Clarksville weekly chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1873-1890, 1886-11-06
customers az

wares. "How much are theyr
1.-TWO dollars $3.50 esit i't
The miner produced his buckskin and
poured little dust into the gold scales. Mr..
Rankin looked critically at It and put it in
with sides half an inch in height--a elbow
PAN"
''Mr. 8. P. willets,r said Rankin, 81 don't
sell my oysters for sand. Your dust isn't
clean-never is. Maybe some other store
keeper win buy black or gray sid Of You,
but can't Aatsf M 9.fA
Black sand, in reality an oxide of iron, Is
the invariable accompaniment Of gold as
washed from, the soil, and very difficult to be
separated from the dust
Have you any good butterr asked an
other. s g rs
'I've an article here which for axle grease
will beat the oldest man In the mines. Eng
lish butter. Made to grease the wheels OF
her majesty's carriage Dollar pound.
Want somep b 5lsl
"Yes. Gimme half pound"
He plays that well on the boys whis-
pered Broener to me. ibid you ever notice,
with nine people out Of ten, that II you tell
them of anything you want to sell that it's
bad they'll believe the contraryl Maybe it's
because we've all dropped unconsciously into
the habit Of thinking each other liars"
There was a noisy game of cards, and at
every second the well-worn pasteboards we're
thumped on the table with resembling
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 cali Of the players
stuck for the drinks
Broener seemed well acquainted with the
place and its habitues My presence with
him attracted some curiosity
"Brother." heard some one inquire Of him
in a low voice, referring to myself
mo, nephew" was his reply. "Just out
from the states Been down to the bay to
bring him up"
"How does your claim pan outr asked
another.
'Good for five dollars day yet" said
Broener. ~ don't want to work it all out.
Afraid shan't get another like it."
"You seem to take life pretty easy,n re
marked the last inquirer.
"Why should / take life hardp rerlied
Broener But why do you think i take
things easy"
because you don't work hard like therest
of the boys" was the answer
II don't believe ia hard work. replied
Broener, filling his pipe 81 think the best
work is the work that's easiest done. Iknock
Off early in the afternoon so that may have
some time to cook my grub decently wash my
fiannels and make my cabin comfortable
without using up every bit Of strength in my
body. You see ! expect to be lodging around
when most Of you fellows that take life SO
hard are cold in your graves-if you're lucky
enough to get grave. You're using up now
more strength than you've got to spare and
patching up the rents in it with whisky It's
all very nice working in the river till you
shiver, and then coming out and warming up
with whisky every fifteen minutes. But
you'll pay for it inside of ten years How
much rum per day did the Willow Bar boys
use when they were building that wing damn
used to send two gallon demijohn
twice day to he filled,' said slow, heavy
voice, and the manner of saying it seemed tc
imply that it was something to boast Of
"And amongst ten of you. All right. Min
ing by steam power. Speaking of whisky
let's all take drink" said Broener ''Come
| All handsl Fall in! Forward with your
| bannersI"
The company present gathered before the
bar The bottle and glasses were again sci
out All waited with a rigid decorum until
each glass was filed and ready, and Their
with "here's luckl" and solemn, stimuli
taneous gulp, the fluid was poured down
with an occasional rasper, Hem" or al
eager grasping for the water pitcher, testi
fed to the vigorous rawness of corr
| whisky.
"A sad and solemn performance" sale
| Broener "Another screw in our respectiv,
collins Boys, who bosses this bar, we o.
John Barleycornp
"Barleycorn, | guess" said piping voice
"Reeds got 'em. Snakes. Alone in hi
cabin for two weeks with five-gallor
demijohn of whisky. Saw him as wa
comm up sweepin' his doorstep like fury
Asked him what was the matter Lord
how he Yelled Matters Matter enough
Can't you sect The house is full of bug
and beetles, snakes and centipedes, horne,
toads and humble bees, and l can't keel
eln outr vamoosed"
''IIe was up here yesterday afternoon,
said another "Come walking into the stor
quiet enough until he saw Rankin behind tn
counter; took him for mule team, guess
Anyway, he made for him with black-snal1
whip, singing out; 'Whoal Whoal Haw-
Git up thar How Rankin did git from be
hind that counter and old Reed after him
up the hill The boys got after EN- an
started Reed home. Nice man TO be layin,
round loose. Somebody ought to look afte
him"
"He came here fortnight ago to lay 4
his winters provisions" said Rankin. q
asked him to make out his order Well, b
said he guessed he'd have a sack Of -four, te
pounds OF pork, four pounds Of sugar, tire
Of coffee, and 80 on, as be went along lessenin
the number Of pounds until he got 10 tn
whisky. He said Of that he'd hsvs barre
cut him down to i've galloEs s'pose
commenced on that before tackling th
grub.n