The Sedalia weekly bazoo. [volume] (Sedalia, Mo.) 187?-1904, 1883-02-27
POULTNEY SLIKE.
Some Speculative Theology in
Sciatica 0ulch

Brooklyn Eagle.
"Yes," replied the gentleman from
the Gunnison country. "we have a
right smart o civilization hanging on
the fences around our way. Most
folks thinks We are heather, but I'm
twittering that we are as far up as
they climb in any locality and the
speaker poured little more
modification into his glass of water and
contemplated it reAectively.
"Hsve preaching in that section ?"
inquired an interested Brooklyn man.
''Well, Stranger, should sparkle
Sundays about the liveliest day We
entertain. Been 50 ever since POultney
Siike staked out a piety claim down
in Sciataca Gulch. Ever hear Poult-
ney preach, stranger? Ever had any
facilities for hearing the doxologv
outn the PACKAGE"
"DOn't remember that ever have"
responded the Brooklyn man.
'Then you've missed a heap of
Christianity. Poultney got in there
with grab stake, but prospecting
WAS rather poor, and ne cot keen for
some other lay. He tried keeras, but
they got him every deal. and then
peddled bug spit and practiced law at
the same time. and they downed him
at that. Being eddicated, he tackled
the school business, and started in to
show the diggers how to throw the
long words. But he got lofty and
tried to stick an extra n on dam. and
they made cradles out'n his school
house. and that grounded him again.
But POutney was an energy man. and
the next thing they knowed he'd got
up singing-class, and was bowling
high c from sun-up to roost. That
took pretty well, and he might have
caught on to nuggets, but the class
kicked agin' the idea of q mans ram
ming around the hills after an old fiat
horn, when he had ninety.nint that he
could lsv his thumb on. So the sing.
ing-echool caught fire, and Poultney
was left to 6gger out another dodge"
He was in hard luck" suggested
the Brooklyn man.
apparently. but he fetched loose.
Nobody ever knowed where he hook.
ed on to the pious scheme. But it
was the greatest lick ever struck in
them parts. Poultney KEEP it to him.
self until he got ready to spring it,
then didn't he make 'em crawl. He
busted out one morning, and before
night he had downed the whole camp
Men was bowling, and Poultney was
going it, $50 to the ton every whack.
The whole business was going straight
to HI. and unless they repented they |
would be signed like a TURKEY. Of
course they didn't know anything !
about repenting, and Poultney was
putting up the price of instruction |
right along and coming grease by the |
hat full. He had to hire three clerks
to make change, and he had q barrel
in his tent. loaded to the top with dust |
and rolling out'n the bung. In four
days he had all the money in Sciatica
Gulcb. and the amount of repenting |
that had been done, beside that what |
was going on, would have paid the |
aational debt and left enough for an.
other war;
1T only shows ruminated the
Brooklyn man, ''that fellow will hit |
the right thing if he sticks long enough. |
"But Poultney had forgotten one |
thing" continued the gentleman from
the Gunslson. He had lost sight of |
the man who had grub-staked him. |
You know when one man grub-stakes /
another, the grubber ls entitled to
half the prospect. When the fellow !
up at Denver heard hsw Poultney wa
making out, he began to reach for his |
slice. Down he came. like q land
slide, and notified Poultney that he
would look into the accounts, and
Peultney tod him to look after his soul. |
That made the other fellow mad, and !
he began to make trouble. At first
the camp was so busy repenting that
they had no time fer him, but he hung
on and claimed that Poultney's sal
walton was no good until he had div
We'd what the concern had taken in.
Poultney held out ON him, and the
grubber started opposition. Stranger.
salvation fell from two hundred
and fifty dollars to a
dollar and seventy-ive cents in one
forenoon! They belted away at each
other until it began to look as though
the whole business was going to be
free. Poultney cut rates first, but the
grubber was there, and the boys climb
ed in for results, because they couldn't
tell when the two would pool and put
II nm AGAIN. Some fellows laid In