The Anderson intelligencer. [volume] (Anderson Court House, S.C.) 1860-1914, 1880-10-21
INCIDENT OF WESTERN LIFE.
Tho -Four Dullwlschsrs of nitter Greek.

y
really ike to forget-somcthiug that re
suited from the freshness and vast inex
perience of youth. I remember on
which have spent good deal of tim,
trying to forget. Just before the Unio,
Pacific Railroad reached the Bitter Creel
country | made my first overland trip I,
the Pacific coast. I staged it from tn,
then terminus of the Union Pacific tt
the Central Pacific, which wus push;nf
East. The etage broke down on BitteI
Creek, and the passengers had 10 walk tf
the next station. l grew tired of walk
Ing before / reached the station. and
coming, late in the afternoon, 10 where
some tcamstcs were encamped. I con.
cluded TO stop with them for the night
On asking their permission to do 30 tRey
asscnted 30 heartily that felt at home
at once. Life in the West was someth;nr
new to me. l was young and buoyant'
and just out of college. was fond Of
talking. | thought it would be novel and
delightful to sleep out with these half.
savage ox.drivers, with no shelter but the
vaulted, star gemmed heavens.
1herc were four teamsters, and as
many wagons, while thirty-two oxen
grazed around in the vicinity. OF the
teamsters, one was giant in stature, and
wore bushy black beard; another was
ahorter,. but powerfully built, and one.
eyed the third was tall, lank and name.
lawed while the fourth was wiry, red.
headed man. In my thoughts pitied
them, on account of the hard life they
led, and spoke to them in kind tone.
and endeavorcd to make my conversation
instructive. | plucked n flower, and.
pulling it to pieces, mentioned the names
OF the parts-pistil, stamens, calyx and
80 on-and remarked that it must be in.
digenous to the locality, and spoke of the
plant: being endogenous, in contradis.
tinction to exogenous, and that they
could see that it was not cryptogamous.
In looking at some fragments of rock.
my. thoughts wandered off into geology.
and, among other things, 1 spoke of tie
tertiary and carboniferous periods, and of
the pterodactyl, ichthyosaurus and dino.
therium. The teamsters looked at me,
tnen ut each other, but made no response,
We squatted down around the frying-pan
70 take supper, and as tho big fellow,
with his right hand, alnnned or sort e
larruped, a long piece Of fried bacon,
over piece of bread in his left hand.
sending drop of hot grease into my left
eye, be said to the one.eyed man:
BILL, is my copy of Shakespeare in yo'
wagonY missed it to-day"
mo. My Tennersou and yolum' of
the Italian poets is in tbar-no Shak.
speare."
The lank looking teamster, biting off a
piece of bread about the size of a saucer.
said to the big man, in voice which
came huskily through the bread, "Jake.
did yer ever read that volum' of po'ms
that writW
mo, but hev often hearn tell on 'em."
Yer mean 'Musin's Of an Idle Man."
spoke up the rcdheaGed man, addressing
the poet.
eyes"
"Hey rend every line in it a dozen
times" said the teamster with the red
hair; and as he sopped four-inch swath.
with q piece of bread, across irving.
pan, he repeated some lines.
"Them's they" nodded the poet. "The
Emp'ror of Austry writ me q letter high
iy compiimcntin' them po'ms."
They're very techin'," added the wiry
man.
l took no part in these remarks. Some.
how did not feel like joining in.
The wiry man, having somewhat salts.
fed his appetite, rolled up piece of
bacon rInd into n sort OF single. .barreled
opera-glass, and began to squint through
it toward the Northern horizon.
"What yer doin', Dave?" asked the
stout man.
"Takin' observations on the North star.
Want to make some astronomical calki.
lations when get inter So krymenter."
"Wcil, yer needn't ter made that teP-
scope. | could er TUX yo' observations
for yer, bein' as haint but one eye."
"Git out thar, yer darned old carbon
iferous pterodactyl," yelled the hame-
jawed driver to nm OK that was licking O
piece OF bacon.
II giro good deal of my time to
sironomy when / was in Yoorup," re.
remarked the tall man.
"Over thar long?" asked one.
Good while. Was mi lister to Rooshy.
Then l spent some time down to ROME"
"Rome" |" exclaimed tie ! ..ik iudiyid-
sculptor"
"Good sculptor2"
eyes"
"Well, one wouldn't er thought it, to
look at yer"
II never was in Yoorup," remarked
the one-eyed man. "When I ocypied
the cheer of ancient languages in ,Har-
ward College my health failed, and the
fellers that had me hired wanted me ter
60 ter Yoorup for an out, but concluded
TO come West ter look-Hold up thar,
yer internal ole flea. bitten ichthy'sau.
rus" he bawled to an OK sIat was chew
ing wagon-cover.
l felt hot and feverish. aaG long way
from home.
Il got ready once ter go to Rome
wanted to complete my studies thar-but
give it up" said the one called Dave.
What for?"
"They wanted me ter run for guy'ner
in Virginny"
eyer hent 'em ?"
Thunder, yes"
"Why didn't yer stay thar?"
out they lected me- Piscopal S @ BISHOP hof saSS an
I hurt my lungs preachin'. Come West
"Found 'em?"
"Weli, Pm improvin'."
did not rest well that night. As dsy
came on, and the men began to turn owe,
IN .aeir blankets and yawn, the tall one
said:
"..Hello, Bill. How yer maxim it"
",Oh, I'm indigenous"
can Dave?"
"I'm endogenoue."
tor ?"
"Exogenous."
Glow you feel, Jakea" inquired one o
the three who had responded.
1 .kor-r -