Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1881-04-25
An Americans Tale.

where our social little semi-literary So
ciety met shut l could tell you queer
er things than that 'ere-almig ghty queer
things. You can't learn everything out
of books, sirs. nohow. You see it amt
the men as can string English together
and has good eddieations as find them
selves in the queer places I've been in.
They're mostly rough men, sirs, as can
scarce speak Alright, far less tell with
pen and ink the things they've seen
but if they could they'd make some of
your Europeans har riz with astonish-
ment. They would sirs. you bet!''
His name was Jefferson Adams, | be-
lieve; knew his initials were J. A.,
for you may see them yet deeply whit
tied on the right hand upper panel of
our smoking-room door. He cleaned
across our ordinary quiet conviviality
like some brilliant meteor, and then
was lost in the outer darkness. That
night, however, our Nevada friend was
in full swing; and l quietly lit my pipe
and dropped into the nearest chair, anx-
ious not to interrupt his story.
"Mind you," he continued, 81 hain't
got no grudge against your men of
science. l likes and respects chap as
can match every beast and plant, from
hushleberry to a grizzly with jaw
breakin' name but if you wants real
interestin' facts, something bit juicy,
you 60 to your whalers and your from
tiersmen, and your scouts and Hudson
Bay men, chaps who mostly can scarce
sign their Names"
There was pause here. as Mr.. JEFF
ferson Adams produced long cheroot
and lit it. We preserved strict silence
in the room, for we had already learned
that on the slightest interruption our
American drew himself into his she'll
again. He glanced around with a self
satisfied smile as he remarked our ex-
pectant looks, and continued through
halo of smoke:
"Now which of you gentlemen has
been in Arizona? None, III warrant.
And of all English or Americans as can
put pen to paper, how many has been
In Arizona? Precious few, calc'late.
I've been there, sirs, lived there for
years; and when l think of what I've
seen there, why, | can scarce get myself
to believe it now.
"Ah, there's country l was one of
Walkers filibusters. as they chose to
call US; and after we'd busted up, and
the chief was shot, some on US made
tracks and located down there. A reg
lar English and American colony, we
was, with our wives and children, and
all complete. | reckon there's some of
the old folks there yet, and that they
hain't forgotten what I'm going to tell
you. No. warrant they hain't, never
on this side of the grave, sirs.
81 was talking about the country
though; and l guess l could astonish
you considerable if | spoke of nothing
else. To think of such a land being
built for a few .greasers' and half
breeds It's misusing of Providence,
that's what | calls it. Grass as hung
over chaps head as he rode through
it. and trees so thick that you couldn't
catch a glimpse of blue sky for leagues
and leagues, and orchids like umbrellas
Maybe some on you has seen a plant as
they calls the 'fy-catcher' in some parts
of the States %
''Dian@a muscipula, murmured
Dawson, our scientific man par excel
lence.
"Ah, Die near municipal that's
him You'll see fly stand on that ere
plant, and then you'll see the two sides
of leap snap up together and catch it
between them. and grind it up and
smash it to bits, for all the world like
some great sea squid with its beak; and
hours after, If you open the leaf, you'll
see the body lying half digested, and in
bits. Well, I've seen those fytraps il
Arizona with leaves eight and ten feet
long, and thorns or teeth a foot OF
more; why, they could-but I'm going
too fast! !'
"It's about the death of Joe Hawkins
| was going to tell you; bout as queer
a thing. I reckon, as ever you heard tell
on. There wasn't nobody in Montana
as didn't know of Joe Hawkins-'Ala
bama Joe, as he was called there. a
reg lar out and outer, he was. He wa,
a good chap enough, mind ye, as long
as you stroked him the right way; bu
rile him anyhow and he were worse no.
wildcat. I've seen him empty hi
six shooter into crowd as CHANGED t,
jostle him agoing into Simpsons ba
when there was a dance on; and b.
bowled Tom Hooper cause he split hi
liquor over his weskit by mistake. No
he didn't stick at murder, Joe didn't
and he weren't man to be trusted fur
ther nor you could see him.
'Now at the time | tell on, whel
Joe Hawkins was swaggerin' about tn
town and LAWN DOWN tho law with hi