The Emporia news. [volume] (Emporia, Kan.) 1859-1881, 1880-11-26
A STRUGGLE WITH FATE.
San Francisco Argonaut

Dan EauCA8CO ALSOA0ub
The story is told in San Jose, that one
evening in August, some three years
ago, q stranger made his appearance ii
that city, and shortly thereafter created
g breeze in society circles. He had wan
dered aimlessly about the streets for two
or three days, speaking to no one, caring
for nothing. He was young man, and
might have been considered unusually
handsome if his clothes had been good
but they were old, and faded, and thread
bare. There could be no mistaking the
fact that he was an adventurer, who had
succeeded in finding only disappoint-
ment and poverty. He was tall and
straight, and had a distinguished look.
Oh the evening of about the third day,
he was accosted on San Fernando street
by a man exceedingly drunk. This man
was called "Tarantula Juice" not a very
inappropriate appelation, but one which
was Indignantly resented by Joe, who
was fighter from Tuolumne, and who
boosted among his numerous other ex-
ploits in early days that he had fire.
quently rolled barrel of whisky fifty
miles a day, and taken a drink every
time the bung turned up.
"Hello, stranger" he said to the seedy
young man. Joe was everybody's friend
but had q strange way of showing his
friendship when he was drunk. whats
yer prowlin' AROUND here in that hang
dog style fer, skeerin' people?'
"It's none of your id business" re
piled the meek looking stranger.
Joe was not the man to brook such an
insult The stranger attempted to pass
on, but Joe stopped him.
''See here, young Teller, do yer know
that yer tacklin' the wust man in this
town? An I'm on the fight bigger'n q
wolf Yer miserable cookroach eater,
But he never did. He thought brick
had struck him, but it was only the
strangers fist that laid him on the side
walk. If there was one thing that Joe
respected above all others, it was q
man who knocked him down. As be
scrambled laboriously TO his feet, his
breath shortened, he found himself face
to face with the stranger. who had done
the square thing, in Joe's opinion, by
not following mp his advantage while
Joe was down, but who nevertheless as
sumed q posture so aggressive that Joe
became aware of gloomy possibilities
So he began to femporize:
Don't yer take joke ~ he said, hold
| ing out his hand, which the stranger
grasped- Joe eyed him in absorbed ad
miration.
who'd "a thought" he said, '.thet
slim spider like you-beggin' yer par
don fer CALM yer spider, which y,
amt a spider-could "a let out *
strongy' And with his left hand h,
| felt the strangers right arm gauging thu
muscle. "Quicker than grizzley, too, ,
he added.
So they Immediately became fas
| friends Joe proposed that they take
drink. The stranger acquiesced saying b,
/ hadn't had a square drink for some tim
but he was considerably shocked wheI
he discovered that he had to pay for tn
liquor, Joe being in his chronic condi.
ton of pocket emptiness, and the stran
ger evidently hated to part with tn
money. Then they became very CON
municative. The stranger told how b
had such q run of bad luck that III
world seemed dreary, and there wa
nothing 10 live for. Joe spoke words @
encouraging consolation, and, as q las
and purely conventional expedieut, u
ged the stranger to marry some rich Gil
and settle down His friend had brains
good manners, nerve and good looks
all the necessary requisites for doing ID
correct thing" The stranger was MOI
est on that score. but Joe chung 70 tn
proposition, saying that q man wit
such q style could mary any girl /
Christendom and half dozen in fac
If he wanted that many. All tia. va
necessary was unlimited cheek and
arranged plan. They parted late