seats
beside me,F when, after making
known TO one Of them
Sidney Charley a French
monte dealer, who more than a
year previous had earned my
gratitude, notwithstanding his
profession, by paying my stage
Tor rather wagon) fare into the
meuntains-I inquired who his
companion Z was, and what
brought them to the roadside so
early in the morning. He in
formed me in low whisper
hat the person with him was
Lucky Bill" and that they had
been taking a tramp of a few
weeks through the mines; that
Two days before they commen-
eed operations in Placerville,
md continued there with great
success until the day following,
when, in consequence of rcliev-
ng a prominent citizen of 81
200, the popular voice was rails
ed against them, and they were
compelled TO vamose instanter
% keep from being swung up;
hat they had slept IN The open
air that night, not daring to ap-
ply to any house forlodging, and
lad commenced the journey to
Sacramento on foot, when they
were ovcrtakcn by the stage.
While he, was informing me
Of this, | noticed that We began
10 attract considerable attention
and occasion some whispering
among the passengers, which
Lucky Bill" noticed with a
deal of measiness. This con-
"a
Iinucd for some time, until | be-
gan TO suspect the reason of il,
and thought of making myself
less familiar with CharleyEand
his thimble-rigging companion,
when a little, wiry-looking,
niddIe-aged man, who had been
intcntly cycling Bill for some
time, rose partly up and asked
him il he did not so by the name
Of sLucky Bill"
Bill looked at the stranger a
moment, and then, in a civiltone,
asked why he inquired. "For
nothing in particular" replied
the stranger, taking his seat;
'if you are not he, | beg your
if you are, Why"
"Why what2" interrupted
Bill.
"Why, l might have some
thing more to say to you," con-