San Marcos free press. [volume] (San Marcos, Tex.) 1877-1892, 1882-08-31

passed that the old man did not make
his way to Slingsby's or Phillips claim,
as 1t now began to be called, where he
would sit on the bank. and talk to the
owner while he worked. Although old
Pete was toomuch broken down by a long
course of drinking to do much labor,
no was in fact a most experienced min.
er, and his advice to the young man
was OF 80 much value that before very
long the despisea claim began to be
known as paying property. Young
Phillips, recognizing the aid given him,
insisted that old Pete should consider
himself one of the owners, and at the
first clean up afterwards handed him
his share of the dust.
The gift was unfortunate. The old
man went down to the camp and before
night was horribly drunk. Some one
suggested to him, while he was in this
state, that he should go and see his
new "pard." Old Pete accordingly
staggered up to the claim, where he
found the young fellow just leaving
work. Phillips took him to the cabin
and put him to bed. The next morning
he told the old man, in a way that
could not be misunderstood, that the
thing must never happen again. He
had taken from him what dust he had
left, and this he refused to return say
ing that he intended to keep it safe.
Old Pete was ludicrously penitent, but
he was also unquestionably very much
ashamed of himself, and anxious to
avoid repeating his disgraceful act.
He suggested that with his known
habits, sobriety, as long as he lived in
the camp was difficult. To this Phillips
agreed, and proposed that the two &C.
cupy the cabin for the future, the old
man to act as cook and. do what work
around the claim he could.
And SO it was settled, much to the
mingled establishment and amusement
of the men in the camp, who had so
long looked on old Pete Farley as a
common drunken sot. Old Pete and
his "pard" were standing subject for
jokes, and for long time any allusion
to them resulted always in setting the
crowd in q roar. It must not be sup
posed that the old man gave up liquor
at once, but he certainly did try to re-
frain. He kept away from the saloon
and rarely went to camp at all. prefer
ring to stay in the cabin, which was
about mile away. One thing he did
do, however. When he took too much,
he kept away from Phillips. Nothing
that could be said to him would induce
him to repeat his experiment Of
visiting "his 'patd on such occasions.
One afternoon the old man went to
the camp to buy some groceries. With
the best intentions in the world, he al
lowed Jake Harding to delude him into
taking one drink, and after that he was
lost. About six O'Clock Phillips stalked
into the saloon, and there found old
Pete, drunk, standing on the table
trying to make speech, with grinning
crowd around him. TO make his way
into the crowd, and pull the old man
off the table, was for young Phillips
the work of minute.
Then putting his arm around him he
turned to the door to 60 out Jake, in
spired by bad whisky, took it into his
head to bar the way, and with the re-
mark, Hold on, young Teller, yer can't
take your baby off afore we're done
with him." caught hold of old Pete's
arm. The next second Jake was lying
in a corner, and Phillips said:
as there any one else wants to try
it,"
There was dead silence, and the two
passed out.
The next day old Pete was penitent
as ever. In the evening, while they
we're smoking after supper, young
Phillips said:
pete, I'll tell you a bit OF story
that'll kinder explain why I hate liquor
SO. My mother is as good woman as
ever the Lord let live. She married a
man who was said to be-for 1 don't
recollect him-as handsome and as good
q man as could be. They were very
/ .- 1,r,o1Lar ond I pvae horn 'bOut