St. Landry democrat., 1885-04-11
THE MAN FROM SHELBY.
He Distrusted the intention of a Persist
ent Canvasser.

He Distrusted the Intentions of a Persist
ent Canvasser.
Had Colonel George Drain, of the
Ohio & Mississippi Railroad, been set up
in a museum yesterday a the maddest
man in the world, he would have carried
off the first prize.
Early yesterday morning he received
a pointer that a Shelby County farmer,
, on his way to Arkansas, was aboard
the down train on the Short Line Road,
and that there was every chance in the
world of selling him a ticket clear
through to Hot Springs if he could
meet him at the depot. With his eye
to business Colonel Drain fastened to
| the Water Street Depot, and when the
train rolled in, a long, lean, lank back
woodsman with a grizzly beard, carry
ing q l~ean-looking ~carpet-sack of the
ancient style, stepped from the front
car. The Colonel recognized his man
the moment he laid eyes upon him, and
with the air of an old acquaintance adj
vanced upon the stranger and extend
ed his hand, bidding him the time of
day.
II don't know YOU" said the man
from Shelby.
..That's funny said the Colonel.
child in Kentucky knew me. You're
going to Hot Springs, | believer"
sThat's Whar I'm bound for"
AWell, come over here and let me
see you a minute.
The stranger a down his carpet
sack, pushed up his sleeves, unbuttoned
the collar of his hickory shirt, and then
with a cold CLEAN in his eyes turned
upon the Colonel and said: "Lookee
hyar, my young Christian friend, / wuz
born an, rized up hyar in Shelby, but /
never got my book-larnin' fur Eothin'.
Ihain't so darned green as I look. I
take the newspapers regularly, an I
read every day about how us country
fellows are swindled when we strike
the. city. Now | took a solemn, par
alyzed oath just afore / lef' home that
the very fust three-card-monte man
that tackled me I'd wade inter him
an wipe up the whole country fur two
hundred yards in every direction with
/ him.
sBut I'm not a three-card monte
man. pleaded the Colonel, with an air
of injured innocence and q smile as soft
as the first summer breeze.
yer hain't? Well, / reckon then
yer one of these fellows as wants a
greeny to 60 with yer to get a lottery
ticket cashed?'
4No, nor I'm not a bnnko steerer. -
protested the Colonel.
Eyer hain't, hey? Well, then, I
reckon, yer must be one Of these fellows
as wants q check cashed?!''
mo, no. cried Colonel Drain, Elm
not a confidence man either. Do Hook
like a dishonest MANI" and the Colonel
assumed n of his most innocent rail
road agent expressions.
ooh, they all look innocent enough,
but them innocent-looking chaps is the
wust kind. Now, lookee hyar, stran-
ger; if YOU hain't tryin' to steer me up
against a brace, what is yer racket, any
how?"
81 simply want TO put you in a way
to ' some money" replied tho
Colonel, meekly.
Now lookee hyar; I'll give you two
minutes to get clear out o my sight.
LII at the end o. That time ye are sGlli
lingerin' around in my presence ELL
run a knife clar through yer body and
clinch the blade on the other side.
Whenever / want any advice about
how to a ' money I'll let you know.
Now you get.'
Colonel Drain heard this little speech,
and then promptly girding up his loins
he pulled down his vest and fitted
Kentucky State Journal.