Elmore bulletin. [volume] (Rocky Bar, Idaho) 1889-1906, 1891-09-05
ARMSTR0NG'S LESSON.


fuba river there lived a queer genius named
Armstrong. lie was an honest miner. no,
differing materially from his fellows. except-
ing that lac had a curious habit of talking to
himself From the simple reason that he de.
parted from the common custom In this one
particular lac was Of course voted crazy by
all the other miners To call all persons
crazy who do not follow the customs OF
x-.Srity II a constant habit with men
b1t dny after day Armstrong worked away
with his pick and shovel, caring nothing fur
the remarks OF his neighbors, and seeming to
wish for no partner im his tolls OF rest. save
the invisible personage whom he always ad.
dressed in the second person singular and
with whom he was almost always ia close and
earnest conversation. The drift OF his talk
while at work would be as follows:
RATHER tough work, Armstrong-ricl
dirt, though-grub 81 pound-no time te
waste-pitch in, sir-hnnged il don't wish
was In the states. This mining 5 mighty
hard work. Nonsense, Armstrong: what d
fool you are 10 be talking this way, with
three ounces day rSght under your feet, and
nothing 70 do but just TO dig it out.n
Ills conversation would be duly punctuate,l
with strokes of the pick and lifts Of the
loaded shovel And so the days would pass
along, and Armstrong worked and slept and
talked with his invisible partner Well. il
happened in due course OF time that the class
OF human vampire commonly called gam.
bIers made their appearance at the camp
where Armstrong had been working. As he
was not above following the example of his
fellows, he paid the newcomers visit It is
the same old story After watching the game
awhile he concluded il was the simplest thing
In the world. So he tried his luck and won
slOOl Now, any new experience would set
Armstrong TO thinking and talking To himself
worse than ever, II rs 30 this time Now,
Armstrong lac said, as he hesitated about
going To work the next morning, -that is the
easiest slO You ever made in your life.
What's the use OF your going into a hole
In the ground to dig for thne, ounces dayl
The fact is, Armstrong, you ARE sharp You
are not made Tor this kind of work. Suppose
you just throw away your pick and she vel.
leave the mines, buy suit Of store Clothes.
dress up like born gentleman, and 20 at
some business that suits your talcnt.n
Armstrong was not long In putting these
thoughts and sayings into action. lie left
the diggings and invested in fine clothes He
looked like another man, but he was still the
samc Armstrong, nevertheless. lie was not
long in finding mn opportunity 10 try a new
profession. Walking forth in his fresh outfit,
hc had just concluded u long talk with him
self about his bright prospects when he
halted la front of IA large tent with sign
over it, "Mncrs' Rest Armstrong went
in. 1t did not seem to him that he remained
very long, but it was long enough to work a
wonderful revolution in his feelings When
he came out he was a changed man--that is
10 say, he was n ''changclessn man He was
thumlerstrucS, amazed, bewildered. lie had
lost his money, los his new prospect, lost his
self-conccit lost everything but his new
clothes and low habit Of talking TO himself.
II Is useless TO say that he was mad. Arm.
strong was very mad But there was no one
70 he mad at but Armstrong himself, 50 self
number two was in for rough lecture.
"Now, Armstrong, you are a nice speci-
men-you fool You bilk-you dead beat-you
inih- Well, | necd not repeat all the
hard things he sld. Like King Richard, he
'found within himself no pity for himself.n
But mere words We're not sufficient. IL was
atime for action. But Armstrong never once
thought OF drowning, shooting, hanging on
any other form of suicide. He was alto
gether too original, as well as too sensible,
for that. Yet he was resolved ON something
real AMI practical la the way of reformntory
Puiiisi,neli1 , ite iel' 'ue hssi oi sen-ihn
-, s'.,'.. s..'ss s''ou,u rem
'ss poHsioie' aau
-. - -. y ~ ..ao .u.ue
- sao 49,, s""s' - i,.a,; III - asuohs o Sell
so"i, :. Us -. o',,s ai'"uss .oo oesl
tor nt.'i'l,iee' nu. nha,iy he $1,000 oy tht
uuss5 ro1u ti1us "iiien eiie great ireisntine
Masoii. VERY i'auili's suipaies y tho mining
camp up 'ne ,l a'i'liheuto. ohe ol tnese
"asohs' "'s,a =! saN $50 VI oAsn, was Jas'
i'lssails. nn"ts snap snap, IN SLOW, rresu
Lar suests'1'i' 't.tiie 'iie Aeeii, singing 70
Polss u en' -, .a''N'' "a "nip, ians
ians ~ ~" sli''l'eu 'lo taii, uusl DC
EIi.iaea u','e' ~ ~ s"uiS MS "mp ahu
Cast siuei"ns slainFe "a. 'ne nroAen nrn
"ohaeiihs mat IA .nhhuer ali them
ssofe elo''''S was = a",ii t4iar. No~' Whei
armstrong -" INC long column Oh white
aus fiS'i's leii,l'a 'nas Mas'oa ne was ta6ei
WIN ah ,'lsI - ~ Snvuu V 'no uriser !, =
KNOW u ho ,i,s"s oo "'''"e VI W WALK ih li''
Fosia oeaihu l.ie ""soh
W. IA at'a s'e' $50 .as .ne oii'ei'
40, san Aiilst1ols, "tsn " walk.
ihen walls, you crazy Iooi, was the nc
eoiil,lsA'"'''s i'ssl'0'iSo' 10 INC aiiFer swung
us "Ii1
linen came tne ,us OF war. oreek never
met oiVeA mo- ne'cely .h''h uid tne t"e
con'eii'ills siliiss .oiil'oains no nrth O
Aflsons q 'eA 'as ',,u. la,'aSui'lI moment