St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1880-03-06

him our last tive-dollar BILL and so on.
Oh, it was a beautiful thing. 1t told
every thing about me; where | had
been, the wars had fit and died in,
and every thing. Talk of a clever CEN
| tleman. There 5 John Cockcrill. He's
| tinch
"Does he give up9'" inquired the
| Capital
"Give up! Hes an angel. Iwish
was in Baltimore tonight. John is
there, you know. | wouldn't be walk
ing about this way"
"Were You ever on the other side of
the globe?'
81 was in Australia in 1852, in the
mining districts. Then went to Cali
fornia, and then to Aspinwall | put
s. 500 in newspaper there, and lost it
all in one night by fire. That was a
hard country then. They were build
ing q railroad across the ISthmus. If
the bones Of the men who died while
building that railroad were collected
they would reach from San Francisco
to Omaha 1t was sort of fever.
They called it 'shaggers.' 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 Capttal, coming down TO
the dull and prosy present.
"Ch, yes. | worked three months
steadily over here on the Rockville Sen
tj';cl-getting small pay and living ex-
travagantly-sticking type, and writing
locals and stud horse advertisements.
odd you ever try any other bust
ness?'
Yes. | tried canvassing once, but
couldn't make money enough to huv
whisky. There were lunkheads who
made twenty-five dollars dav at it, and
| couldn't make money enough to buy
whisky | had a good book, too-sOur
Country | went us an acrobat in u
circus once when was hard up. Icould
turn tlip-tlaps all around 25O-foot tent.
[ could drop from a four story house and
bound like an India rubber ball. Then
| could whip my weight in wildcats. /
am a good fighter yet, but am getting
a little weak -
"What are your prospects, Jack?'
Il am just waiting for that $4,000
Mexican pension which the Government
owes me. | would have died four years
ago if it wasn't for that God knows
what I'll do we are all the creatures of
circumstances have good frieAds in
Baltimore. | have Il cousin there who
is an Episcopal minister. He never sent
me any money, though. He won't give
me money, he says, unless | come to
him sober. | never got sober enough to
90 to him. If | have to pad the hoof
this time though | will be sober enough,
because | will have to drink from the
babbling brooks. never do much walk
ing, however; | always manage to get
on the railroads and Steamers
''Why did you leave Rockyille?"
50 Sick. 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 is no feeling like it-shutting
down on drinking suddenly. If l could
keep it up-had capital enough, you
know would be ali right. Ny friend,
do you know there are men here who are
worth heaps of money who were pau
pers in my day? There is a Senator
here who used to borrow quarters from
NE in California twenty years ago
Il mean Sargent. fused to work with
lim. We stuck type together.'
The Capital man was about to depart,
when Jack hailed him, "Cap., aren't
you going to give up? Have l wasted
I'll this talk? Now, don't go away like
hat; when get that $4,000 l will open
l bottle of the best brand. am going
away to- morrow, you know, and don't
want to 90 away utterly destitute. When
get that 5000 | will build log hut
beside some babblin@ brook and lead
he life of hermit Now, come, Cap,
give up" And the Capital gave up.