The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-09-23
OLD ALB.
The Miners Helped HIM for His
Wife's Sake.

wv llO . 9SSROs
..of all the onery. wtthless, trifing
fellers ever knowed senoe l war
horned, I'm blamed if old Alb Jones
amt the wust. I've knowed some mis-
er'bly shiftless cusses in these yere dig
gins, but / never run acrost anybody
that could hold candle to old Alb, an
for down right trifin'ness I'd be willin'
to back him agin creation"
The miners up in Cool Run Gulch had
just finished supper and were lounging
on the grass, enjoying smoke, when
old Sandy Scott gave expression to this
opinion.
"Why, Sandy, what's struck We so
suddent?" Rile Creason asked.
Reckon a Teller don't have to. be
struck SO awful suddent to know that
old Alb Jones amt no count" Sandy re-
piled, rather sharply.
Reckon not. Sandy. low if fell
Ter is half-witted he kin size up old Alb
to a t. on fust sight. Guess thar amt
a man in camp but what's figgered him
out as purity blamed triflin'. But by
SIGH a student burst on your part l
kinder lowed mebby somethin' had
happened"
s'Happenedr' old Sandy cried.
"Hain't somethin happened? Hain't it
nothir' when Teller works hard in the
mine all day to have to come home an
cook supper jest because old Alb is off
skylarkin' round down thar at the
post, hevin' good time? Haiu't that
nothin', fellers?"
''Why, vas, tits. of course" Rile adj
mitted; 'but mebby Alb has business to
keep him down thar"
business? Reckon it amt likely as
such cattle as him Hd have any bust
ness anywhere, less'n it wuz with the
marshal. This makes three times in the
last month that we've come down from
the mine to find old Alb gone an no
supper cooked. an I'm blamed tired OF
it. If Teller pertends to cook want
i'm to do it, an if he can't Dit, an dc
1t regular, why let i'm quit"
There was q chorus of assent. just
then the object of comment drew near
Doffing his old hat he said:
Boys, I'm sorry / didn't get bach
sooner, but got letter from"
''Oh, give us q rest on that" Mari
cried. "We've heerd SIGH tales afore.
But this is fact, Mart" Alb went
on, IAN want a leete money fer
''Git out, old chap. Yer not goin' t.
git no money. an yer needn't think it
Why, blame it! yer don't pay fer yel
feed, much less earn money"
"I'm sorry wasn't here to git sup
per-" Alb protested, "but got lettel
from home an it says my wife is sicl
an needs money, an l stayed dowI
thar tryin' to raise ten dollars to send
TO her. An thought"
"Wal, yer thought wrong" Mart ex
claimed, ''if yer cackilated to work III
with that story. Git out an clean NJ
them supper things"
Alb saw that it was useless to argu
further, and at once withdrew.
"Look here, boys" says Jack Bone
''ain't it jest possible that thar may b
some truth in what Alb says?"
Reckon it hain't likely" Mart re
piled. Don't s'pose the old scamp
got wife in the first place, an he's jes
a-tryin' to work us fer few dollars +
. spend. My notion is we'd best give in
ten hours to leave the camp in an
he don't go, stretch I'm. He's tarna
nuisance here, with his continnerl
playin' off sick an wantin' money fe
one thing an ernuthur, an the soone
we git rid of i'm thesbetter, an I'm fe
notifyin' i'm to git"
This proposition being unanimousl
agreed to, old Sandy Scott and tw
Others were selected to go down an
give Alb Jones notice to skip" TIL
evening was warm, and the door of oil
Abs cabin stood open, SO that the me
rs they approached had a complet
view of the interior OF the little room
Old Alb was there, and, with his hand
crossed behind him and his head bowet
paced the floor in restless manne
stopping ever and anon to gaze at SON
small object which he held in his han,
"Humphv' calculated old Sand,
''that'a blamed quare sort o doin'
shore."
wonder what he's got In his hand,
said Jack Bone.
Dunno" replied Sandy. HE pea
to git good bit O. satisfaction QUITE
1t, don't hep
wal. whatever it is" remarke
Mart Barker, y low II amt nothil