The Osceola times., 1881-10-22
ANCIENT L0AfER.
A speeimen of the Genus Homo Common
In Country I;ar-Rooms.
Kingdom ~. " Freeman

King;ton "a. y Freeman.
The subject of these lines is usually
f,npd in the bar-roOm ofa country hotel
old and weather-beaten is he, with the
grim Of toll upon his wrinklcd hands
and bis aged form bent with the weight
If Gears. he is conscious in a din, un,
defined way, that he has been hardly
used that In the battle with fac he has
received some. blows below ihe belt
which have effectually removed wha,
hope he may have had Of winning the
lKbt. And now from the summit Of his
so years, be looked back over The long
and dusty way he has trod with weary,
aching feet and wonders how he has
climbed 90 high. Even now he can be
seen at Martins Hotel on the SauGerties
road, in the tap-roOm Of that ftmcus
hos elry, sitting in an armchair tilted
back against the wall, mis- few scattered
locks covered 10y the remnants of
straw hat, his Kentucky jean trousers
supported by one suspender, and his feet
thrust stockinsless into pair Of cows
hide shoes. He has succeeded ia find
ips somewhere in the cayern0us depth
of bis pocket, bag which at sometime
in the dim past contained tobacco, and
his trembling fingers seafch Tor the
morsels which have collected IN the
corners. carefully placing them when
found. between his toothless jaw and his
leather like cheek, with an expression
of intense satisfaction. Amer patiently
listening 10 the conversation Of two an
glers, who had Just returned from a fish
ing trip to Esopus, the fossil suddenly
haoon1pe instinct with lie.
You felers can't ketch no fish y he
yehemently remarks.
"Why not ?' mildly inquired one Of
the party. :,
case yer don't know how" and as
he warmed the subject and the blood
commenced TO move in his mummy.like
veins, continued paironizinglyi You
don't see me using any neWlangled bait;
no sir ee-none O your dobsils an sich
ON nv line when TN arter bass; ils give
me a crasshopper ans I'll pull em ont
faster'n We kin take 'em otl'n the hook
The speaker thinking he detected an
increduous look on the faces Of his lis
teners, continued his remarks by an APP
peal 90 friend: an leave It 70 Sile
Jones, over theIe; say, Sile, amt 1t so2'
and Silas solemuly affirmed II us true rs
holy writ.
The aged Walton went on: u seed a
feller-sort o. q stylish chap--down 10
the bridge Yesterday, an lac didn't haye
a fishin' pole no thicke'n my iinger
with a little clocl, onto it, an wen he
hooked a fish thar the darn fool stood
turnin' the handle o. that little clock,
an the fish runnn' roun' an roun', an
the little fshin' pole bendin', and swar
now amt that the Gods truth, Sile Y'
To which forcible interrogation Silas
nodded vigorously. "lf he didn't mon-
Key an monkey, continued the anIedi-
luyian, "hr purity nigh half an our with
that ere bass alore he got his ilippers
onto him. Now that's what / call cussed
nonsense. None o yer monkeyin' with
bass when he gets holt o my grass
hopper, | yank 'om out If lose a leg"
and the blear ewes Of the ancient turned
with longing look toward the bar, and
then toward his auditors; but seeing no
indication of an answer to his mute ap-
peal he relapsed into semi'iorpldiiy
again, until the departure Of the fishing
patty reused him long enough 10 say :
81 kinder think you fellers is iist like
that darn fool | seen yesterday J!