Daily Yellowstone journal. [volume] (Miles City, Mont.) 1882-1893, 1884-11-14
MAJ. WATTS SAID SO.
IBen wyl,le In Chicago News. I

base line road, The Tamarack folk
had never seen man act like that, ant
pretty soon the whole village was in I
subducd uproar of excitement, If vol
know what 4 subdued uproar is. Tn,
villagers stopped all work and mosiet
over To the store TO see what ii all meant
When school let out for recess all tn,
boys and some of the girls camt
running oyer to see what the gathering
of citizens was about. One villager-
Dan followed Maj. Watts, the
stage-tlri,cr. over TO the stable and
asked him who the stranger was. The
major never admits his ignorance or
any question. so he merely shut one eye
and drew one corner of his mouth down
till he thought he looked about as wise
rs they make EN-, and replied:
"Neycr you mind. He knows his biz,
an hes goin' to tend to il, don't YOU
furgit il. He's smart 'un, and you'd
better jcs' let him alone ef We know
what, good fur We ALL"
The rillager returned to the crowd
aud laid he knew all about it; that the
mao had told him.
who is he.' asked many.
Never you mind, said the vlllager.
shutting one eye and initiating the ma.
jor's wise look as nearly a possible,
''he's the smartest man that ever struck
these parts. II you knowed I'M you'd
say so. too. He's goin' 10 do wonders
here fore he gifts through YOU hear
me-
80 the major knows i'm. eb." asked
Deacon Bibb..
. Know i'm. sh'd say he did.
Knows i'm like book Told me not tc
tell who e il. though.
This was recommendation enough. for
was not the major himself a government
officer. ninlsted with the responsible
duty of carving the mail twice a week
from Aurora TO Tamarack. And had
he not often told the Tamarack folks
tina, he was Familiarity acquainted with
the president. whom he called BY con.
traction of his first name, and all the
other government officials that were
worth knowing. The stranger might
be one of the greatest men in the coun-
try; might be even the president him
self. though this was doubtful. since
Uncle Billy Wagner stood in front of
the store when the stranger got out Of
the stage and called the major driver. :"
whereas the major had often assured
everybody the the president always ad-
dressed him as maze" and usually ac-
companying il with a slap on the
shoulder
No. the strange gentleman in the silk
hat probably wasn't the president. But
that he WAS some big man who had great
deal to say about the affairs Of the govern
ment became the settled belief of the
Tamarack folks.
''Mebby he's goin' to build suthin'."
said Josh REYNOLDS.
"Mebby."
Or" put in Zeke Berry. ''p'raps he's
goin to dig fur suthin' ur ruther."
"P'raps."
Bet that's it. Bet he's lookin fur
gold"
Gosh what eff e wuz. Them sci.
ence fellers is gittin' SOS they knows
right w'r to look fur them things, you
know"
"Mebby he's thinkin' o lsyin out q
place tn keep Indians in
NO, ! don't reckon that. cause In.
dians, yon know, has to to be KEEP w'r
they's plenty o buffaloes an deers.
So the guessing and the reckoning and
the calculating went on until the stranger
came back and sat down on the steps in
front of the store.
Nice day." said he rs the knot of vii
layers stood at respectful distance and
looked at him from behind each other.
Everybody was anxious to agree with
him and half dozen of the villagers
looked up in the air and allowed il was
a good clean day.
you have very pretty little town,
here. but ! should think YOU would have
a railroad 50 that you could ship your
grain to New York and get big prices
for il, and have cars stop right at your
doors and take you anywhere you want
to 20. Why. if you had railroad here
every foot Of this land would be worth
dollars where acres of il aren't worth
cents now"
The villagers looked at each other
with big. round eyes. and two or three
of them nodded their heads at each other
as much to say:
That's il; railroad is jus, the
thing we've been wanting all this time. T"
This town L. located just right for a
railroad center" continued the stranger.
Its a dead level, with plenty Of room
TO grow: and when it became n big city
with nice long streets Of brick and stone
buildings and big exposition building
over there 10 the west. and mammoth
car-shops over here 10 the east, and all
the incest residences Of 10 the south
there. with the gas. work, and water
works back hery 10 The north out
of the way, don't you see how
handy this level country would h
for street .cars connecting all part,
OF the city! tell you this level cOun-
try is godsend TO Tamarack. II you'll
stop 10 think Of il you'll see that every
city that amounts to anything in the
world is built on level ground. Look
al New York and Chicago aud London
and leddo and Paris--all on u dead
level
Amt Rome built on seven hills
asked Elder Pussy, who is a member of
the school board.
Yes. and what is il. A total wreck
Made up Of leggars and thieves. Per-
haps some Of you have read Gibbons
Decline of Rome. Why did il decline!
Because il WAS built on hills"
WAL, that's 80" said the elder. ut.
terly vanquished and sorry that he had
tried to show 80 much learning.
Gee whitaker, but he is a smart un,
amt he'' whispered Josh Reynolds to
nau Tahias