Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1890-02-08

iii x IL awe HOW i,
he could not tell foot-slug from q
column-rulc. He was tall and eXas.
peratingly lean, wore plug hat and a
sack coat. and prided himself on doing
the drinking of the establishment. But
he was good man, for he trusted me
once, of which l shall tell.
One afternoon in June, when the
dark green hills and shady valleys
looked unusually tempting and made
me long to be fish, or squirrel or
a grasshopper, anything than printer
at SO a week, he came into the office,
stuck his elbow on a half galley OF
ANAL plea, and pied stick full of his
leader, "The True Solution of the
Negro Question" | wet the matter
and began Strengthening 1t up. He
said:
Say, Eph, I've got an idea"
"If you have you stole it," said [ to
myself; to him | answered:
what is it 2"
You're good printer and can write
purity we'll. When l left town last
spring to keep way from the Gran
jury, your work you done then was
well spoke of by tho patrons of the
Eagle"
well, what's the idea ?" 1 said, as l
distributed the pi.
"This new town out here, where
they've put the cotton factory, needs a
paper. I've got more stuff here than |
want. S'pose you take some of it, and
ore of them presses, and give 'em one"
l went. Bcgonia was the name of
the place. 1t was in the woods, seventy
five miles from a railroad. A hoe a
mile square had been cut in the forest,
factory stood at one end, up to the
front of which ran two rows of red
houses, beginning at the other end.
Around these were scattered the com
mercial and social portions of the COM
munity. 1t was wild business ven
ture, l thought, to start a factory
there, but considered my own scheme
and said nothing.
The city" was not incorporated, and
hilarious people had therefore a wide
field for the exercise of their predilec-
ton. The Border So7at'n THAT was
the name of my paper-did not assume
pious role, but it occasionally adj
monished the boys to keep their prac-
teal jokes for the vulgar multitude.
This admonition was first wrung from
me by the fact that one evening they
made target of my signboard. They
laughed at my warning, and said some
thing about dumping my old shop into
the road. On certain Saturday when
they had been unusually atrocious they
wound up their entertainment by shoot
ing an old Negroes mule and sending
me the ears. The next issue of the
Sentinel contained this paragraph:
Hank Best, Jim Goslins, aud another mule
become engaged in q personal alteration in
front of Tob9 Canield's saloon last Saturday
evening. The trouble grew out of wager b -
tween them as to which could bray the loudest.
We could not get all the particulars of the
affair, but it seems that the other mule make
some funny remark about Hank and Jim and
got the laugh on them with the crowd. They
got mad, pulled their pops and i'll less time than
it takes to tell it the poor other mule fell NOR
tally wounded aud died in II few minutes. But
it seems that Hank and Jim lost each an car in
the fracas. for friend of ours who went over
the ground soon after the fight, picked up two
ears-and they are both left cues. They are now
in our possession, and having beeL previously
well done" in alcohol there is no need for us TO
submit them to the preserving process. If JIM
and Hank want their ears, they can get them by
calling at our office.
Working in the spinning department
of the factory was a little red-headed
girl, with 1ilbert- colored eyes, and a
peach-blow complexion, partly hidden
beneath layer of brown freckles. [
boarded with her mother, who was a
widow, and fell in love with her he
girl. mean. One night [ was max
ing-up"-not to the girl but the forms,
at the office. The weather was clear
and cold, with starlight. [ had iusti-
fed the last column, and was washing
the door. [ have as much grit as the
ordinary printer man, but that knock
scared me. The door was locked.
Pistol in hand, walked to the 'front.',
and, in the most composed voice J
could assume, asked:
who's there?'
cts me-"
If man loves woman, her gram
NAUTICAL inaccuracies are pleasing
eccentricities. When he hears them
at midnight, instead of the assassin S
whisper he is fearing, they are sweeter
than music. The voice was Elias
that was her name. [ laid down my
pistol, opened the door, and tool, her
in my arms.
20, good gracious, Mr.. Lester, do
YOU think [ came all the way from
home this time OF night 10 let you hug
me?"
mo, Ella, but"
1 stopped short,ss for I saw she was
very pale.
whats the matter, Ella?" ! asked.
"It's ies' this, Mr.. Lester. You're in
awful danger. Hank Best and jim
Gosling's tixin' to kill you. Mammal
sick, an | went to the comp'ny store to
git some medicine. When l passed
the blacksmith shop T heard your name
spoke. stopped and listened. jim
Gosling, he said: All right. boys. I'll
sot fire to his office tonight, and we
kin git the drap on i'm Tomorrow Of
he 'sinuates ANYTHING arbout it"
The constable ityes two miles fron,
here" said. MY nearest neighbors
are of the Hank and jim kind. You
go home, Ella, and Eli stay here and
see jim set fire to the Border Sentinel
office"
mo, no." she pleaded; "if you stay
here, I will, too"
But, think. What will people
say"
II don't care what they say, when ]
know Pm right.
A gust of wind blew the door open
and put the light out.
"Now, you must co." l said, after