Phillipsburg herald. [volume] (Phillipsburg, Kan.) 1882-1905, 1883-09-13
dow the Colonel Paid His Hotel Biu.

dow the Colonel Paid His Hotel Bill.
Before Colonel W. became COM
fortabIy settled in life he had many ups
and downs of fortune. Once he carried
a number of slaves to New Orleans, and
made very successful sale. He under
took, however, to increase his supply of
money by methods which involved more
elements of chance than were connected
with his regular business. It was an
unlucky venture, and in a very short
time he found himself with only money
enough to pay his passage on boat as
far up the river as Natchez. Although
he had not dollar in his pocket, when
he reached NatcheZ he put up at the
best public-hOuse. He wore a broad
cloth suit and a silk hat, and sported
gold-headed cane with which he would
not have parted for many times its value
He bore himself with an easy dignity,
calculated to impress all who saw him
with the belief that he was capitalist
with abundant resources, who might be
induced to invest some thousands in the
property of the town. A week had
nearly passed, and he had not succeeded
in putting enough money in his purse
to pay his landlord. One Sunday after
noon, when he was seriously thinking of
making a stealthy exit at night. he
learned that the roughs and gamblers,
who at that time formed q considerable
part of the population of Natchez, had
assembled on public road not far from
the town to witness some fOOt-raceS.
He at once started thitherward, and
reached the place just as an athletic and
tierce-lOOking fellow, who was exulting
over his victories; offered in a loud voice
to bet fifty dollars that he could beat
anybody on the ground in a race ofOne
hundred yards. The Colonel remembered
that he himself had been fleet of foot
in his younger days, and, pressed by dire
necessity, he resolved to try his luck on
this occasion. So in the pause which
followed the champions challenge he
stepped forward, and making a stately
bow, said, quietly: 81 will take your
bet, thir." The bully looked at him a
few moments in contemptuous surprise,
and said: ''Well put up your money.
With a courtly wave of the hand
the Colonel replied, deprecatingly:
Their it'll no need, thir, of that formal
ity between gentlemen. am a gentle
man, and [ take you to be one. If l
loothe the rattle I will pay you the fifty
dOllarth; if you loOthe it, l do not doubt
The word Of a gentleman it'll hith bond.
The rough and desperate men present
seemed to regard this as a very remark
able proposition, and for a time the
challenger was nonplussed. He steadi-
ly and suspiciously eyed the polite and
| well-dressed stranger, and finally said,
with significant emphasis: Cali right,
old boy; but if there's any fickerin' in
this thing, you may know what to ex-
pect."
Without further parley the Colonel
Invested himself of coat, vest and hat,
and, placing them with his cane upon
the grass, stepped out upon the road,
and put himself in position by the side
of the champion. The spectators
| evinced the liveliest interest in the race,
| and ranged themselves along each side of
the road. Bets were freely offered at
| enormous odds against the rash stranger,
who certainly did not look a match for
his stalwart competitor; hut there
were few of these bets taken. At a
| given signal the men darted off amidst
the yells of the delighted crowd. For
nearly the whole distance the two con-
testants, who seemed to be straining
every nerve, kept side by side, but
when within about twenty yards of the
goal the Colonel, by dint of extraordi-
nary effort, shot ahead, and won the
race. He was now the hero of the hour,
and as he walked back to the starting
point, exhausted and almost breathless,
he was heartily cheered by the excited
spectators. His opponent came up
promptly and paid him the fifty dollars,
and at the same time challenged him
for another trial.
'No, thank you, thir, said the Colo
mel, as he pocketed the money; 81 make
it rule never to run more than one
rathe day"
He then carefully put on his vest,
coat and hat, placed his cane under his
arm, made one of his profoundest bows,
and with a. pleasant ''Good-afternoon,
gentlemen" strutted complacently
away. That evening he paid his bill at
the hotel and took boat for Nashville.
Colonel W-used to relate this in
cident with relish, and when asked
what he intented to do in case he lost
the race, he would say: ''Well, to tell
you the truth, it wath desperate
cathe; but [ made up my mind that if l
didn't win, would keep on running,
and never look behind until reached
Teneththee. ',-Harper' Magazine.
IKE Chickadnn