Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-12-16
PARTLOw's LUCK.

The buckbcard and steady going
ronies of MIR. Jackson Bits, late Of
EoomlesS New Chicago rounded bed
IN the timber road a moment after q
Rfzn mounted on raciSing horse. en-
lcfSd il IRON a sldeW4y whlch itlned
TIE main iosd little beyumd the bend.
The rackiug Gf she caueStEaa's steed
was kept iroRa becoming moRotonotS
~ tenCency upon the part 81 the
fa-fer to stumble at The slightest
provocation. and his rider. as he
weakly reversed the horse at the
and came racking towards it. locked
rs il persistence in that mode of
travelling might speedily result In
shaking him to pieces.
He was thin and wan, as If from .
recent illness. and his mouth, bad a
discouraged dr00p at the corners
He begged to share the buckboard
sc1t with Mr.. Ritts, Eupplementing the
excuse that he was i'm danger of being
unable to long keep his joints together
il forced TO continue the victim of the
rack.
A feIler,- he said presently, with
A nournful tone that was almost Q
sigh ga feIler must save himself all
ne specially when lUck's agln
him.
He had fastened the racker behind
the Blackboard and crawied onto the
scat with an ss sUnf-ah ~ of relief
The two men exchanged the ciylli-
ties of passing the time O. day." and
sir. Bits, having done all that cour-
tesy demanded of him, was ready to
resume the attact upon the chaotic
schemes with " ich he had been
wrestling before the appearance OF the
other.
ssWhen lucIS's arin him." his pas
senger repeated sigaifully, as it Is
agin me ~
al reckon so 2 apreed Mr.. Bits. en-
cotrraging but lite the evident de-
sire Of the other to indulge in REM
aniscencing.
Mr.. jackson Bits, late Of New
Chicago, was iptel lestcd more in juno
ton City and the jinancial benefit he
expected to derive from the place than
in the woes Of the man beside him.
He had approached New Chicago
six months befe-e with the same
wrestling with schemes that now tore
him.
The boom at that settlement had
waxed and waned. and Mr.. Bits had
failed to enrich himself but with the
ever gpringing hope that animates the
true boomer, he was now on bis way
to Junction City filed with stu
greater confidence than he had enter
tained upon approaching New Chicago.
It was decided and announced that
the Dakota and Gulf Railway would
cross the TranscOntinental Railway at
a certain point where there was not
little Of natures handiwork to be seen.
The road-bed of the Transc onti-
mental, shanty on the line between
two homestead claims, an apology for
fence, another for stable-that was
about all there was to be seen.
This was at noon. A little later the
agents of the two railroads and one
OF the proprietors of the shanty on the
fine between the claims were actively
at work with gang of men, and be-
fore 10 o'clock of the following day
the entire section had been staked of
In streets and lots.
At noon the sale of lots began, and
before night many had been sold. By
sunset half dozen shanties had been
slapped up'' and Junction City began
TO be.
The rapidity with which the news
Of the newborn boom travelled was
astonishing. The next day the build
ing Of houses and the coming of In
habitants began in good earnest.
Ehanties sprang up. Others came
on wheeled tru. ks from deserted
claims and more or less excuseless
settlements. Tents were plentiful.
There appeared what out Of courtesy
were called stOr !. There. too, was
a "hotel,'' the accommodations of
which were little short of awful. and
a saloon where was dispensed liquid
comfort mostly of the Battleax'
brand.
A day later the initial number Of
the Junction City Pioneer was
sprung upon the settlement by an
enterprising gentleman who had pre-
yiously founded th Sumner " Pioneer
and the New Paris I" Pioneer There
were also many other evidences Of the
daring and activity that newborn
boom develops.
Bits passenger wriggled about on
the seat of the buckboard and sighed
again.
"Luck's ben agIn me ever since /
KIN remember" he ventured presently.
Names Partlow-Oracle Partlow.D
he paused to note the effect Of this
announcement.
Mr. Bits uttered an "uh-huhs Of
assent, and withdrew within his shell.
Yep,n continued Mr.. Partlow with
pathetic pride, reckon I'm the un-
luckest man 'twixt this an anywhurs.
I've ben mighty nigh everything but
plumb Killed.
That's bad commented Mr.. Bits.
without emotion.
Um-ahi you betw pursued Mr..
Partlow, warming up. I've ben
shot by Q deputy sherf for q hawse
thief I've ben bl0wed nearly out nv
the county by cyclone. I've stood
on barl with rope around my neck,
waitin' for q vigiIantes committee to
decide whether was the fellow they
wanted or not. an was taFred an
feathered once by mistake. I've ben
held up by road agents an robbed nv
my last IS. I've ben chased by 3
crazy man. My wife ran away with Q
man who owed me, an who was
reckoned by me to be sure pay. A
vel cayed in on nle once, an kept
me buried forty hours with half Inch
crack to breathe through. I've had
the rheumatic OF an on for ten years,
an the ager right smart NV the time
An. al things considered. reckon
lucks agin me -
aTn nolxr aogu aOraad nv R;ffa