, 1884-09-18


delicate feminine hand and dated WISH
ington, D. c..
I received a picture of a gentleman,
taken at your gallery, and / am wholly ig-
norant Of who it may be-. 1t was directed
to Capitol avenue. and as there is no such
street here the letter sas sent to the Dead
Letter office. l Ann so anxious to know
who the gentleman is, hat 1 thought /
would write to you and see if you could
give me any information L viii describe
the photo as near as l can and would send
it if | was not afraid of losing it. The
gentleman has a fine looking face with
mustache. He is standing beneath a large
tree with his right hand resting ON the
muzzle Of his gun. He is dressed in a
hunters suit with a large hat on his head.
The pants have fringe up the outside of
each leg. He has a bowie knife near the
front of his belt on the right, and q revolt
yer on the left, a whip IN his left hand
and the right leg standing erosswise of the
left. The butt of the gun is standing on
the ground in the centre of circle made
by a large rope. He, is. altogethera very
fine looking man and | would like ever 20
much to know who he-is. May possibly
be some of my forgotten friends. If you
could tell me who he is | should be very
much obliged to you. If you will be kind
enough to answer my letter, you will
oblige." t.rrr
The letter closed with the full name and
address of the writer who has evidently
INDUCED in some wild. but sentimental
speculation, regarding the original of the
photograph.
The young gentleman who has caused
such a futter in the cardiac app~urtenance
Of the fair Washingtonian has but
lately arrived here from his
home in the effete East and
belongs to that rather large class of people
who obtain their generic title from the
fact hat their pedal extremities are free
from callous.
The young mans parents are wealthy,
and he himself, thinking to make hay
while the sun shone. invested quite 4
respectable sum in bovine properly.
What caught the young man immediately
upon his arrival here was the wild and
picturesque forgery of the cowboy There
was such a freedom from conventional
restraint in the cowboy attire. such sug-
g~estions of the boundless and breezy
"perairie," and such hints of the ragged
edge of frontier civilization, that the
pilgrim was completely paraiyzed by the
general effect of the costumes.
The visitor straightway hied him to an
outftter's and in a 6t of reckless extnva-
gance invested enough in border garments
to purchase several well-growu heifer
calves.
The garments procured, his first thought
was to have his picture taken in them 50
hat his faraway Eastern friends might
observe the deadly and sanguinary cast a
few hours residence here gave their dar-
ling mind.
When he finally appeared before the
photographer he had undergone a perfect
transformation. His high-backed col
lar, Derby hat and tooth-pick shoes had
disappeared and in their stead appeared
something ike the following
A rather tall young man with a slender,
willowy frame and a pale, intellectual
cast of co~untenancs. On his head was
a Mexican sombrero, very generous
in quantity as to brim and literally be-
spangled with gilt stars and other gey-
gaws. On his back was a canvas coat
with a flaming red lining. underneath
which was a mud-colOred flannel shirt,
tied at the neck with a crimson silk hand
kerchief A pair of canxas trpwsem on
his lower extremities were showed into
heavy cow-hide boots, over which were
drawn a pair of leather ehaperqos, iber-
ally fringed along the sides and somewhat
absent as to the sposterior elevation.
Clanking at his heels were a pair Of
heavily chained Mexican spurs, with
rowels two inches in diameter. His slender
waist was encircled by a broad leather
belt which contained 8 prodigai display Of
45-caliber cartridges and pending from
which was n leather ,scabbard out Of
which the heavy butt Of a death-dealine
Colts revolver protruded. On the oppo-
site side a huge bowie knife was placed
within handy reach In one hand he. car
ried a rife and in the other a beautifully
plated quirt.
The irst sight of this sanguiBaFy figure
FRUSTRATED the operator in a deathly faint
and threw a youthful assistant into such
frightful commissions that his life was fol
some time despaired of & sseE .
A positive assurance FROM 1.-THE visitor
that he was merely Humankind nevel
harmed anybody that ebeerfully did hi
bidding brought Notwithstanding oper
ator to the front.
The pilgrim was placed in proper posi-
ton and his features given an appalling
cast when by his direction he wRs en-
circled with a rawhide 7lariat. He at frs
wished to have his photograph takel
with a heavy oublescineh saddle show
ing its long ladigo straps aud AappinI
tapidaros, but the difficulty of introduc
ing it casually into.the picture and Attn
same time giving it subordinate interes
to his own trappings, caused him to Civ
up this idea. !
Finally being properly posed an old bu
very reliable camera was limbered int