The Arkansaw traveler., 1884-12-06
THE OLD, OLD STORY.

[Bin Nye, in San Francisco ingleside. think that one reason there are SO few good story tellers among us is that the listeaers are, in many instances, so will fully and so stubbornly unappreciative that it tends towards discouraging tke skillful narration of firyt-class anecdotes.
 There were four of us together coming across "the divide" few years ago, and this principle was then and there eluci- dated. Cibeon, Gregg and myself were congenial acquaintances, and we would have enjoyed the long ride if it had not been for a man named Sa~sage, who had only recently escaped from some low priced educational institution. He had acquired a few cast-iron facts of the cyclope iia variety, and with the odos of the yaledic.ory all through hs clothes he was making tour of the coast and Col orado. He was what you might call one of those really statistical, brainy, young reservoirs of informa ation, who burst forth from the alma mater with the intention of going to congress in two years, but finally compromise the matter forty years later by running for overseer of highway and getting showed under by about i37 majority.
 When Cibbon saw Mr. Savage get on the stage he said 10 me in low voice: "Nye, we are undone. SawsSge will, doubtless, endeavor to relate some anec- dote to us on the way, and then shall commit an atrocious crime" But he didn't do SO the first ten miles. He contented himself by shedding other information and explaining things that he had just found in his physical geogra. phy and stunning us with the hard words that always float around in the aquarium which young men refer to as their brains.
 Finally, however, some one reminded him of story. Gregg tried to turn the conversation, but it was of no use. Said he: It seems that many years ago a traveller or tourist of some description, whose name is imm aterial-"
 Funny name," said Gregg. "Don't you think SO, Gibbon" "Yes. Foreigner, probably. knew man named Jimmy Tenal once, though"
 We discussed the name for four or five miles, and then aiIo~ed Savage % rro- ceed.
 "Well, as l was going to say, this tourist, traveller or sojouraer was pro- pounding inquiries relative to the climate changes and isothernal-"
 Now, pardon me-" said Cibbon, but are you sure that word is not pronounced isofheymal =
 ventured to remark that isosh<ymal was the correct accent while Gregg sided with Savage. From quiet discussion this grew into regular row which lasted at least ten miles. Then we allowed the narrative to proceed.
 "Well, at least, to make s long story short, the traveller and a native of this country"
 Remember his name?" asked Gregg. "We've got the other mans name. We ought to have this one.n
 1No," says Savage. @I didn't give the tourists name, you remember" -A beg pardos,1 said Gregg dont want to seem quesvlous and all the time kicking up a row with . comparative stranger, but you certainly gave us the other genteman's name"
 We then had long and highly enjoy able quarrel. during which Cibbon and challenged Gregg and Savage to light us in dark room, each man to be blind folded and armed with an adzs. Bcsf man to pay all funeral expenses and scrub out the room nexf day.
 To this Csegg agreed, bat savsage said
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