Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-10-20
Vol. XVII. Whole No. 1895. No. AZ.
Merely Difference of Opinion.

Last Sunday afternoon the superintend-
ent of Sunday School out in the Black
Hills happened TO be visiting some friends
in Brooklyn, and, on invitation, attended
the school services of one of our popula
Methodist churches. Invited to address the
children, he declined at first, but finally
consented and to illustrate the welcome c.
the sinner to repentance related the follow
ing anecdote:
Il reckon most o you young ones have
heard about the old feller in Egypt, which
was well fixed for kids. The old man was
heeled clear to his neck, and thar wasn't
dip nor spur that he wasn't onto, and you
bet he had his square dose o. sheers in
every pay dirt claim on the divide. He
was good old man, straight a rifle bar
rel, and without knot, rot or wood-pecksr
hole from root TO crows nest. For a long
time he'd been owner o. an eighty stamp
mill, and travellers in them parts seen the
smoke rising from his chimney pretty steady
and they knowed quartz was grinding and
the dust was good. Thar warn't no funny
business about the old man. He knowed
prime wash from salt by the color, and il
warn't long afore the boys quit stealing his
mules and set right down to the levels and
picked for trade. They knowed he'd strad-
die any blind, but he dealt fair, and they re-
spected him. Well, children, the old man
banked heap o quartz. He had big
rancho, and the sheep on II was as thick as
miners tents. Thar was antelope, and prai-
RE chickens, and jack RABBITS. and black
tailed deer till you couldn't rest. And thar
was lots OF wheat and big shack built o.
logs, with parior in one end. Now, | tell
YOU, that that old man fixed up to the
trap, and don't you forget nothing. But one
o his sons was kind o reckless. He wanted
for to prospect for himself The old man give
him the racket straight from the hit ; told
| HIM not To make dog gone fool of him
self. STAY where he Thar was more
money in stamp mill than thar was IN
mines, and he advised the kid to locate right
thar. Why, children. that thar old man
knew from the fust hour thet the short didn't
have no show even for tailings, and what's
tailings, even if he played to win, 10 u squar
divide on the regular wash
But the kid wanted long grass, and so
the old man started him and gave him his
blessing, and told him for to always deal
level with the table and never let a man get
his elbow behind his kidney on him, and so
the boy got away. Fixed straight to his
hair All the dust he wanted. Best advice
boy ever got. What do YOU think he did 2
lie went broke. never knew whether he
got into game ~hsr they played straights,
OF whether some fellow went clear to the
bottom o his sock. and struck bedrock.
Clean up dead gone. Dips crossed his angle
Blind leads fetched the only vein he had, ex-
cept one, but that he didn't know of He
was digging for yellow in black rock and
couldn't see the glory that was only for him
to ASSAY and coin. Yes, Won bet thet thar
poor boy, without enough TO buy box o
matches, was driving where thar wasn't
even pvrites while all the SKY was pointing
out Of best color ever panned, and he
couldn't get on 10 it. Well, thar was only
one thing to do. Prospecting was no use.
So he went down on rancho and told the
rancho man he'd keep the coyotes of the
pigs. You know what an ornery derned
thing pig is. You've got to kill him and
smoke him and throw him away and forget
HIM before YOU can eat him, and vet thet
thar young man hiyed right down with pigs
and drawed when ftwas his turn, and il he
got fair hand o his shucks he was goose
ON his luck. Bimeby the racket got too stiff
for him, and he kicked. He made up his
mind that he would flock back to the mill
and strike the old man for another stake
Did the old man 20 back on him Well,
not for coin Did he say he wasn't hiring
any new hands, but the Kid might get into
work at Hamilton's Hollow reckon not
Says he, Put in here, pard," and he just
fell clean over him Thet's style Thets
trade from the origin. Thet amt all. Thet
thar old man fetched out buckskin trow-
sers, and all antelope shirt, and some buffalo
boots and a camp hat, and drawed the young
fellow in. Eh' Hows that Citing YOU
now, am |? Begin to hook on to my rack
et' Know who the man was2 Yes, you
bet your life and he's waiting for you To
pass out on bobtail and for YOU to come to
Him and be fitted out and started in the stamp
mill again like YOU never hoped the tI-ta-
Ia and hooked out from under the family
umbrella Let up and be saved. For tell
YOU, children. the lower level gets awful hot
sometimes, and If you can do placer work
with the sky right around YOU, keep aws
from the tunnel business for thar's no draw
ing after the bet.
I'd like to have you sing a HYMN fur me
that We sing in our Sunday School, Baby
Mine : do YOU know it ?"
And To the astonishment of the local su-
perintendent they did know it, and he
couldn't stop it Bro0ktyH Eagle.