Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1881-12-24

M - GU1PA-
written for .hs ..Reeord.Union" by WILL $. GREEN.
CHAPTER I.

Coffin varnish ndade I'd have you to under |
stand, Major Kintook, that it meself that paid
fifty c1nts this very day, for that illigsnt bottle
spirits And ye ought to have seen me beggn the |
widda, up at the big house. beyant, for these four
bits tould her l had big family of six to sup |
portland the diyiI lie was it aither, for there |
ain't ore Of yees can beg worth a cint-and we |
hadn't mouthful for three days. She shelled out |
as Elegant lot OF grub as liver gintlsmsn thramp
topped his lip over and there it is fist wrapped up
IN my ould coat anent ye. Och, Major darling, We
never had better male in ould Kentooky than II =
sphread out before ye In minute. When seed |
she was affected loik, and had swallowed me whole |
batch Lies, told her, God bless her, that wanted
ist four bits to buy some medicine for poor sick
baby. She sheed it out so aisy loik that wished
had made it dollar Begorry amt no lieuten- |
ant, me name is not Miles, neither is it 0'Riey;
haven't raided no swil-tub to-day, nor have the
contents Of swill-tub in oud coat SO, old fel,
subject as yc are to mistakes you niver made more
OF them in one short sntence. Coffin yarnish in
dade But, say, Major darlint, it will be precious
little ysrnsh that the country that has the honor of
burying ye will put on your coffin, So II it is
varnish ye loik ye had better give that beautiful
nose O. yourn another coat Begorry Major, it's as
beautiful nose as iver-"
"oh, shut up that fytrap Pass the appetizer
and spread the banquet. Does tina. suit your humor
any betterT
"Considerin' the hard work I've had, and the i'm
inent success that attended me efforts couldn't ye
as well say plase" 7"
"Pleasen
"Loik gintlenan."
Six men were lounging around a camp fire under
growth Of wild grapev vines which covered thicket
of young oaks, SO dense to shut out almost en-
trey the rays of the sun, well all sign of the
bleak north wind that sweeping down the Sac
ramento valley. The public road at this point was
about one hundred yards from the river, and the
thicket extended from one to the other. The camp
was about midway between the two. 1t had for
some time been resort for gypsies and those gen
tlemen who make great show of hunti lg work
while hoping never to find it. The fall had been a
very dry one so that at the approach of win er
there was no difficulty in camping out in such a
protected spot These six men all poorly
dressed. Some were positively ragged, while Others
clo hes that had evidently been made for some
other person. They were tramps," but close OBJ
would not have taken either of them for
thief or bad man. The one addressed as
Ma in the above conversation, and with whom
we shall have more concern than with the others,
six feet and inch tall. broad shoulders, well
made in every particular, and weighed about two
hundred pounds. One could easily see even beneath
his uncomSed hair and heavy beard, that hung in
tangled masses nearly half way to his waist, that he
had been a strikingly handsome
The luncheon spread out by the individual ad-
dressed Miles o'Riely-and may as well call
him Miles, for his real name at this time is of no
importance to our narrative-whie it was composed
more or less of the scraps from the table, sub
stantiaI, and might have tempted the appetite Of
those far above the professional tramp.
Now, be me sow this is what 1 call entirely
Elegant. There is that homespun light bread 1
bet pipe o. tobacco the widda made it with her own
swate hands, And that slice O cowld corn beef
And ham Och, Major, and il this be the schraps
wouldn't ye lok to be regular boarder at the table
Did We ever see the widda, Major p
al never did, and think it is hardly worth while |
for me to call on her, as you to be completely
taken up with her, and l should stand no chance |
sg inst one so eloquent as yourself"
Chance, is it? Listin, bys to the loks o that
thramp talking about chance. But tell ye |
bys, believe the Major did make an mpreshun
To-day while was a stuffin the widda wild me lois
who should walk by the house, big as life but our
Msjor. He stopped for mint until 1 could show |
him my purity countenance, so he could know the
claim was brng worked. The widda she looked at
this thramp through the window, and turned little
red in the face, and ses she to me, DO you know
that mang Considern' had the precedent of st.
Peter before me eyes in denying his master, sed,
No, mum, but 1 suppose he is drunken
thramp.'"
"Then," interrupted the Major, you improve
somewhat on ST. Peter"
.sof course; isn't this the age of improvement
As the chap wild the puddin head said at the DImo
cratic spakng, Amt this the nineteenth cintury
But, Major, can ye improve that other char
acter?s
The conversation was interrupted by the appear
ance on the scene of another parsonage.
Good evening"" said the Major; won't you
have scatf"
''No, thank you; 1 left my team standing in the
road, but wanted to hire man, and hearing you
folks in here / concluded to see ii l could get one
OF YOU to work for me-"
There was a silence of half minute, when one
Of the men asked: " What do you pay:'
"wen considering there is not much doing now,
think about twenty five dollars month Is about
all can afford"
"what do you expect man to do! asked an
other.
Drive team, milk the cows, plow, harrow or in
short, farm work generally"
A derisiye chuckle went round the camp. ''All
that" exclaimed one, for twenty-five dollars:"
s.And l guess fellow would have to eat in the
kitchen at that y put in another.
"And sleep in The stable p said another.
''I guess" said the Major, 'you have come to the
wrong place 10 find the man you want"
To Init I e1lx ltrha is
as you ale forcing ranehers to hire Chipar,en,
and the rancher walked off in no amiable frame OF
mind.
eThere is that everlasting Chinaman again. said
one Of the men. "whenever decent man refuses
to take beggarly wages, he has Chinaman thrust
in his teeth The eussed ranehers amt willing TO
give white chance"
..Thats what's the matter with this country. If
it wasn't for the helish Cinnamon this State would
be prosperous ike the Eastern States and"
" With wages at twelve dollars month"; inter
rupted the Major.
What's the matter with YOU: exclaimed sew
eral in voice "why didn't you take his beggarly
twenty-five dollars, and take care OF his horses, and
milk his COWS, and piow and barrow, and sleep in
his barn. and eat in his kitchen with his Chnau ell
al didn't do it because am tramp; because
vagaD0nd on the iace ot tiie eaitn 0eS"ASe
long ago lost my grip r
Here the Major took another long pull at the four
bit bottle of "illegant spirits" and continued !:
"There was time when would have taken that
mans offer, and would have made myself indis
ptnsable to him would have saved my money and
become independent. But we who have grssped for
better thipr and waiting for somebody to give US
chance as w friend just said. to make some
thing wihout the slow process Of earning it. cannot
bring ourselves to accept decent wages, and do
honest work"
"Hoorah That's better than Dimocratis
speach,n exclaimed Niles; "lets run the Major
for Governor %
zach one of you," continued the Major, has
history Your dreams Of the land of gold have
failed to be realized. You not satisfied to take
the world as it is, and hence you have become"
Thramps and yagabonds." exclaimed Miles.
..Idid not intend to say that but let it go.
viii submit the question to the candor Of each one
of you, and ask if disappointment has not made
YOU what each one Of US is to-day wreck OF human
society. q drone in the busy hive, consumer Of
--E