The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1893-03-08
THE GOVERNORS MISTAKE.

ernor shutting his teeth down on his
Havana, and closing his eyes retrospect
lively, writes Thomas Nelson Page in
uarper's Magazine.
when was it?" wa asked.
Not so long ago, said the governor.
''Do any Of you think look like fell
on?n he asked. The reply wasnot unan-
imous. 'Well, was arrested as one
within the last two years. When came
into the governorship I thought would
be very thorough. and one of the first
, things l Investigated was the convict
system. The newspapers said had
made promises that I would give honest
labor a show. Perhaps l had. 50 one
day slipped eff by myself and went up
to the mines to see how the thing was
being worked when no one was expect
ing me. The charge had been made that
the lessees ran things very differently
when an investigating committee was
expected from the way they usually ran
them, and that ordinarily The treatment
was very harsh. intended to so down
into the mines, and put on an Old suit
Of clothes in which l used to oc-
casionally hunt in, and congratulated
myself that no one would know me.
Gin the pockets were all sorts of odds
and ends, such as strings, wire, knife
nippers, ETC. get the conductor to let
me off the train at crossing, and walk
ed a mile or two to the mines. As got
lear them, thinking I would look over
the ground before going into the clear
ing space, l turned out of the path and
struck up the hill through the brush.
took a survey ana saw a small group of
men around a fire, one or two Of them
convicts, one OF two perhaps visitors,
and one guard with a double-balreled
shot gun across his arm, l was think
ing of going down, and took step or
two, when some one behind me said,
Hold on; come back here l turned,
and there thirty steps from me was a
guard, an ugly old fellow, long and bony,
standing with his shotgun across his
arm. what do5you wan5?" asked.
9 3 want you, he said, and wants
you quick. Come here
II went over, moved rather by curl
osity. We'll, what do you want with
me?'
'''Tm going to take you to the war
den, he said
But 1 won't go" said. 4 don't
want to 60 to the warden, and 1 won't
60.
g sYo4 won't? Well, Wen see if you
won't If you don't you'll git load Of
buckshot in you,' he said, dropping Lis
gan, and pulling Lack the ham ner
slowly.
Il saw that he had me and I deter
mined to explain. L an a visitor up
here, said.
6 Yes, no doubt; that's why wants
you. l wants you to finish out your Wis
it. We can't bar togpart with you, Walk
along thar
81" But l began.
" But nothing said he; you don't
want no but but this, and he gave me
crack wit the butt of his gun which
nearly knocked me over March on, he
said
" Look here! I'm the governo of the
State, said I, trying to look imposing.
'He looked at me quizically-Y Sc
a pretty looking gov'nor amt you?' he
said We'll, gov'nor, I'm glad to see
you; I'm gwine to help you serve out
yo' term. Walk along thar and shet up
your jaw m gittin' kinder tired on it,
and I've good mind to let you have a
,oad Of buck hot anyways, just to teach
you Lanners.'
"Well, that old fellow marched me
down and made a convict go through my
clothes. The things in my pocket was
positive proof of my guilt, of course, and
you never heard such lambusting
as he gave me in your life, all the time
keeping fire at me, asking what | was
in fer etc. The circumstancial evil
denee was that I was burglar, but they
all agreed that looked like apickpooket
and one man even suggested that l had
picked a burglars pocket. That was the
worst of all. Then he marched me
off to the warden"
what became Of the guard?" asked
/ one.
Hes manager on my farm" said the
! the governor. "and still mikes me march