The Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1865-1903, 1880-03-15

Denver Tribune's slangw hanger.
In the green-room Of the amphitheater
a little band OF gladiators were assembled.
The foam Of conflict yet fingered on their
lips, the scowl OF battle yet hung upon
their brows and the large knots on their
classic profiles indicated that it had been
a busy day with them. -
There was an embarrassing silence OF
between five minutes, when spartacus,
borrowing a chew Of tobacco OF Triialiatum
Aurelius, stepped forth and thus addressed
them: l....,sa. Z
Mn. CHAIRMAN, LADIES AND GENTLEMEN:
Ye call me chief and We do well to call
him so who for twelvelong years has metin
the arena every shape OF man or beast that
the broad empire Of Rome could furnish
and vet has never lowered his arm. ! do,
not say this to brag, however, but simply
to show that / am the star thumper Of the
entire outfit: 5,,.-t -tq
Iftbere be one among you who can say
that ever in public fight or private bEawl
nv actions did belle my words, let him
stand forth and say it and ] will spread
him around over the arena till the Cor
oner will have to gather him up with q
blottint paper. II there be three In all
your company dare face me on the bloody
sands let them come and / will construct
upon their physiognomy such cupolas as
royal cornices and cofnthian capitols and
entablatures, that their, own mothers
would pass them by in the broad light oil
l.;..k 1,nFaROUniypIt .... IaH.
And vet l was not always thus, q hired
butcher-the savage chief OF still more
savage war. en- .8.U.i, a.,
county seat Of Marcus Aurellus county,
and settled among the yine'clad hills and
cotton groves oil Syrsilla. My early lie
ran quite as the clear brook by which l
/ sported. Aside from the gentle patter
d the maternal slipper on my overalls,
everything moved along with me like the
silent oeaginous flow Of the ordinary
goose grease. My boyhood was ore long,
happy summer day. We stole the Roman
muskmeloni and, put split sticks on the
tailof the Roman dog. and life was one
continuous halleluiah. " INat -
| When at noon ] led the sheep beneath
the shade and played the "Sweet Bye and
Byen on my shepherds flute, there was
another Spartan youth, othe son OF o
neighbor, TO join me in the pastime, We
| led our locks to the same pasture and to-
pether picked the largered ants out OF oui
| indestructible sandwiches. g yaaa
| One evening, after the sheep had been
driven into the corral and we, were al
seated beneath the persimmon tree thai
\ shaded our humble cottage, my grandsire
4 an old man, was telling Of Marathon anc
lIeuctra and George Francis Train and DR.
Mary Walker, and other great men, anC
how q little band OF Spartans, under Gen
Howard, had withstood the entire regula
army. Ibid not then know what war was
but my cheek burned, knew not why
and. / thought what q glori thing !
would be TO leave the reservation and y
on the Rarpath.. ,atg
4 But my mother kissed my trobbini
temple and. babe me 60 soak my headIant
think no more Of those old tales and sayag'
wars, That very night the Romans landet
cn our coasts. They pillaged the Who'll
country, burned the agency buildings, de
molished the rancho, rode off the stock
fore down the smoke house and rode thei
war horses over the cucumber vines.
To-day killed arnan in the arena, and
when broke his patent clasps and locke.
mon him, behold he was my friend
The same sweet smile was on his lace tha
/ that / had known when in adventurou
, boyhood we bathed In the CLASSY lake D
our Spartan home and he had tied m
shirt into l,752 dangerous and dithcul
knots. ...a
mn NnNi1n1 a0nnA more. Sal
'ta IA, aud assembled tho golden stair.
begged Of tho Prntor that ] might be a
/, lowed TO bear away the body and have
Z packed in ice and shipped to his friend
{ near Syrsilla, but he couldn't see It.
Ay, upon my Blended knees, amidst tn
4 dust aud blood Of the arena. / begge
his peor boon, and the Pretor answered
! HIet the carrion rot. There are .
noble men but Roman and Ohio mel
lat The show go on. Bring in the bob.ta
lion from Abyssinia." And the assen
hied maids and matrons and tho rabbi
shouted in derision and told me to 'brat
TnW and "haye some style about II
slothes,v and "to give II to us easy" wit
other Roman filings which l do not no
!, And 10 must you. fellow-gladiators, az
so mustI, die like dogs:
+ Tomorrow we are billed TO appear
the Coliseum at Rome, aud reserved sea
= are being sold atths corner OF Third ~