The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1880-12-09
Where the Champion Liar Lives.


meet him in the man who has real es-
tate and wears store clothes; in the pros
pector who has or has not a lode to SELL;
in the miner digging in the ground
with only a pair OF pants on; in the pro-
fessional man, tradesman and hummer;
all classes have their champion. They
smile kindly upon the tender-foot and
give him away with a yarn in a manner
that is amusing, if he does not take their
statements with salt or with mental
reservation. 1t may be that their grand
d mountains, vast plains and wonderful
= atmosphere expand their imaginations
'S and widen their views as they do their
= lungs and muscles, in a manner I'M
ssknown to the people of the East and
other less favored regions. Local Or
State patriotism overrides National
patriotism. religion or politics, all being
> secondary to the reputation and glory
of Colorado, and hence, may be, arises
their inordinate propensities to draw
the long bow and tell fish stories. But,
"with all their faults, we love them
STILL" for they spin their yarns with an
- easy, graceful flow of language that is
astonishing and their kindness and hos
pitality is as wide and liberal as their
!. imaginations, and you are soon con-
WINGED that it is all done for your en-
lightment and pleasure and the glory of
their adopted State.
In matters of business they are as re-
liable as any people and from my ex-
.gperience, think more so, as one of
them told me the whole truth about a
horse purchased from him and that is
not my experience with the jockeys of
Kentucky. But when the pressure is
taken off of their honor and their imag-
nations are set to work as to what the
State is, or hassuperior to other States;
what their neighbors have, or what they
themselves have, or have had, or
done, then stand from under, for
they will overwhelm you with scenes
q from their imaginations as startling as
- any from Munchausen. AS specimen
a proprietor told me that he and some
companions were crossing the CONT
: mental divide when it was covered with
snow. Three miles below them, down
a decline of forty five degrees, deeply
covered with frozen snow, lay the spot
) they desired to reach, while to 90 around
by trail was fifteen miles. He took a
sFtin pan, used for washing gold, spread
his blanket over it, got in himself, in
sqrlattinga position on his launches,
tucked the blanket around, held his
lille and other traps over his head and
got ,one-of his companions to give him
push. He informed me he went down
at the speed Of sixty miles a minute,
!. and shot far !. out into the valley at the
foot OF the mountain. When he stepped
sshefo the soldering of the pan meited
from friction, his blanket on fire, and il
was his impression that had he gone
much farther he would have been burned
4 up. together with all his traps. He
further informed me that he got ND.
waved his hand and called to ssthe
boys to follow, but they declined. I
presume they saw how he was smoking
from hot boxes, and concluded they
would try an easier grade. 't i
- Another prospector told me his favor.
lite amusement had been to Jump upon
= large bank of drifted snow and start
an avalanche and ride upon it in its
fearful course of destruction to the val
ley below. On one occasion, however.
ahs got turned under. and when :" the
boys" dug him out he had both arms
and pne leg broken, besides being 9th /
.esrWise scratched up; since that time he
Il has regarded the amusement as a little
dangerous. As proof of his story he
asshowed me his broken arms, and 7 ac-
scepted his statement in regard to the
~ broken thigh without further proof 9TH
ser than that he walked game-legged.
The following are some of the things
the Coiorad oans will tell you that YOU
VIII not ind entirely correct-princi
= pally told by the Denverites to-strang-
eers on their arrival among them, many
of them apparently knowing no more
about the State after several years resi-
dence than the newcomers know and it
'isevident from their conversation thew
!. nave taken many things on hearsay,
ana perhaps seen no more of the State
i than that part which they passed over
I'm coming to Denver. They will tell
you it does not get hot in summer nor
cold In winter; that there is peculiari
ty IN the atmosphere to be found no.
where else on the earth and its sanitary
effects are miraculous: that it is the
great grazing section of the United
States; that cattle keep fat all the year
on the sandy plains; that meat will not
spoil without salt if properly prepared
ti'suppose vanished to keep the flies
Off }, and that dead animals are not Of
fensive to the smell; that Denver is the |
most remarkable city in the world; that
sseopie do not die here, therefore
worms do not eat them; that bob-tail |
rat does not always get in the hole first; |
that mountains are forty or fifty miles
away, when in reality they are only |
ten All this and much more do they
tell unto the astonished and gaping
tenderfoot An East Tennesseean, q
few years ago, came into the town of
Sllyerton. which is 9,40O feet above the
|epei. OF the sea and was looking around
with some interest when his attention
was called to Mount Kendall, with it's
base resting on the valley in which the
town is built and its top towering some
5000 feet heavenward. Some of the /
citizens told him it was fifteen miles to
the top and it would take day to eo
there and return. He immediately Of
Tered to bet 500 he could 60 up and re-