Maryland independent. [volume] (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1874-current, 1883-05-25
TALBor's BOYS.

AAoO4 - bO -,
Old Smally was "no g od.' Nc
slang ever suited his case until Zinc
Barnes applied mo good" which he
had picked up during visit to the
Bay. That's just what Smally is
boys. I'm telling you; no good and
nothing else goes; but that goes, even
if he hears it."
"But what started yer on old
Smally, Zinc?" Mr.. Reddy, the hotel
keeper, asked. cheerfully enough.
Well, I'll just tell you, Reddy,'
Zinc began, ,meditatively kneading some
plug smoking tobacco in the palm OF
his left hand with the right, when
was down to the Bay who'd yer think
1 seem"
Mr.. Reddy and the crowd looked
! their inability to guess who, of all the
! people in San Francisco, it had been
MIR. Barnes peculiar happiness to see,
and waited in perfect silence while he
emptied the tobacco from his hand
into bis pipe. Carefully lighting the
latter, Zinc sent forth a big ring of
smoke, took a speculative squint
through it, and then said, with the
/ satisfaction of man who knows he
has a sensation on hand, "Parson Tai
bot p
1t was something before any one
spoke. Finally Reddy got his amaze
ment spread mouth sufficiently closed
to exclaim, The-e-e deucep'
"Heerd he'd gone back TO the
States
Where's he prospectin now?''
"Old ParsOn Talbot; well, yer did
strikeit rich, Zinc" Ig 8 Z
"How's his folks? Don't yer re-
member them kids of his'n, and that
smart little womanp'
While this shower Of remarks was
pattering down on Zinc, two young
men who had been talking quietly il
| one corner of the room went over and
Joined the party at the bar. i. =. a., 49,
One was dressed in the roughniner,l
garb worn by most of the crowd the
bother a little better, but not out OF
keeping with his surroundings. Til,
latter. addressing Barnes, said i" Yor
don't mind my listening, | hope;
know Parson Talbot"
"Any mans welcome to hear what
Zinc Barnes says about Parson Talbot
stranger, for ] amt got nothing but
good to say Of him. Parson Talbot
looks sight older than he did wher
he left Hangtown in the winter of Sc
busted. But ye asked me, Reddy
what started me on old Smally, anC
that's what I'll tell You. l ran right
agin the parson one morning at The
Bay, but wouldn't know him, only HI
braced up to me and says, holdin' out
his hand in that easy way of his
Amt l speaking to Zinc Barnes ?
'Ye are, stranger, | said, and then ht
smiled in that way We remember, who
ever knew him, and I yelled out, Par
son Talbot. by. I j think | was going
to say gosh but the parson didn't
run no chances. seein' as how he knew
my way, and Clipped in before l fin
ished. Well. he asked me out to his
house, sayin' l would meet the ole
lady, and have dinner with him that
evening. l found out the parson wa;
preachin' as stiddy lay out. Well,
went out to his house, and it pears
they don't pay much for preachin'
even from q regular parson, in some Of
these districts at the Bay. He seemed
to be located pretty near the edge OF
the camp, for we were an hour getting
there in hoss car, and his little house
| didn't show no signs that he had struck
/ it over rich. But the old lady didn't
seem to mind it, for she was as clipper
as ever. and how she did enjoy talking
about old timesl Well, after dinner the
parsOn had to 60 to the meetin'-house
When the parson was gone the old
lady told the whole story about that
deal old Smally gave the parson in
Hangtown in 1855. | never heard the
whole story before and never knew how
bad old Smally played the parson. |
tell you, gentlemen, old Smally's nc
good. 1t seems that the parson had
saved nearly $4,000 out of
all the rich strikes he had
made, and was goin' back tothe States
with it and settle down, for he was
awfully dead set on bringin' up those
two boys of his back East, and eddica-
ting them where he went to school
himself. Well, it was just then that
Smally, who was not old then, ran
across the parson, and roped him into
quartz claim. IreCkon the claim was
good enough and worth what they paid
for it, which took all the parson had
and some of Smally's coin, too. They
struck it pretty rich one day, and had
big offer to sell right away. That
just suited the parsOii, for he was
aching to get aboard the steamer for
the States. Smally worked the sale,
and to do it got some kind of paper
from the parson, who knew no more
about business than a Piute about
whisky poker. Smally got he money
and sloped. They brought him back,
you remember, Reddy, but when they
come to law about it it, turned out
the parson had signed paper agen
which he had no show in court. They
had to let him go, and any man who
was in Hangtown then knows he saved
his neck gettin' out Of sight quicker n
he had before. Well, the parson was
kinder hroken-hearted. He didn't
squeal; that want his kind; but he
slipped quietly away, all the life gone
out of his voice. and hardly the courr
age to dig up stakes and move, 'cept
for that little wife of his-goin', Mr.,
Howard? r. Barnes suddenly asked, for
the young miner suddenly left the
group surrounding Zinc. Howard wal
already at the door before answering,
shortly, " Yes, goodnight" When the
door had closed before him Redtly, ad-