The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-06-10
4 STORY OF CAMPLIFE.

= PAOANAf - 49, - ~
"Bill,'' said Jack Harding, who's
the chap that's taken slingsby's old
~Dunno," laconically responded the
bar-keeper. as he struck match to light
q stump of cigar; "s'pose puff he's
some ones puff gotmore money (puff)
than sense, or he'd "a let that thing
alone Puff, puff.
:" Thet's what l kealkilate,' went on
Jack. &c Slingsby got busted thar, an
Jones afore him, an dunno as emmy
man'll ever make grub in such hole"
The two men having apparently ex-
hausted the subject, Jack gazed out of
che open door, while the bar-keeper spent
Ais time catching flies and throwing them
at old Pete Farley, who, although it was
only twelve o'clock in the day, was APP
parently in his usual drunken sleep in
the corner. In every mining town there
Is generally one or more men who have
gone Ito the Dogs from the use of drink
How they live is a mystery, for they no
sooner get few cents than they spend
them for liquor Sleeping in bar-rooms,
getting their meals as chance dictates,
and often not getting them at all, they
gradually sink lower and lower, until
suddenly one hears that so-and-so is dead;
dead in the gutter or in some tumble
down shed in which he has crept to die.
Possibly some man may say, in half
pitying and wholly contemptuous tone:
$50 that old drunken beast has gone.
Good radiance to such rubbish" and this
serves as the drunkard's requiem. Old
Pete Farley was known in the camp as
a sot. He lived by the chance contribu-
tions of men who would give him meal
or drink out of charity; and quite an
item in his income were the small sums
he was able to borrow from strangers.
Miners are exceedingly generous men,
and Pete's requests for the loan of two
bits (twenty- five cents) were rarely re-
fused at first The news that stranger
had arrived was, therefore, to him some
thing of the nature of information of an
unexpected legacy. Whild old Pete was
aPPafenny s.siSeP had carefully mo-
ticed what was said, and he soon after
wards got up, left the saloon and made
his way to Slingsby's old claim up the
gulch.
Arriving there he found young fell
low of about twenty-five, working as
only gold miners do work. Pete sat
down on the edge of the bank and watch
ed him. As he did so he was conscious
of curious feeling of admiration, and
an equally curious reluctance to breach
the object'of his visit, a reluctance he
did not remember having felt for many
years. The worker in the claim at length
paused, and noticing the old man, hailed
him with: fa
Hello, stranger! It's nice day.
''You're bout right. / see you're
working on Slingsby' old ground.''
Eyes. i boughtit the other day. Gin
ten ounces" ($160.)
''Waal, you gin all twas wuth. What
mought your name be, stranger?'
''Peter Phillips.'' 't'
'.Phillips! Phillips! Pears to me I've
hearn that ar name afore.n 5sa ftA.
quite possible. Theresa good sight
OF Phillipses going round. It's about
dinner time, stranger, an my cabins
just up there. Won't you step in an
take bitep'inaa $50 iH h.s
Don't care if do,'' was the answer
from the old man; and the two walked
together to the cabin.
Phillips made old Pete thoroughly well
come, fed him well, and talked to him
for over an hour. When they got up to
go out OF the door he gave him a most
cordial invitation to comesagain, and old
Pete actually found himself walking off
without the two bits necessary If he
would drink that afternoon, and, more
than that, with strange feeling of salts
faction that he had not asked for it. The
acquaintance obegun increased rapidly.
Not day passed that the old man did
not make his way to Slingsby's, or Phil
lips claim, as it now began to be called,
where he would sit on the bank, and
talk to its owner while he worked. AL
though old Pete was too much broken
down by q long course of drinking to
do much labor, he was in fact a most ex-
perienced miner, and his advice to the
younger man was of so much value that
before very long the despised claim be-
gan to be known as a paying property.
Young Phillips, recognizing the aid given
him, insisted that old Pete should con-
slider himself one Ut the owners, and at
she first cleanup afterwards handed him
his share of the dust ~ tr
The 4 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 ole 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 toreturn, saying. 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 repeat
ing his disgraceful act He suggested that