Weekly Chillicothe crisis. (Chillicothe, Livingston Co., Mo.) 1878-19??, 1879-05-01
5flwreHang.
BETWEENS.

J. II Baaio in Westcrn.WlldS
1t was horrid night. | had never
known the severe winter weather to come
on so early in Utah; for 'latc fall ard late
spring" is the weather formula for the
mountains. But now the fierce wind from
the great desert was sweeping eastward,
bringing with it inky snow-clouds, and
sending down intothe canons fierce slcct,
which rendered walking on the mountain
trails almost impossible. From our cabin
on the hill the saloon lights in 0phir City
burned bluely, while every hour increased
the storm that gathered strength in Rush
Valley, and drove icrccy up the canon
There should have been comfort in sheI-
ter and warmth; but that night there was
little satisfaction in Tcetcr's cabin, where
half dozen of us crouchcd over the fire
and grumbIed at our lack. We had Just
come down from Il days picking and
blasting on Lion Hill. The Ida Etmorc
Lode, which one month ago we thought
good for a cool million, was now worth
about 81 in flush market; and as for the
Ad Nalorem-wcll, Tcetcr said the last
time he saw any ore the vein was about
the thickness of a knifc-blade, and pitch
ing into the hill nearly on level, and as
crooked as worm fence. That meant
mo regular vein-nO cOmbination-nO
depth, and, consequently, no selling val
ne. SO, as aforesaid, we bcwailcd our
luck.
Suddenly, out broke Joe Allkire: "Bc-
hold me; am the Jonah"
He was given to odd figures of speech,
but this did not lessen our surprise; for
he was the quietest, steadiest man of the
lot-iust the partner one would haye picked
out for luck; but he persisted: "Why,
the very town was born in was wiped out
nothing left of it but ta'er patch"
"Tell us about it," was the universal
request. 1t was something, anything, to
rid us Ul unwclcomc thoughts. Joe slowly
filled his glass seeing that the quart bottle
of valley-tan already looked pretty sick;
and
"All were attentive to the warlike man,
When, stretching on the chair, he thus began
"Yes, reckon started on the worst
streak o luck IN the State Of lllinOy. |
took my first shot at daylight in the town
O Union Flats, and in dom that | made
the big mistake O. my life. The town was
settled by lot from Botetour, Virginia
folks that said bin gone done it,, and
made their women do the milking; and
then come some caowpaling Yanks from
mecticutt, and Quakers from Pennsylva-
mia, and natives from Indiana, and so they
named Union Flats, It's fiat enough now,
but as TO the Union-you Il hear my gentle
voice.
"Lenlme see; there was first Wing and
Democrats-just about an even divide,
and stitfer'n a liberty pole on both sides;
but when it comes to 'lectin' constable,
| | reckon the iightinest man stood in with
the boys, and as for the whiskey, w-h-e-uw!
1t was sod corn barefooted. The valley
tan these Mormons make amt nowhere,
Imind old Gardner drunk pint Of it, and
went home and stole one of his own plows
and hid it in the woods, and didn't know
where it was when he was sober, and had
to get drunk again to find it.
"lhese was only the common fellers.
The good folks was awful religious. The
Old School Baptisses never went nigh the
Methods meetin' house, and 'tothers was
| list as stiff on thar side; but thar was a
sprinkle O. Quakers to soften things, and
a little blue spot O. Presbyterians. but moi
enough fora meetin' house, bein there's nc
more'n six or seven hundred people in the
whole place. So they was only two meet
| in houses, and three or four groceries fol
whiskey and such, besides Chew's store
which was the only place that sold bour.
bon-tothers only 'sod-Com.' Then they
was Masons and lot of Batavy New
Workers that was agin the Masons, ano
some agin all secret societies; and along
in 1S43 come some Milerites. crazier's
looms about the eend of all things on the
l1th O. August, and pretty soon after CONF
some Washingtonians and dug in agir
Chew and the others that sold whisky, sc
if feller wasn't tuck on one side he was
on tother. But the boys soon busted then
up, and, no matter what the prophecies
said, the eend didn't come on the llth
and things was sort O. dull till these new
tangled notions come in and the Metho
dis's they set up a choir, But they wa
nigh half agin it, and that set up anothe
meetin at tother eend O. town, and spill
folks all up agin. Then come this nigge
business, for it was only forty miles to tn
Ohio. and the new meetin folks got rea
cranky little chap from some'eres East 70
preacher, and took the abolition shoot, an,
so all the others preached on 0nesimus
and Hagur, and 'Cussed be Canaan an,
things got real lively agin.
"Next thing Misses Chew she split
the choir about leadin' in the singin
} and when fuss gifts among lot Q
D singin' folks, you jest bet it spreads. Sh
5 was dognation purity, and slung NOR
, style than speckled show-horse, and
mind more'n one young feller that fel
like he'd like to put spider in old Chew
biscuit. He was purity well off, and jis
ldoted on her, and brought her all sorts {