The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1893-06-17
JEREMIAH BOLTON.
Two Opinions Of Him as Expressed
by Hiram Stiggina

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is there person living In this vii
Iage by the name of Bolton, Jeremiah
Bolton?' asked the stranger of Hiram
ctiggins, who was sitting on the top rail
of the fence.
HE doesn't live here" said Hiram.
good deal of emphasis on the word.
i have aletter from him and he gave
this place as his address"
"Oh. it's his address all right enough.
We don't call Jerry's existence living,
you know. He vegetables. And if Won
want to collect any money from him
Ice me give you pointer or two thatl
save You some trouble. You just go
back where you came from and wait
till Jerry sends it You'll get the cash
Just as quick that way as by bothering
him about Il. Jerry's the allfiredest
loafer in the hull country, and that's
saying good deal, for Irlnow most of
the folks in the neighborhood. I've
lied here myself goin' on twenty-four
year. Some of 'em are splecny enough,
and these times man has to be up and
doin' ct he wants to pay his debts, let
alone gittin' credit for maxim more.
Times amt what they used to be. /
remember nineteen year ago this spring
when ="
What is Mr.. Bottoms business? He
is q mechanic, isn't hep
Jerry? He amt got no business
never had. tell him he's got NO bust
ness to live. Beats me what such men
are made for in the first place. Natural
born loafer, Jerry Is Yes, sir. Work?
When you see Jerry Bolton tackle
honest work, you look out fer the judg-
ment day the week after. The world
will be comm to an end, sure Why,
last harvest own this farm joinin'
the village-apd men were mighty
source, l come &ver to get Jerry to help
me with the Hyin'-offered him good
Pay-a man can get anything he likes
In haydn nowadays. Tain't like what
it used to he. jSeems as eff the more ma
chincry we get on farm the more
work there is to do. Labor savin', they
call them. Labor maxim is more like
1t. l remember sixteen year ago last
harvest that we"
Wouldn't Jerry worlx?"
mot by a long chalk. Needed the
money, too. His wife was doin' the
washin' for the village to keep the chill
dren and Jerry alive. AS fer the rent,
they never thought o. payin' no rent.
own the house he lives in and sup
pose Jerry thought would take it out
In rent Of he came to work. Still,
that's flatterln' Jerry. He hain't sense
enough to be afraid I'd apply his wages
on his rent. He's just good for nuthin'.
He's tinkerer, Jerry is Allus work.
in at some new tangled thing that amt
no good to any Twin creature. Jack of
all trades and good at none, tell him.
Trusts providence and his wife mostly.
Jerry would have starved long ago if 1t
wasn't for that woman. She's sight
too good for him. But she's just as big
a fool as Jerry, for she believes he'll do
somethin' some day. She's the only
one creature on earth that does,
but that don't make no differ
cnce to her. She's a faded. washed
out creature. and the only time
she flares up is when some one tells the
truth about Jerry and she hears il.
Jest like woman, you know. There's
no accountin' fur 'em. Many a woman
with good, hard-workin' husband
don't appreciate him. There's my wife.
fur instance"
What does he tinker at, principally?"
"Who? Jerry? Oh, Lord knows Some
fool thing or 'nuther. Deacon Swipes
says it's perpetual motion, but tell the !
deacon there's no motion, perpetual or |
otherwise, about Jerry. Perpetual dunn |
foolishness, call it. Tryin' to get a |
living by the sweat of somebody else's |
brow. I tell 'em down in the village |
that Jcrry's q smarter man than any of |
us cause he can live without work and |
we can't. Time was in this country |
that q man had to work or starve. !
Things amt what they used to be with !
the young folks all wantin' to clerk in !:
the city. remember twenty-one years /
ago when"
''Thcn how does he manage to live?'
II tell you he don't live; he vege-
tates, and on my vegetables, too,
mostly. Only the other day Miss Boil
ton she come to our place with basket
and said she wanted to borrow q
basket of potatoes. says to her:
Miss Bolton. you can't borrow nothin'.
III give you a basket Of potatoes. ii
You go out and dig EN-. But I'm NO
such DUN fool ~ 70 lend auythin' ~