The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1891-04-17
KNEW HE'D BE THERE.
Jcm briggs Credits His Late Partner--A
Little Joke In His Will.

Little Joke In His VIII.
Tho other day I mot on Kearnoy
street iii old'time Washoo acquaintance
called Jem Briggs, whose Usually Well.
worn miners appearance was on this
occasion replaced BY d gorgeous dis
play Of velvet vest, check pants, red
scarf, and ponderous watch chain,
while his honest and simple face shono
above these evidences Of prosperity
with the placid contentmont Of n full
harvest moon.
Hello, Jem," said. "glad TO SEQ
you looking so prosperous. Must have
struck 1t rich"
$50 have" suid Jem, and then, as
his tanned face saddened little. he
continued, 'but had mighty tough
loss, though. My partner Ned
Bimber-you renembor Ned-has gone
up the SHIFT"
''Itead; ehph
''Yes; I'll tell you how 1t was. YOU
see, Ned and I Had Il quarrel about two
years ago. Don't matter now what IL was
all about. Mebbe Ned was wrong and
mebbe was. but all the same. neither
Of us would back down; coupler fools,
you'll say, and so VIC were; and the up
shot was that we parted, and agreed
never to speak to each other again"
"And didn't youp"
NO sir; more shame for us, MS We
had been pards, thick. and thin, for
fifteen years together. Well, about
six months after that Ned got ii good
gravel claim up on the Feather, where
they've been turning the river bed.
md he struck II rich-cleaped up high
on to $3.50. 900 In ten months"
"And how were you getting on?"
"Oh, clean broke. Working up nt
Gold Hill for three dollars day.
Well, was kinder sneakin' glad to
learn OF Ned's luck, for all we were
outs; but the next thing l heard was
that he'd been killed by the banks
taving III on him. He lived Just long
enough to make his will. Well, tho
LAWYERS wrote us how Ned was worth
just about 1920, 600, and the will gave
IS, 900 apiece TO each OF three distant
cousins of his'n-thcy had all come out
from the East when they heard of
Ned's finland the same amount to
me, mind you. just Us though we hadn't
quarrclled. But Ned alters was n cen
tric sort of cuss. and the will provided
that none of us should get tho money
II We attended the funeral. He didn't
want anybody mt the funeral, but just
the undertaken. The will said lie had
lived lonely and he wanted TO be buried
lonely Thcm's just the words, and J
felt they were intended for me. sure
The disposition OF the rest of Il
estate, about 5000, 900, was provide
for in another codicil. 10 be opened Il
day after the funeral. but we all SUI
posed 1t WIS donated 10 charitab
object for Ned hadn't any kin 'ccpti
the cousins"
You stayed away from the fui
cralP"
That's just the point Somehow
felt so miserable and downhcarted
you see, Ned was the onlicst partner
ever habitat I determined TO Sc
him sent down on his last cage mn
way, money or no money, and did
And the cousins?n
None OF EN- went. Fact Is, tn
were SO disguised with the 'divvy' tn.
they cleared out down to Frisco {
SEQ about breaking the will. So WI
the only mourncr Mt the funeral. NJ
friends all thought I was fit for u
crazy house TO throw away the ST.
like that--woll, just couldn't help It
II turned out though, 10 DO tho bcs,
lead ever struck"
'.llow was that?n
why, tho next day when the main
will was opened We found II gave tn
entire balance OF the clean up TO whicl
ever OF us four disobcyed tho condition
for the %, 900 requests. So you sec
came In for the whole lump Just liS
knife. And do you know ms sure n
guns iron ] shall alters believe TIM.
Ned put up the job n purpose--'cause
he know'd I'd be thar!'-San Francisco
Chronicle.