The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1893-05-18
JEREMIAH BOLTON.
Two Opinions of Him as Expressed
by Hiram Stiggins.

us there person living in this viii
iage 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,
good deal of emphasis on the word.
II have a letter 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 any money from him
let me give you pointer or two that'll
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 it. Jerry's the allfiredest
loafer in the hull country, and that's
saying good deal, for Iuknow most of
the folks in the neighborhood I've
lived here myself goin' on twenty-four
year. Some of 'em are splecny enough,
and these times a man has to be up and
dom eff he wants to pay his debts, let
alone gittin' credit for maxim more
Times amt what they used to be. l
remember nineteen year ago this spring
when -"
'What is Mr. Bottoms business? He
is mechanic, isn't hep"
Jerry? He amt got no business
never had tell him he's got no bust
ness to live. Boats me what such men
arc made for in the first place. Natural
born loafer, Jerry is. Yes, sir. Work?
Whom 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-and men We're mighty
source, | come over to get Jerry to help
me with the hayin'-offercd him good
pay-a man can get anything he likes
in haydn nowadays 'Tain't like what
it used to be. Seems 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
it. l remember sixteen year ago last
harvest that We"
Wouldn't Jerry work."
Not by long chalk Needed the
money, too. His wife was dom the
washin' for the village to keep the chill
dren and Jerry alive. AS fer the rent,
they never thought o payin' no rent. l
own the house he lives in and l sup
pose Jerry thought l would take it out
in rent eff he came to work. Still,
that's flattern Jerry. He hain't sense
enough to be afraid I'd apply his wages
on his rent. Hes just good for nuthin'.
He's u tinkercr, 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 it
wasn't for that woman. She's sight
too good for him. But she's just us big
fool as Jerry, for she believes he'll dc
somethin' some day. She's the only
one creature on earth that does,
but that don't make no differ
ence TO her. She's 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 a woman, you know. There's
no accountin' fur 'em. Many a woman
with good, hard-worlin' 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 OF
otherwise, about Jerry. Perpetual dun
foolishnesS, l call it. Tryin' TO get a
living by the sweat of somebody else's
brow. l tell EN- down in the village
that Jcrry's a smarter man than any ot
us cause he can live without work and
we can't. Time was in this country
that man had to work or starve
Things amt what they used to be with
the young folks all wantin' to clerk il
the city. remember twenty-one years
ago when"
Then how does he manage TO live?
Il 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 a basket
and said she wanted to borrow a
basket of potatoes says to her
Miss Bolton, you can't borrow nothin'
I'll give you basket of potatoes, il
you go out and dig 'em. But I'm NJ
such a dunn fool as to lend anythin' tc