St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1884-03-08
A Legend OF Niagara.

lei TO many TO know tnat q new one mas
been discovered Not exactly new,
either, for it is written on old parch-
ment, and must have been lying where
it was found for many years; but, as it
has just recently been discovered. it is
to the present generation new. While
shoEeling snow from the steps of the
Extortion Hotel just after the recent
heavy fall the above-referred-to parch-
ment was found. The following is a
free translation of its contents: John
jackson, a young man of some pugil.
istic attainments, who dearly loved a
handsome young lady in Buffalo, deter
mined to take his darling to the Falls
for a trip. Now, John, like many
other Buffalo young men, didn't know
much about the outside world,
and had never been warned to
avoid the Niagara Falls hackmen.
It was with light heart that
he stepped from the train on that bright
May morning, and with Angelina
Thompson hanging gracefully on his
arm, started gaily for the great catar-
act, little dreaming of the terrible fate
that awaited him and that was destined
to bring to so gloomy close a day
which seemed to have dawned the
brightest of all the days of the year.
The couple had gone out few steps
when they were accosted by a hack
man, who said:
ssHaye a hack, sir?''
stNon'
'Better take hack. This is 'one of
the finest and I'll drive you to all the
points of interest
'tNo; we will walk!'
"What! Do you mean to say that
you're going to make that young lady
foot it over these rough streets? If /
had as handsome lady as you have I
wouldn't be SO penurious as to make
her tramp around here and have sore
feet for week. y
Now John. as was formerly limited,
had some knowledge of the manly art.
and the remark about penuriousness
grated on his finer feelings. Angelina
said:
'sOh, never mind him, John.''
But Johns blood was up. So he put
up his hands and gave the impudent
hackman one in the neck. In an in
slant they were surrounded. All the
hackmen came to the rescue of their CO.
laborer. Angelina screamed, and that
made John nervous, and he could not
attend to his counters and guards. The
only faint made was by Angelina, and
the blows from whips, fists and other
missiles that rained on John from all
sides made him retreat in dismay. And
this, the day that opened SO brightly,
closed darkly, particularly in the re-
gion Of John Jackson's eyes. But as
he washed the blood from his face and
tied Angelina's handkerchief around his
throbbing temples, he was heard to
mutter: . / will be revengedr'
Several weeks had passed. The cat
aract was still doing business at the old
stand, and waving on high it's glorious
plume OF white spray. The hackmen
were also at the old stand. The battle
with the young Buffalo man had ceased
to be topic among them, and in the
wild rush for worldly gain they had al
most forgotten the face of Jackson. A |
wild shrek pierces the morning air, and |
the train from Buffalo, with changing
bell and Kissing steam, brings up at the |
depot. John Jackson walks from the
train. At his side is q person in female
attire, but the person has not the hand |
some form and smiling face Of Angeli-
ma. The hackmeD, in the aforesaid |
rush for worldly gain, do not recognize |
the man.
Have hack, sir?''
'tNo.D
Better take a hack. It's fifteen
miles to the Falls
''No; we will walk
sob, you're pretty fellow to make
that young girl trudge around-''
That was as far as he got Jacks
arm had straichtened. His fist had |
come in contact with the nose of the
speaker. The noble form of the hack
man was groveling in the dust. 1t was
1T this period that the conduct of the
person in female attire became notice
able. There was no scream. and no.
body swooned, while the attitude as
'umed was not a usual one for lady.
The hat dropped forward until it nearly /
iouched the nose, while the fists -very |
arge ones for a lady-were tightly |
'ienched and the elbows were drawn
back in a Pat Rooney style, which
plainly showed that their owner
would put up with no nonsense.
The other hackmen rushed to the
'escue of their fallen companion,
out the first to arrive received such
! singing blow from Johns com
'anion that he retired in dismay. The
second was similarly dealt with, and
le. also took u back seat. In the mean
ime John was not idle. He kicked,
bumped and otherwise maltreated his
until he felt that the dishon-
n heap9d upon him during his previous
Tisit had been wiped out. Then his
took his arm, and, looking
y into his face with sweet, seaside
lEsc;r,l,.- AkIA:1 u