The Arkansaw traveler., 1885-01-17
SCRUTATOR.
lDeOVer Opinion.l

tains. The type here is peculiar one
 It has singular peculiarities which strike
 stranger as fresh and novel, and the atmosphere which surrounds it gave Bret
 Hare large measure of his success
 when he first half caught and put it in
 literature. No people have a more
 marked manner of speech. The language ot man who has lived in the mountains for years is either grotesquely literal or
 literally grotesque. What makes you
 swear r asked a nor dist of profane
 miner. Nuthin' makes me! do it of
 my own accord" was the amiable reply
 " Is this my stage p asked tourist of the
 driver. No, it's Sanderson's unless he
 sold 1t since got on," foated sweetly
 back. Contempt is expressed in a large
 way. The literal ends and the grotesque
 begins. How much will this ore run ?"
 queried tenderfoot of an assayer, hand
 ing him bit of worthless rock. "Bout
 two dollars to the county" answered the
 other. "'Ef was that ore l wouldn't
 run at all. l couldn't pay expenses on
 the exertion." It was Colonel Wilson E
 Sisty, an old-timer of a quarter of cent
 ury. who, when stopped in crossing a
 street by stationary vehicle, looked up
 at the drlver and said, testily: "Say, if
 you've pre-empted claim there you
 ought to put up your stakes" It was the
 same Sisty who, when he met an intoxi
 eated individual who maintained that he
 had not been drinking anything, asked
 him scornfully: Well, if you didn't
 drink it, how did you get down ?" Dave
 Day was the man who answered the ap-
 peal of Silverton for aid, when the town
 was showed in last winter, by sending two
 tickets to Turkish bath.
 There is a,modihed morality which is
 also peculiar. At the time the Baptist
 revivalist, Earl, was holding his pro-
 tracted meetings in Virginia City, the
 wife of a gambler arose to testify to the
 happy effect he was having on the com mvnity. Why, before Brother Earl
 came here," she said, my husband used to run reglar brace, but now, thanks to
 Brother Earps christian teaching, he's
 dealing as square game as there is in
 Virginia City" At the time that the
 Barrymore party was attacked by Tim
 Curry in Texas, and Porter killed, lack Finehart, familiarly known as "Pizen Jack" was hearing the account read. :" Did the theayter feller have a gun2 2p he asked. Mo-" was the answer. "Did he git show at all ?" "Seems not L" was explained. "Well, we'll" unused Jack, me an Jim Curry used to be pards but can't 'zactly approve of that" The i'm Bludsoe idea runs through most of the miners. "God Almighty won't be too hard on Bill," said a rough faced treighter of a vii reckless, good-natured fellow who had been shot down in his tracks, "'cause when Bill was sober he sorter respected himr' Said another " It's all very we'll to to talk about relig- ion, but wait till hit it rich. When | get through with the bacon and beans of life III took after the lemon pie"
 Oddities of expression are common enougl. "What's he done in the sena- torial race" was asked, two years ago, of an aspirant who was grooming himself as a | dark horse; "has he sunk good shat r" | Should say not" came back as iniorma- tion; Che hasn't even done the assess. ment work yet" The assessment work is very important preliminary to sena- tonal race in mining state. "Take off | my boots," said dying gambler who had l been shot over table while playing cards In room back of Denver barber | shop; "they all said I'd die with my boots on, and want to prove 'em d-d liars" How did you get off2' asked a | pal of desperado who was dead shot. | and who had just been acquitted of a | murder he had committed. The law sharp pui. in a plea of insane" he an- swered. "Whatp He didn't prove you cra1y9' cried the pal. "oh, no He didn't prove me crazy, but it was dead 1 case on the other iellerp A common expression runs; "You keep quiet or I'll start lead mine in you" And there is something infinitely amusing in the dubious, halt-apologetic remark; "Wot strange sights man Is forced to see when he hasn't got gun !" A revolver of any kind is always a "gun" in the west. " Whats thaa starved-looking dog of yours following me for?' complained dead beat of the suave bar. keeper of'the Miners Rest" "Oh, he knows that if there's q free lunch in the camp you'll find It," was the careless ex- plantation. Times Is 50 hard that feel like holding up stage," murmured prospector. And then he added, musingly, " but what 'ud be the use? Nine out Of ten of the fellers wouldn't have a cent, and the tenth 'ud have gun"
 The language of a miner is more char acteristic than that of any other type, not sven excepting a sailor. The type itself can be easily read in 1t. It has a curious of phrase, which is very effective, and happy sweep of caricatsring ex- travagance which is, at times, very Judi crous and yet exactly pat. Its illustra- tiens are not deviations from the truth, but rather enlargements of the truth 1 which present 1t more easily and fercibly. 1 There is probably no life which persons l Of orig;sslly radically different manners 1 and methods assimilate as readily. Five years in . mining camp has changed the ! character and language of many . man SO completely that his former friends hardly know him. lthas breezy, broad ening effect. While enlargiHg the sym pathieS it sharnAns thA uffA Mnnths of