The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1883-02-10

who had dug and delved for months to
get few dollars ahead saw it pass into
the hands of those hyenas. 90
When Richard Smith lost his dust and
raised kick one of the gamblers put a
knife into him to settle the argument.
That action stirred up the town, and in
the row that followed four or five men
were killed and as many more wound
ed. After this affair the town was
pretty quiet for fortnight, and then
occurred the incident set out to re-
late.
One of the best-natured men in camp
was man from Connecticut, generally
known by the name of Clock Jones.
When he lie t Frisco for the diggings
he carried with him an old-fashioned
family clock, and for year or two he
and the clock were ''pards" and tray
eled in company and were never out of
sight OF each other. In this way he
came to be known by the front name
of "Clock," and if the title did not
please him no one ever heard him OBJ.
ject to it. ~. E .,..I.r ....
repeat that he was one of the best
natured men in camp. He was never
discouraged, never out of sorts, and
had never been known to have a row
with any one. He had none , saved up
to return home to his dear ones, and
was only waiting for spring to open to
take his departure
At some time in the past Clock Jones
had been drunkard. Perhaps the
tears and prayers of loving wife had
wrought his rescue. He had braced
against the awful vice, and none of us
had ever known him to taste the stuff.
Well, it might have been curiosity that
one daF led the man to enter the shanty
of the worst blackleg of all. If not
that, then he was drawn there, as Fate
has drawn her victims here and there
before. He was man who would not
touch cards, and, as l said before, we
had never seen him taste, liquor. And
yet within half an hour after he had
entered that den he was whooping
drunk and being plucked of his money.
Several OF his friends made efforts to
get him out of the clutches of the
blacklegs, but their kind words were
answered by threats and curses. The
man had changed from quiet, God
fearing miner to bowling, reckless,
brawling demon in thirty minutes.
One sip of whisky had created cray
ing for drink, and dram had followed
dram with frightful avidlty. 81.
We couldn't let him go on that way,
and finally miner named Williams was
prevailed upon to make another effort.
We selected this man because at home
he was neighbor of Jones, and be-
cause he, too, had saved up q snug little
n,I xrro,,lI
The two men, a ter a hard days work,
had sat together by the cheerful fire OF
evening and anticipated their return
home. They had planned how they
would reach home in the evening, still
wearing their old clothes and long
boards and rough looks, and after an
absence of seven years n, one. would
know them as they walked the streets of
the village. They would quietly APP
proach their own homes, and their
knock would be answered by the wife
who had waited and hoped AMI lived on
hoping. He would speak to her as
stranger, and he would be on the point
of turning away when something in
voice and gesture would tell her that the
long-gone husband was home at last.
So they had planned, and neither had
been ashamed OF the tears which welled
mp to his eyes at the recollections of
home.
We sought out Williams and entreated
him to interfere and save his friend,
and he walked straight to the gamblers
abin. Jones had lost every dollar OF
his money and was fighting drunk.
st ONE, Clock, come away" coaxed
Williams.
81 won't! ! want more whisky and
chance to win my money back!' shout
ed Jones. d..i... .
For your wife's sake, come away"
entreated Williams.
Il tell you | won't, and if you don't
go away Il kill your yelled Jones, as
he tiourished his shooter around
Williams walked over and LAID his
hand on his friend shoulder and whis-
pered: l-''
"Come, old neighbor, remember wife
and children - , go,
Course wife and children and YOU,
too was the fierce exclamation from
the maddened man, and with that he
fired to kill.
The bullet did not kill. Indeed, it did
nOG nlG w ulldIllS dt all, DuI Cne name Oh
the powder blinded him in flash and
forever. He carried his hands to his
ia e, stepped back a pace or two, and
can never forget how his voice went to
every heart as he cried out:
"Oh man, you have blinded me,
and shall never see wife and children
againp
The demon fed from Clock Jones
heart as that wall reached It, In a mo-
ment he was pale as death and as sober
as at any hour in his Ii e. Slowly. as
the darkness of his brain was lighted up
by the return of reason, he comprehend
ed what he had DONE He looked from
face to face and saw the horror resting
on each countenance. Then he took
poor Williams hands down from his
face, kissed him on his cheek, and
stepped ba4 k and blew his own brains
out before hand could be raised to
prevent Detroit Free Press. ''t
AND NOW is THERE NEED FOR TEM-
PERANcE WORK in our Sunday-schools?
With this country spending early $780,
100000 for drink tsix times what it
spends for education drinking up the
value OF the books in the librar es of the
land in less than two months the total
value of all the church proper in the
United States in less than six months,
Tho total amount ucad x.oo r1xy Cos both