Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1880-03-11
FExAs JAICK.


and sun Tor many Day t0ng tockss
which were once raven. bpi are now
spFinkied with gray, carling down over
his collar, q rolling blaek eye, whose
fres have gsowa anslerlsss with agss
long waschiag. lase hours. snd bihulous
habits ! sharp. face. With furrowedl
ehpok mustaeAes nnf ahogk seaEidsf sf
little gfixzlpd. coat tballone ] cIoss az0. a
his spare frame: . general sPpeaFanee
which indicates that the man hes bad
more downs than ups in this world, and
is getting little tired Of the battle OF
life-a look Of comical impecnniosity,
and sort Of scent, not Of royal favor.
but Of respectable connections, clinging
TO his pers0n--and there you have Dir.
John l.. Redette, otherwise known as
Texas Jack. He IS . genuine tramp
printer, surrounded with all the roman
tic halo OF 4 rover, an adventurer. sol
dicr Of fortune. His sole object IN min
Cling with men now appears to be to i'm
duce them to "gIve up" and ne sum
mons to his aid an eloquence which,
though bis voice is husky, is quaint AID
irresistible. When the Capital man ran
against Jack he was pleading with
Young man who did not seem inclined
10 respond literally to the demands
made upon him. "You are young
man." said Jack, posturing himself with
one hand bob5ung up his coat tail, ''of
fine ability, Of elegant accomplishments.
m the prime and vIgor Of your manhood,
surrounded with friends, receiving q
high salary, with your breeches lined
with money. Look at me; used up phys
icalIy, morally aad financially. Such
as you should rally TO my rescue and
buoy me up, and all that sort Of thing.
Won't YOU give up 7" The young man
still seeming disinclined to ''give up,"
Jack regarded him with smile which
EXPRESSED disdain and pity, while he
remarked as he turned away, young
man, your face Is good. but your heart
is light. The warmest language OF the
Sunny South would not touch your
heart"
Jack next fell into the hands oi the
CgpitGE man. who proceeded to turn the
tables, and made Jack himself "give up"
a little Of his personal history.
"You are an old-timeF, aren't you
Jack - inquired the Capital man.
A ShoalaIz analg,n FcFlied. Jack, and
he suited the action to the word, sEnil-
ing broad smile, which bowed all the
creases in his cheeks into nooses. Z
"Where were you born 7" ~
"Natchez, my boy, Natchez--on the
Hill-on the banks Ofthe Father Of Wa
tiers. on the beautiful Mississippi. !
was born in 1920. ! have been here
some time" st 1a1o
"How have you spent your days -
81 am q printer. ] have been pub
Usher Of four OF the finest newspapers
sn thls continent. l. Published the AL
bany Democrat, and also the AsPinwall
C0avier. I am q printer, ] am; am
no small-piea setter. Every dollar ]
earned I passed over the coRhter. Ia
the days Of my youth and prosperity |
cast my money on the waters, and il has
never rethrnedt to me. Thought money
grew on trees then. 1t never occurred
10 me that the days ofadyeFsity. days
OF financial depression, days Of stagna-
tOn Of labor and trade were coming, but
thev came. Now ] find snyself in the
sere and yellow leaf, without cent TO
bless me, travelling around like big yel-
low dog''--and Jack, who bad sat down
during this recital, and thrown one leg
upon the table. looked long and earn
estly at the toe Of his boot, which was
in about the came dilapidated condition
as himself, and seemed to be gazing
down the long aisle Of time to the days
when. he was q healthy young buck,
with his breeches lined with money and
the world before him. s.
3 sfY ou have been arouad some, guess, =
suggested the Cqpifalman, interruPting
this FeyeFy. s
81 have travelled q litile." replied
Jack, rousing himself. 81 was four
years in the gold regions Of California.
| have been in France, Spain and Ger
many. Then I was young and bad mo-
ney. What travelling / have done in
the past few years have done SEA alow
coaches"
"How are you on the walk ~
"Very poor on The walk, (" replied
Jack, scarcely noticing the interruption.
~ am writing up story now--'The
White Chief Of the CherOkees: or, the
Scout Of the Valley In '40 ] was
known as the White Chief Of the Cher
okees. lived out there then"
"You have seen some thrilling times,
then 70
"Yes; went on the expedition TO
Cuba IN 1850 on the Creole. and lwenl
on the last expedition in 1851, under
General Lopez. They hunted Us down
ike dogs then, and shot fifiy-two. Of -.
1 was sent to the ch1in gang in Spain
for ten years, but I was paFd0ned out IN
two months because 4 was an American
citizen. Then / was nine mo8ths fight
ing the Incalete Indians ia the revolt
against Mexico" W ez
sWere ycu in The Mexican war :"
sI was there when the 6Fst gun was
fred" l3a
nDid YOU serve In the late war 7"
81 held the small rank Of Major in
the 13th Mississippi. ] fought for the
Lost Cause. We were In The most lear
fol charge that was made AZ Gettysburg,
.when The ranks were mowed down. The
men slaughtered like sheep The nsinie
balls cut my hair. but bear . charmed
life" Jack sadly bowed his head q
momeni. .ahd thea locked uP, remarked