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

"While ] am poor and miserable can
never die; but If should fall heir TO
fortane. I would die in twenty-four
h0nFs." as @
.lIow did you come 10 be called Tex
as Jack :" inquired the Capifal man.
'sJohn Cockrrill wrote me up IN the
Cincinnati Gazette Ia rs. twas headed
The Texas Editor. Itwas beaugiful
article. A cDlumn and half solid min.
ion. There was q knock az the door.
continned Jack. trying to recall the way
the article began, " and he came in and
stood BY the desk, and be paused and
looked at 3 picture Of Horaee Greeley
and remarked, "Thefe Is man after
my own heart = and We went down IN
our pockess and gave him ouf last ave-
dollar bill,' and so on. Oh, Il was q
beautiful thing. 70 told every thing
about me: where had been, the wars
I had sft' and died N, and every thing.
Talk OF q clever gentleman. There's
John CockeriIl. He's fne."
''DOes he give up +" inquired the
Capital.
"Give upl He's an angel. wish
was in Baltimore tonight. John is
there, you know. wouldnt be walk
ing about this way"
'.INere you ever on the other side Of
the globe -
IL was in Australia in 1852. in the
mining districts. Then | went TO CAL
ifornia, and then to Aspinwall. put
$500 IN a newspaper there. and lost
1t all in one night by 6re. That was
hard country then. They were build
ing Q railroad across the Isthmus. II
the bones Of the men who died while
building that railroad were collected
they would reach from San Francisco
to Omaha. II was a sort Of lever.
They called il 'shaggcrs.' They tried
men of all nations on that road, and
finally got Coolies from the Indies. A
man dropped dead for every foot OF work
done on the road. They buried them
four Deep
Have you been at work recently :"
asked the Capital, coming down tOrthe
dull and proSy present.
"Oh, yes. | worked three months
steadily over here on the Rockville Sem
tinei-gettIng small pay and living ex-
trsyagantiy-siicking type, and writing
locals and kerse adveTtisements.i 4
"Did you ever try any other busi-
ness 2" > 't
"Yes. I tried canvassing once, but
1 couldn't make money enough TO buy
whiskey. There were lunkhcads who
made twenty-five dollars day at IT, and
I couldn't make money enough to buy
whiskey. had good book, too--'0ur
Country | went as an acrobat IN
circus once when was hard up. could
turn fiip-Haps all around 250-foot tent.
I could drop from aiour-story hOusc and
bound like an India-rubber ball. Then
could whip my weight in wild cats. I
am a good fighter yet, but am getting
little weak"
"What are your prospects, Jack p
"I am Just waiting for the $4,000
Mexican pension which the Govern
ment owes me. would have died four
years ago IL il wasn't for that. God
knows what I'll do; we are all the crea-
lures Of circumstances. ! have good
friends in Baltimore. l have couin
there who is an Episcopal minister.
He never sent me any money, though.
He won't give me money, he says, un-
less come 10 him sober. | never got
sober enough to go to him. II have
10 pad the hoof this time though | will
be sober enough, because will have 10
drink from the babhling brooks. new
er do much walking, however; ] al
ways manage to get on the railroads
and steamers"
"Why did you leave Rockville ?"
"Siek. Didn't think the doctor there
had science enough to tackle my case;
so came to Washington and went TO
the hospital"
"What was the trouble :"
There - no feeling like it--sbu'iiDg
down on drinking suddenly. II | could
keep il up-had capital enough, you
know would be all right. Ny friend.
DO you know there are men here who
are worth hesps of money who were
paupers in my day. There is Sens-
tor here who used to borrow quarters
from me 10 CaIifornis twenty-ionr years
sgo-I mean Sargent. ] used to work
with him. We stuck type together"
The CGpifGl man was about 10 der art,
when Jack hailed him. Gap, aren't
you going to give upl Have | wasted
all this talk 2 Now, don't go away like
that; when get thai $4,000 ! will open
a bottle Of the best brand. ] am going
away tomorrow, you know, and | don't
want to 90 away utterly destitute.
When ! get that $4,000 ! will build
log hut beside some babbIing brook and
lead the life Of hermit. Now, come,
Cap. give up" And the Capital gave
up.