The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1880-03-06
TEXAS JACK.
The stozy IL R<ging rypoerapher-Elo<|
quencG and ImTQ5cuniosity-A Man VINE
Gave Up. p 81

The Story 81 q R(ulng TypOgrapher-.Elo$'
qusne4 and Imr eunio'ity-A Man "hs
From the Washington Capital- s
They call him Texas Jack. He travels
under broad-brimmed felt hat, which
has sheltered his head from rain and
sun for many a day; long locks, which
were once raven, but are now sprinkled
with gray, curling down over his collar;
rolling black eye, whose fires have
grown 1usterless with age, long watch
ing, late hours, and bibulous habits;
sharp face, with furrowed cheeks; a
musfache, and short beard little griz-
zled; coat buttoned close around his
spare frame; general appearances
which indicates that the man has had
more downs than ups ihdkss world, and
is getting little tired o. the battle of
life-a look of comical impecuniosity,
and sort of scent, not Of royal favor,
but of respectable connections, clinging.
to his person and there you have Mr..
John L. Redette, otherwise known as
Texas Jack. He is genuine tramp
printer, surrounded with all the ro-
mantle halo of Q rover, an adyenturer, q
soldier OF fortune His sole object in
mingling with men now appears to he
to induce them to "give up" and he
summons to his aid an eloquence which,
though his voice is husky, is quaint and
irresistible. When the Capital man ran
against Jack he was pleading with a
young man who did not seem inclined
to respond literally to the demands made
upoa him. (" You are q young man."
said Jack, posturing himself with one
hand bobbing up his coat-tail, "of fine
ability, of elegant accomplishments, of
high literary attachments, in the prime
| and yigor of your manhood, surrounded
nth friends, Receiving q high salary,
| with your breaches lined wah money.
Look at me; used up physically, NOR
ally and financially. Such as you
should rally to my rescue and buoy me
up, and ali that sort Of thing. T Won't
you give 'uppn The young man still
seeming disinclined to "give up" Jack
regarded him with smile which ex-
pressed disdain and pity, while he re-
marked 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 of the
Capital man, who proceeded to turn the
tables, and made Jack himself "give
up" little of his personal history.
"You are an old-timer, aren't you
Jackp" inquired the Capital man.
81 should smile," replied Jack and he
suited the action to the word, smiling a
| b,ooI ex,,slo xubsoh hDxrroI oil tho
creases in his cheeks into nooses.
"Where were you bornP" g
"Natchez, my boy, Natchez-on the
Hill-on the banks of the Father of Wa
tiers, on the beautiful Mississippi. Twas
born in 1920. have been here some
time" = -
- How have You spent your daysi''
!" 1 am printer. l have been pub
Usher of four of the finest newspapers
on this continent. / published the AL
bany Democrat, and also the Aspinwall
| Courier. am printer, / am; l am
no small-pica setter. Every dollar l
earned passed over the counter. In
the days of my youth and prosperity 1
cast my money on the waters, and it has
never returned to me. l though money
grew on trees then. 1t never. occurred
to me that the days of adversely, days
of financial depression, days of stag
nation of labor and trade were coming !;
but they came. Now find myself in
the sere and yellow leaf, without cent
| to bless me, travelling around like big
yellow dog'-and Jack, who had sat
down during this recital, and thrown
one leg upon the table, looked long and
| earnestly at the toe of his boot, which
was in about the same dilapidated con-
ditiou as himself, and seemed to be gaz-
ing down the long aisle of time to the
days when he was healthy young buck,
with his brooches lined with money and
the world before him.
y" You have been around some,
guess, = suggested the, Capital man, in
.terrupting this feyery. IL uNfHg
81 have travelled a little" replied
Jack, rousing himself. al was four
years in the gold regions Of California.
have been in France, Spain and Ger
many Then was young and had
money. What travelling l have
done in the past few years have done
in slow coaches"
| s NOW drc YOU Oh tue Wolk!' r.
! "Very poor on the walk" replied
Jack, scarcely noticing the interruption.
II am writing up story now The
White Chief o the Cherokees; or, the
Scout of the Valley In '49 / was
known as the White Chief of the Chero-
KEGS. lived out there then"
"You have seen some thrilling times,
then?' g....s'..,-
"Yes; l went on an expedition to
Cuba in 1850 on the Creole, and went
on the last expedition in 1851, under
General Lopez. They hunted us down
like dogs then, and shot fifty-two of us.
was sent to the chain gang in Spain
for ten years, but / was pardoned out in
| two months because / wa an American
citizen. Then was nine months fight