The Portland daily press., 1880-12-09
Will a Blower t'ight2
Strange Experience of Small Nevada
Community.
Virginia City Chronicle. \

Virginia ivy ShhoHiciC.J
"Pm roarin' ripsnorter from hoorah
camp, and can't be stepped on remarked
thick-set, white-eyed man, with lower jaw
like the cow-catcher of locomotive, as he
staggered into G street saloon and thumped
the bar with his fist until the glasses ingled.
The bar-keeper caught whiskey-bottle that
was just tumbiing off the bar and told the
stranger that he needn't make so much noise
about it, as nobody wanted to step on him.
"You bet they don't, young feller, I'm an
angel from Paradise Valley, and a bad one,
too: and when flap my wings there's a torna-
do loose. Give me some O. your meanest whis-
key, and whole lot of it-somethn' that
tastes like bumble-bee stings picked in Wit
riol."
While the barkeepcr was hunting round for
some fusel oil and rubbing glass with red
pepper, group of men round the stove were
surveying the stranger curiousy. A thin gen.
tleman with a bulging forehead and dyspep.
tic look said to the others: "Now there's an
illustration of what I've been saying to you.
A bully is always coward. That fellow would
have no moral courage whatever were he put
to the test. If he were challenged to fight
Wiehout SnuoC ITO COuiu uOU dItdin tilo SuUlluo
height of moral courage to refuse. He would
be afraid of being called coward. But mind
you, he wonld never brag and bully unless he
thought he had the advantage. You see he is
stout man, and presumes upon his physical
superiority to most men to bully and black
guard them. Now Bill here is stronger than
that blowhard, but you never see him in a
fight. He's quiet, bit get him started, and he
NIL lNa a, IJxt,
age" fs-a
fne Bill referred to was tall, powerfully
built man, with steel-gray eyes and a firfnly set
mouth. He said nothing in reply to the COM
pliment paid him. but quietly watched the
-agel from Paradise The latter drank his
saiskey and smashed the glass on the bar
what in h do you mean by giving. a
gentleman such stuff as that? Did l ask you
for rinsings, You chickeii-lvered whelp? I've
got graveyard full of roosters that PLAYED
that racket on me. I've a good mind to fan
the air with yer corpse.
Now get cut of this said the barkeeper,
becoming angry.
Get out o. nothin'. Gimme a drink, and
ali you starved buns around that stove, come
up here and drink with thoroughbred high
stopper for once. just TO say we've drank in de
cent company. It'll be an honor to tell your
children about it some day. if such An ornery
lot O. cusses own any children. Now waltz M
lively and take yer medercin"
Don't care for anything, thank you," said
the dysDeptic philosopher quietly.
You don't? Well, l tell yer to take suth-
in. hold the ace i'm the game, and when L
chip everybody comes in. Ante up to the bar
now, and look pleasant. Great Scott! Yer
need suthn' in yer belly to balance that
swelled head O. yourn. Come up, the rest O.
You buns"
Nobody stirred, but all looked at the dys-
peptic, who quietly said:
"We wi not drink with you''
"No? It'd be cheaper for you to crawl into
prospect hole and pull tombstone over yer
head. l kin lick this whole town from h
to breakfast, and 1 believe I'll start in on this
deadfall. Look out for hurricane when 1
swoop. Whoop! I'm a-comin'''
In about two minutes the level-headed ad-
mirer of moral courage was dilapidated piece
of bric-a-brac, the big man called Bill was sop
ping cold water on his eye in a back room, and
The rest of the crowd scattered about the place
in various stages Of discouragement while the
angel from Paradise was standing on a billiard
table and shouting, where's the rest of yer
population? Trot out yer cohorts and fetch
on yer mob. I'm an angel from Paradise, and
a holy terror when flap my wings. I swal-
lowed q cyclone for breakfast and a powder
mill for lunch, and haven't begun to cough
yet. Where is the popuace OF this broken
down chicken-ranch? I'm at myself tonight,
and want exercise"