The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-07-01
A STORY OF CAMPLIFE.

"Bill,' said Jack Harding, /" who's
the chap that's taken Slingsby's old
claim?'' <stf
Dunno" laconically responded the
bar-keeper. as he struck match to light
stump of a cigar; ''s'pose puf0 he's
some ones puff got more money puf)
than sense, or he'd "a let that thing
alone."s (Puf, puff. 81
.. Thet's whatI kealkilate," went on
Jack. Slingsby got busted thar, an
Jones afore him, an. dunno as emmy
man'n ever make grub in such hole"
The two men having apparently ex-
hausted the subject, Jack gazed out of
the open door, while the bar-keeper spent
his 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
thecorner, Inevery mining town there
is generally one or more men who have
gone .'to 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,
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
plying and wholly contemptuous tone:
$50 that old drunken beast has gone.
Good radiance to such rubbish;n and this
serves as the drunkard's requiem. Old
Pete Farley was known in the camp as
asot. He lived by the chance contribu-
tons of men who would give him meal
or a drink out Of charity; and quite an
item,in his income were the small sums
he washable 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 a stranger
had arrived was, therefore, to him s0me-
thing of the nature of information of an
unexpected legacy. Wild old Pete was
apparently asleep he had carefully no.
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. -. 80 - y
low Of about twenty-five, working as
only gold miners do work. Pete sat
down on the edge of the bank and watch-
cd him. As he did so he was conscious
of a 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 workerin the claim at length
paused. and noticing the old man, hailed
himjwith: 81 "a 81. ~. = 4. q ~
grsIiello. stranger! 1T IA nice day."
-a"Yoei're bout right. IL see you're
working on Slingsby's old ground -
"Yes. boughtitthc other day. Gin
ten ounces. ~ ($160.) Bs3 X
"Waal, you gin all twas with. What
mought your name be, stranger?"
''Peter Phillips" rsf
phillips! Phillips! Pears to me I've
hearn that ar name afore.''I2 stg ~
essQuite possible. There So 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 a bite? ..s ~ i.sfs- M;
Don't care If do" was the: answer
from the old man; and the two walked
together to the cabin. g.i. :, r.
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 doorshe gave him most
cordial invitation to come again, and old
Pete actually found himself walking off
without the two bits necessary 81 he
would drink that afternoon, and. more
than that, with strange feeling Of salts
faction that he had not asked for it. The
acquaintance so begun 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 long course of drinking to
do much labor. ne was in fact most ex-