The Bozeman weekly chronicle. (Bozeman, Mont.) 1883-1889, 1885-04-08
GEORGE.
The Capitaltin Life Of Little Arkan.
sas Darkey.

Only one more darkey l will take
the liberty to introduce, says CORE.
spondent of the Times, and he a small
one, before saying goodbye for the
| present to Hot Springs and Panther
Gulch. to continue this little jaunt in
the South and West. The black-and-
tan subject now for the first time pre-.
sented on any stage, ladies and gentle
men, is. named George Age, IA; size,
medium; intelligence above the aver
age. met him one afternoon as
was walking on the railway track, a
mile or two out of Hot Springs. His
color is so light and his features so reg
ular knew him for some time before ]
even suspected that he was a colored
boy. He asked me how far it was to
Malvern, and told him 2S miles, and
asked him whether he intended to walk
it. I st
''Do you think / can do it before
darke" he replied.
told hina was sure he could not,
for it was then after o'clock.
81 don't want to be on the track af-
ter dark, you see," said he, ION &C
count of the panthers. Do you think
there's any between here and Mai
vernf"
told him had been several miles
down the track, and had not seen any.
He told me, when asked him, that he
came from Houston Texas; that his
mother Go mulatto) lived there, and
that his father q white man) was
dead; that he started out more than q
eyear ago on his travels with compan-
ion Of his own age, who had been
killed while stealing ride before they
were two days out from home; that he
had come to Hot Springs looking for
something to do, but found nothing;
that he had eaten nothing that uaY,
and had spent the night outdoors. i
happened to be just on the point of
moving my quarters, and had q num-
Der of errandD to be done, so offered
him o meal or two and q lodging on
the noor by the stove in consideration
Of his being my man Friday till the
next day. The following day was SO
bitter cold could not turn him out of
days, in the course Of which think
there was NO single minute in which
some part Of the stove was not red-hot.
He was q prfm fireman, and the land
lord furnished the wood. At any hour
Of the night I happened to awake,
George was putting fresh hickory logs
on the fire.. He gould sing, whistle,
dance, and when he smiled he dis
closed q double bank of organ keys
from ear to ear. He had not q cent in
the world, his clothes were none too
warm, and the weather was like Mani
tobs-but he was happy as a lark,
though he had no notion what minute
he might be invited to ':move on.
He was . fine boot-blaek, a good
clothes -bruSher, and did errands well
and promptly, always buying things
cheaper at the stores than could and
bringing me back more change than l
expected. He had been well taught in
some school and answered disdainfully
when gave him little conundrums out
of the multiplication table.
On the third day / had to move,
though it was the coldest of the sea-
son, and in the new place could not
take George along. When all was
ready the globe and shade of student
lamp stood on the table. AS l was
done with them, told George he
might take them to the china store,
where l had paid So cents for them,
and that he could keep whatever he
could get for him He trotted off in
hurry and soon came back indignant.
ssWhat do you think that chap down
Al -, ,.eeo,.n1 N, n O3S aaid ha GtEiftaon
cents! He must think I'm fool. He
wants to sell them over again and
make 20 cents more on them. But he
couldn't come it. No. stree. / told
him I'd carry 'em to Malvern before
I'd sell 'em for that--and SO will"
I triad To diasuade him from this mo-
ton, but he was SD Indignant at the
low offer he would have carried them
Il theyihad sweigh ghed Ia hundred pounds.
He wrapped them in newspaper,
tied them up with string, and sat be-
fore the FIRE looking at them. There
lay behind the stove shoe brush and
box of hlaclIing that had been over
looked; likewise on the washstand a
cake OF toilet soap. These treasures !
presented To George rather than un-
fasten q trunk. and hereceived them
gratefully, putting the shoe brush in
Bis inner coat pocket. from which the
handle protruded some inches. The
expressman came, and we parted,
George declaring that some day he
would ''beat the railroads" to New
York, and would surely come and see
me. / see him yet, going w'histling
down the street, sometimes stopping
to smile, always shivering. Surely no
boy ever started out to make his for
tune with so odd . capital--a lamp
shade and chimney, shoe brush, and
q cake OF soap. IL he stumbled before
he reached Malvern and broke his
glassware, am certain be only smiled
9 fresh smile and whistled new tune
Happy Georgei Happy all the little
starvelings OF your race! Ill owned
Madison square would gladly ex-
change 1t for your cheerful smile, your
bright brown eyes, and your sunny