Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-10-17
DICK WAGONS WIVES.

Ye. repeated Job Watkins. she arrived
here by last nights stage. an the question d,
What's this yer camp goin' ter do about IT.
deaf silence followed this query, tbs
xroap II miners gathered around Randy
bar not being accustomed TO decide on points
81 morality.
Wal" yentured Bob Tinnsfi, after an in
,srvnl during which every mans empty glass
wa. repienished, what I've got to say is this,
that a. things are 80 comfortable up at
Dick Wagons, let them be, ard ~ it's clearly
sg'in female human natur for two wives to
git along smiiin' in the same house, let this
woman 20 back, and in order 10 make It
s,uar'. let us, man and man, chip In and
make IL xuth her while to go, without ssyin'
nothin' To Dick.
A dozen hands went 20 many pockets In
practical response to this appeal, but we're
arrested there, as Joe Watkins, who appeared
in the light Of public prosecutor, again step
ped forward That's not the pint l say
that Wagons orter he punished; he's played
1t mean on this camp, and If know the
bow they'll play it hack on him TO pretty
tar Why, when Spggot died over ter
South Fork mountain, an Wagons went and
brought his widder over ez his wife, didn't
THIS yer chfnp sp,hk "eiir uAhn ~ 'tNsA~ ''''S
uncommon we'll Of WagginsF
1T did" responded the crowd with the
unanimity Of an opera chorus
Thar war others ez might have thought
II that widder, but bein more modest, why,
Wagons got ahead, and the camp approved
Wagons; but now here's his true and lovin'
and deserted wife turns up and the question
h. What's the camp goin' to do about Itf'
Tie orator knew his audience too well to
make the infringement Of the marriage law
the chief point Of his indictment, and there
fore dwelt on the deception used by Wagons
towards society at Babblts Find. Dick should
nave laid the matter before them, Should have
.,onfdei IN them as not unfamiliar with
domestic nfelicity, and in that case they
would have been quite willing to ignore the
first wife and support him in his impending
trouble Dick had not chosen TO act accord
my Ia precedent, consequently the camp felt
outraged and disposed to listen to Watkins.
Il say" pursued the modern Aristides.
THAT justice hez got ter be done
But they cant both have HIM" remarked
a thoughtful bystander What becomes of
Spl.got's widow if this stranger takes the
mott You -se, mntrimony's kind OF game
IN which you can't divide the stakes. ."
THAT amt the pint, its the princerple.
BgbbitS Find amt got anythin' too much
aiih Ter -i'are III the way 'f iioraiity' IL ain
ION sim "Ht anu "VeFnp"ih Win virtue 10
that extent that 1t can afford 10 let a thing
like this go hy
An affirmative murinur ran round the
crowd which was quite really to atone for
individual shortcomings by hearty indorse-
fncut of abstract principle. Its been Il
rather dry season III horas ROUND mere r'sh'
along, and take 1t the camps not goin To
pass tins time 1t Will take hand In the
zane, ana " ag9ihs nee got yer GIT
JACK LEROY tn"hSht 'na' pao' IL c""ii
withstand worse shocks Than TINS, and moved
hat the matter be left In the hands OF D'ck
and his two wives,
I'm with you there pard' said Ben
Thompson ana reckon There Ism man
mere as w"n'n WISH 10 go you one "e''er on
TINT. You het TINS is DICKS own private
game. and II 1t comes to moraiity -"eii, all
I've got Ia say is that the man as says hes
GOT straight hhsn Oh tna' suit ha' pet'er
show his hand
THIS liberal view OF the situation provoked
hearty applause but as Joe watkins repre-
sented the reiigious element OF the place 80
Tar ~ 1t could ~' san I" exist NJ an us argu-
n"ntS finally carried the DAY ~ was event
Taly decded that the boys should meet the
stage by whieh Wagons "ou'o arrive the
following night, ana escort MIN 10 the meet
my honSe' "here III ene presence vi ,'s TWO
wives, h" should near MS sentence Oh oahist-
ment from Rabbits Find
Watkms. after leaving the saiooh' tdrhen
oil IN tn" direction oil " a2ginS nome "hich
differed from the surrounding shanties oy
reason OF IT. cleanliness WITHIN ana It's htt'e
garden without
W hat evil brings you mere, Joe wat
Sinst \" good III he bound. said Mrs
Wagons, confronting her unweicome Wis
itor.
Its a Christian duty. my dear friend
Keep that for those you want to deceive.
Well, now, Fl 1t comes ter deceiving' l
guess III hev ter give way ter wagons II
A. that
..Wh., ,,o vo,, ,,.ap, Some of xour lies
,, ,o,rs. you arc horn liar and don,
,.a,,,,, Won, ,,,uIj sra.k thu truth ava, nv
ac,,d.,t
O. ~, ,u,, don't stint Yourself. and
ri ,,,o,v vo,,'ra ,owerfnl pr.ttv when vo,,'re
s.,,,,,. h,t NAV Ia xou wont he -, ,hipr4r
v,,., Mr. WAGONS come, to tax. her right
FIJI ul,re along If D,ckr
WI. ,.h.t do en-, ,,a.,r and 5ssn;.s
hsr arnr, IN sasp unmovs, her yo,r. shook
a,', h.r l,,s ,-,., ,h,,a
..oh vnu,ra l...,,u,ipy I, look sl..rt ike
-, ;,s, -, m
x. ,o,, uor, stav ,i,.rs Toll me- what
,,,, mon, a,,d when nick co,nesr-
~ ,r.. ,yhsn Dick comes hell find tn. air
II ,h,s ,aun onsalubr,o,,s You sew. his fust
,s;f.,s ,,,n,e ami folks ar. kind of sp~akin' Of
,.,,, h,, COR olt nam. If Smygot
IN. wou,n staggered AS if she had r.,
.,;v,l n bn. anil vet if seemed As if the
,,.,no :, bar as III. fnlfllmept of AN old
ii -, ,h.n roysla,,o, NJ h.r bus
-, r,dv
" M.r;.r na,sr.v w,s har name
,,.st,v.~sT, I'm. s,age Shes got CHECKS like
.,I,,.. ,,J ,,prh tb.t ysr ,.ap ketch onto
.lf v.y nm sonth Forx MAINTAIN There.
been wrong done this lovely critter, and the
boys say DICKS got ter git, right smart
tot 10 leave Rabbits f1ndF
Yes You see they're downright mad.
cause they thought he'd done the generous.
proper thing by Spiggots widder and the
cripple child. not but what there was an
other ez'--
Silence, you snakei He did do the gener-
Gus thing by me and my poor children, and
by
"Spigyot, too,
Yes. be did. when wretches like you would
have made poverty and my love for them Q
temptation
-" hat an unforgivin temper you've goti
Maybe you'll wish you hadn't been 30 pert
when you hear the vertic agin him to-mor-
row night The boys viii meet him at the
stage and take him straight thar"
FOR "niie she stoon iooking after her Old