The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1886-05-08

an take n can, anyway said the miner,
who did not seem at all affected by Mr..
Rankm's peculiar recommendation OF hl'
wares How much are they"
1.-TWO dollars
The miner produced his huckslin and
poured little dust into the gold scales, Mr.
Rankin looked critically at it and put it in a
fiat brass pan, narrowing toward one end,
with sides half an inch in hcight--a blow
pam
'NIr s. r. Wllcts,' said Rankin. 81 don't
sell my oysters for sand. Your dust l~n I
clean never is. Maybe some other store
keeper will buy black or gray sand Of you,
but can't"
Black sand in reality an oxide of iron, is
the invariabIe accompaniment OF gold as
washed from the soil. and very difficult to be
separated from the dust
Have you any good butter" asked an
other
I've an article here which for axle grease
will beat the oldest man in the mines. Eng
li.h butter Made 10 grease the wheels OF
her maie,ty's carriage Dollar pound.
Want some"
"Yes. Gimme half "A pound"
"lIe plays thnt well on the boys" whis-
percd Broener to me. Did you ever notice,
with nine people out of ten, that If you tell
them of anything YOU want to sell that it's
bad they'll believe the contrary Maybe it's
because we've all dropped unconsciously into
the habit Of thinking each other liars
There was n noisy game of cards, and at
every second the well worn pasteboards were
thuEpod ON the table with resoundng
whacks Mr.. Rankin, while not selling
goods, was setting rows of tumblers on the
bar and black bottle before them in re-
Spouse to the frequent call OF the players
stuck for the drinks
Broencr seemed well acquainted with the
place aud its habtues My presence with
him attracted some curiosity.
"BrOthcrM | heard some one inquire of him
in a low voice, referring to myself
no, nephew, was his reply Just out
from the states Been down to the bay tC
bring him up
"Iow does your claim pan outF asked
another
Good for five dollars day yet said
Brocnor II don't want 10 work it all out.
Afraid | shan't get another like it,
lyon seem to take life pretty easy re-
marked the last inquirer.
"Why should take life hard" replied
Brocaer But why do you think | take
things easy"
Because YOU don't work hard like the rest
of the boys, was the answer.
II don't believe in hard work." replied
Broener, filling his pipe. II think the best
work is the work that's easiest done knock
Of cnrly in the afternoon SO that may have
some time to cook my grub dcGcntly, wash my
nanncls and make my cabin comfortable
without using up every bit of strength IN my
body Nou see expect 10 hc lodging around
when most OF YOU fellows that take life sc
hard are cold in Your grHvcs-if you re lucky
enough to get Il grave You're using up now
more strength than you've got 20 spare and
/ patching up the rents in il with whisky H.
/ all very nice working in the river TIL you
SILVER, aud then coming out and warming W
with whisky every fifteen minutes. But
you'll pay for it inside Of ten years How
much rum per day did the Willow Bar boy,
use when they were building that wing dam"
Used to send tt two gallon dcmijohr
twice u day to be- filed said n slow, heavy
| voice. and the manner of saying it seemed tc
| imply that d was something to boast of.
| And amongst ten Of YOU All right Min
/ ing hy steam power Speaking OF whisky
/ let, all tax, a drink said Brocucr Come
/ All hands, Fail in Forward with youl
| banners"
! The company present gathered before the
! bar The bottle aud glasses were again SCI
out. All waited with rigid decorum unit
| each glass was flied and ready, and thcr
with a here's luck" and solemn, sinful
taucous gulp, the fluid was poured down
with an occasional raSpcr "ic-m,' on al
eager gla,ping for the water pitcher, tcet
fled to the vigorous rawnoss Of corr
whisky.
"A sad md solemn performance" sal,
! Brocucr another screw in our RESPECTIVE,
collins Boys. who bosses this bar, we o.
John Barleycorn"
! "Buloycorn, | guess said a piping voice
| Reeds got EN-. Snakes. Alone in hi
cabin for two week, with hyc-galloi
druiiuhn of whisky Saw him as | wa
comm up swccpu hi, doorstep like fury
Asked him what was tho matter Lord
how he yelled: Matter Matter enough
Can't You soc: The house is full OF bug
md beetles snake, aud centipcdes, horne,
toads and humble bees, and can't keel
'em outH | vamooScd.'
'1tt was Nh I'it N'Nttl'uS UlltIHN'u,
said another Come walking into the stor
quiet enough until he saw Rankin behind TIN
counter: took him for a mule team, guess
| Anyway. he made for him with a black -Snak
whip. singing out: Whoa Whoa, Haw-
Git up thar How Rankin did git from Ice
hind that counter and old Reed after him
up the hill The boys got after EN- am
started Reed home, Nice man to be- laviu
round loose Somebody ought TO look ate
him.
He came here fortnight ago to lay il
his winters provisions said Rankin. ("
asked him Ia make ont his order Well, h
said he guessed he'd have a sack Of -four, te
pounds of pork, four pounds of sugar, tire
of coffee, and 30 on. as he went along leSsenin
the number of pounds until he got to tn
whisky He said OF that he'd have IA barre
l cut him down to five gallons ! s'pose h
commenced on HAT before tackhng III
grub"