The Bossier banner., 1893-06-01
JEREMIAH BOLTON.
TWO Opinions Of Him as Expressed
by Hiram Stiggins.

SIS there person living in this vii
lage by the name of Bolton, jeremiah
Bolton?" asked the stranger of Hiram
Stiggins, who was sitting on the top rail
of the fence.
"He doesn't live here" said Hiram.
a good deal of emphasis on the word.
Il 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 YOU
want to collect am money from him
let me give you pointer or two thatl
save you some trouble. You just go
oack where You came from and wait
I'LL Jerry sends it. You'll get the cash
Just as qr.ick that way as by bothering
him afout it. Jerry's the allfredest
loaier in the hull country, and that's
say ng good deal, for Inknow most of
1.e folks in the neighborhood. I've
hyed here myself goin' on twenty-four
year. Some of 'em are splecny enough.
and these times man has to be up and
doin' eff he wants to pay his debts, let
s"S 6AteAh SiCNIU 1OI lildhlA
Times amt what they used to be- I
remember nineteen year ago this spring
when ~
What is Mr.. Bottoms business? He
Is a mechanic, isn't hep"
Jerry? He amt got no business
never had. l tell him he's got no busi-
mess 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 ioinin'
the village-and men were mighty
source, come over to get Jerry to help
me with the hayin'-offered him good
pay--a man can get anything he likes
IN hayin' nowadays. 'Tain't like what
II used to be. Seems as eff the more ma
chlnery we get on farm the more
work there is to do. Labor savin', they
call them. Labor maxim is more like
it. remember sixteen year ago last
harvest that We"
Wouldn't Jerry workP"
Not by 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 I
own the house he lives in and sup
pose Jerry thought would take it out
IN rent eft he came to work. Still,
thats hatterln' jerry. He hain't sense
enough to be afraid I'd apply his wages
on his rent. He's just good for nuthin'.
hes tinkerer, Jerry is. Allus work.
In at some new tangled thing that amt
no good to any livin' creature. Jack of
al trades and good at none. l tell him.
trusts providence and his wife mostly.
Jerry would have starved long ago if it
wasn't for that woman She's a sight
TOO good for him. But she's just as big
fool as Jerry, for she believes he'll do
somethin' some day. She's the only
one creature on earth that does,
out that don't make no differ
ence 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 it.
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
Whatdoes he tinker at, principally?"
Who? Jerry? Oh, Lord knows. Some
iool thing or 'nuther. Deacon Swipes
says it's perpetual motion, but tell the
deacon there's no motto l, perpetual or
otherwise, about Jerry. Perpetual dunn
ioolishness, I call it. Tryin' to get a
nving by the sweat of somebody else's
prov. tell EN- down In the village
that derry's a smarter man than any of
~ cause he can live without werk md