Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1882-12-02
my FRIEND, THE JEDGE.

MY FRIEND, THE JEDGE. "
1t was under curious circumstances that
first met my friend, the Judge, Ur more
properly, according to his own rendering of
it, =" the Jedge." Gee day last summer,
being In Munich, l took a run down to the
Starnberg lake. The train was crowded.
Everybody who could conveniently leave
town for the afternoon appeared to be doing
SO, for 1t was dreadtully warm, and there
was temptation in the mere thought of
the cool breezes OF the lake, only an hour
or so distant.
As L stepped off the train at Starnberg,
the steamer from down the lake was land
ing her passengers at the jetty opposite the
station. At the wharf gate motley crowd
OF porters, hackmen, and by.standers gen.
orally had gathered around an individual
in straw hat and linen buster, who was
gestieulating violently in their midst. i
drew near to find what was the matter.
tell ye what, gentlemen, faint no use
whatever" l heard the man in the buster
exclaim in deep, husky voice, with good
Illinois accent. "Tain't no use. Ell
hev to stand YER till dooms. day then
there was confused hubbub of ejacula.
tons from the crowd, and a manifest dis.
POSITION to hustle the stranger unceremoni.
ously.
90 Amt thar no man about var who can
talk English ?" roared the husky voice in a
tone of mingled defiance and despair.
Yes, here, said l, stepping forward
on the first impulse. "Can | be of any
service ?"
l was instantly the center of observation,
and the crowd instinctively moved back a
step or two, giving me an opportunity tC
inspect the individual in whose behalf |
had volunteered as interpreter. saw a
ponderous man OF 80, road.shouldered and
tall, with round, full-moon, cherub face,
and an eye which, even in his present en-
barrassment, was not without its twinkle
OF good humor. His broad. brimmed straw
hat was rather far over toward the back of
his head, his linen duster fell from his
shoulders to his knees like crumpled rag,
his collar and shirt bosom were badly de-
moralized by the weather, his striped linen
pants hung on his elephantine legs in limp
and baggy folds in short, his entire ap-
pearance indicated brave and prolonged
but unsuccessful struggle with the August
thermometer.
He looked at me as l approached, and
the cherub face lit up with smile of
triumph as he extended broad hand,
palm upward and fingers distended, and
exclaimed, or rather roared Hurrah,
stranger Put it there. Now we'll chow
these wandals thing or two"
The crowd laughed outright at his ex-
ultant manner, and had all I could do to
repress broad smile as took the prof.
fered hand, and asked what the matter
was.
This ere chap with the gold band
around his cap" he said, pointing to a por.
ter who stood by holding tight to a rusty
looking leather valise with collapsed
sides, as if there were nothing in it
" this ere chap grabbed my valise as
came off the boat, and want it again.
that's all. You can jes' tell him that for
me, if you please, stranger"
WHAT are you doing with that valise, I"
| asked the servant.
"The herr told me to carry it for him, -
was the reply.
But how could he tell you? You see
he doesn't speak German"
''Yes, but he pointed to it, as much as
20 tell me to take it.
"Nonsense Drop it and CO." said 1,
minutes.
The fellow saw that was in earnest, SO
he sullenly dropped the valise and disap-
peared in the crowd.
Is Sich set O thievin' scamps I never
did see, said the cherub, with a good
natured laugh. 81 only wish | could talk
this lingo. I'm everlastin'ly obliged to ye,
stranger. My names Jedge johnson, OF
Reshtigo, Wis. You are American, too %
told him was and gave him my name,
adding that it afforded me great pleasure
to have protected afellow-countryma man from
imposition.
Come and let's hev somethin'," he ex-
claimed, impulsively.
| felt obliged to decline, for the boat was
about starting and | had to hurry on board
" You don't stop over here, do you?" /
asked.
I'm agoin' TO take the first train for
through ticket"
You'd better be getting on, then" l
told him. "That is your train, and it
leaves in about three minutes"
So he and | shook hands again. "Mister
-" said he in pathetic tone, as he
grasped my hand and struck dramatic at
hsANSJ iii plCasGu 10 We met
ye. Whether we ever meet again or no,
don't yer forget it, I'm always yer friend.
the Jedge," and giving my hand parting
squeeze that sent twipge up to the very
collar. bone, he seized the rusty valise.
rushed frantically across the track, and in
another moment had vanished into the in
terror of third. class car. And that was
my first acquaintance with my friend 'the
Jedge."
l really never expected to have the pleas.
ure of meeting his honor again. Time
passed by, and when memory now and then
brought him back to me, pictured him
serene and happy once more on the bench
of his Wisconsin Court. house, dispensing
impartial justice among the pines OF Resi-.
tigo or RECALLING his associates with spicy
recitals of his experiences among the
wsndals of Europe. But last autumn
business called me to Bordeaux, and it SO
happened that found myself with week
10 wait before the matters l had in hand
could be consummated. How to fill up the
week was question. There was Arcachon
but it was rather late in the season.
There was Royan-but everybody had gone
and the hotels were closed. Why not take
a trip into northern Spain and see the Bis.
cay provinces, suggested Nieoret, my
Landlord. tne idea took my fancy at once,