The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1894-12-23

head tossed IN manner never occurs
except when ones soul is in the work
as theirs are. For it is Christmas eve in
Good Luck mining camp: just such a
Christmas eve as many a remote camp
away in the mountains will have this
year, and then look forward to for the
next. Somewhere way beyond Creede. or
Cripple Creek, say Choose yer partners
fer "a quadrille! Clear away there! Get. a
move on yer! Now then! Hands half
round and back again, Up the middle and
back home. Swing YER corners, Cspring
yer heelD Ladies back and gents advance,
Heigh oh! ira la la Lap Swing your part
ners! Keep it upD Ladies in the middle
and ring around rosy! Shake your solesi
All hands round! CTum, tum, toodle. doo-
die. dumrO
That CHEEKY voice belongs to Short
Hair Bob, the master of ceremonies. got
up expressly for the occasion. His call
"Balloon-sail'' brings this gay crowd
down upon its feet with vim that makes
Pineboard Shanty quake. He means bal
ance all" by the way. In order that he
may be seen as we'll as heard. he has
mounted a beer key, the head of which
about twice every minute, finds itself too
small to accommodate the gyrations of
his feet He finds his fiddle behind hirn
over his shoulder. on his knees. once
in a great while in it's right position. vet
BOD was never known to miss A note
in any tune he played. He is tba 1ea5or
in the Good Luck band.
'Dos-a-dos and don't get lost. lose vo,,r
lady at your costv' 0
Away they go, twelve couple at once.
the time increasing until the stems of
the cancers, the streaming hair and 7ut-
terng skirts of the bellies The -,
laughter, the loud outlaws come IN a so:
ing matt There is a crash of the hand
anu an uhceremoniOus tumble of Rob
from ms position on the beer key and
loud promenade ALL" as he bounds 70
ms 1eet and makes for the lemonade
A celestial, noted for his long narrou,
pigtail and short wide grin. faitbf,,Il,
aeals out the lemonade in bright tin Guns
bought for the occasion. Ephriam snort
ing new white shirt with RULED bosom
struts about in all his glory. Epbriam
plays the bones and is a ssbafl fellow NIL
Iel win all the miners of Good Luck
camp There is no distinction of color
IeHglon, race, size, strength or language
ms Christmas night. 1t is an unshaven
nut good natured assemblage. but there
may De a night later on. Lemonade is sun
posed 10 be the drink of the evening bur
bad brandy and worse whisky are fnrl
nished two shanties away.
smal bed room filled with chairs and
liable accommodates those unable to find
place on the floor. Some of the men are
smoking. Two with their lady partners
are playing California Jack: others az a
side table having a hot time over ont
throat euchre. Long-Legged Jack leans
up against the board partition idly chew
ing his cud and gazing with placid conn
tehance on the scene. Sam, short and
sWarthy makes himself still more somber
IN appearance by tending the fire throw
ing back the charred logs to keen at Ieae+
one end of the shanty comfortable.
IL VIII be here in minute, can't Won
near II rumbling?" says Jim Mason as he
ana an old stoop-shOuldered miner wan
der to the door and look out
jim is a tall, strapping broad shout
dered specimen of humanity. and carries
knotty arm, that has tested its strength
more than once. Mr.. Jarvis is an old man
Iuly 10, with weather beaten face. horny
hands and bent body, all indicative of
years OF hard labor and cruel exposure.
II tell you the truth, Jim he saws
don't think l can hear anything. You
see my ears have been strained all day lis
tenlng for the sound of the darned old
Jerkey' and now it could ride over me
and, blame me- if / would not think it
neaVy concern come down the hill once to-
Gay have seen it a hundred times. Have
you got chew of tobacco to SPARE?
lhats pretty good plug"
GA man Jarvis whites off enough to
make his left cheek punch out like a
Wen, then sitting down on the door step.
never needing the cold, he anxiously turns
ms eyes in the direction where the coach
will appear.
Why, of course! The "jerkey'' is the
coach and the Old mans daughter is com
ing home from school and Jim is-welI.
may be more.
Ladies change, Baloonce on your
heel!' drown their voices as the door
opens and a merry crowd rushes out to
cool their glowing faces
Here comes the coach, 19-year-old Susie
ana here Baja California friend, Violetta,
lts only passengers, and Conklng at the
Ielns. You know Conkling? Why, where
can you have lived. Well! He can drive.
Sonkling can! Swarthy Sam in one of
MS numerous trips for logs, has caught
glimpse of the coach and announced its
arrival with a. war whoop to the company
inside. The foaming horses are led away
while the passengers are fairly carried
INTO the ball room. There before the blaz-
ing pine log fire they tell the story of their.
ride and of the term at school,
Hurry up! Times precious. Talk TO-
morrow; dance tonight. In less than ten
minutes the girls are back again. attired
Tor the dance. Apparently reckless of life
and limb tine delayed parties continue to
cash up before the door from every little
prospect hole for miles around. Women
are scarce in all prospecting camps. and
at this party there are four men to each
woman. The girls are decked regardless
OF all rules laid down by the Paris fashion
plates of long ago tackled up on the walls
OF the shanty for artistic effect.
In Good T,llcl< CaO1Tl half ( ba
HVes the year round in tents and sleeps
on the ground close to a cast iron stove.
that is easily kept red hot all night if de-
sired. Even men of culture. like Jim. be-
ing thorough miners. know better than to
mingle the garb of the miners with the at
tlre adopted by the city tailors, so here
'hey are in red shirt, buckskin breeches
ana fringed leggins leaving the boiled
Guds' that the camp afford to be sported
py the floor committee.
AT Christmas time there is always a
cessation of business in all well-toAlo !
camps. Men who spend long hours with
me pick and shovel are better prepared to /
observe the ceremonies of Dec. %.