The Marietta journal. [volume] (Marietta, Ga.) 1866-1909, 1895-06-20
.THe WAY 4g WOULD FIag n.
Lesson IN P:sto's G:van TO pTan From
Boston ~ . Eaachman.

! Boston ~ = Ra7chman.
"Comi-- o235 over the Atchison
road from Las Vegas, II. M, to Kan.
sas City, said J. f Rankine of Eliz.
abeth, II. j., our train was de.
tanned west of Dodge City two days
by washout. There was a crowd
of the toughest sort aboard, some of
them cattlomea from the ranges and
others railroad men returning from
the construction work OF railroad
just completed. It was q hungry
time, for there was nothing to eat.
but there were plenty of beer and liq.
uor aboard, and the passengers in
the intervals of drinking amused
themselves with cards and betting
and by firing pistols from the car
windows at the telegraph poles.
In one seat next window sat
very young and innocent man from
Boston, one of the many from that
locality sent out to points along the
line of the Atchison road by the ia.
vor of the management to grow up
with the country. He had come to
| the conclusion that the Back Bay
and Cambridge were western enough
for his tastes and was on his way to
the east. Beside him sat stranger,
a big ranchman wearing black
sombrero. Inspired by the example
of some men who were firing from
the car windows, the Bostonian took
from his travelling bag pistol that
must have been gift of a doting fe-
male relative. It was an elegant lit
tie pearl handled affair, it's tiny
barrel beautifully chased and orna.
mented. 1t looked more fit to be
hung on watch guard than to use
as weapon, but the owner, in imi.
tation of the Others blazed away
with it at telegraph pole with
about the noise and effect thata fire.
cracker would have produced.
The ranchman beside him looked
with surprise and then with grim
amusement at the Boston mans
shooting and for the first time seem.
cd to take an interest in what his
seatmate was doing.
LET mo look at that thing,
stranger he said.
1.-The Bostonian passed the pistol to
him with an expression of satisfac-
ton on his face, as much as to say,
This is rather a neat thing, don't
you know, and I'm in the shooting
as well as the others The ranch
man handled the wee weapon with
an affectation of admiring awe and
examined it with grave curiosity.
" It's a great firearm and no mis-,
take, he pronounced. If twas
mine, would you like to know how
I'd fire it?'
Tho Bostonian looked pleased
and nodded Tho ranchman drew
his, own pistol, an immense long
barreled affair which looked as if it
ought to be mounted on gun car
riage.. Calmly he stuck the barrel
of the small pistol into its capacious
muzzle, and thrusting the big weapon
through the open window took a de-
liberate shot at the telegraph pole
The butt and barrel of tho little pis-
tol flew two ways as it struck the
telegraph pole in the center, while
the big bullet behind sent splinters
flying as it plowed through the tim
Der.
Upon this worse than contemp.
tuous treatment of his property the
Bostonian looked with CONSERVATION
and at first was indignant. But he |
had some tact and a sense of humor
despite his nativity, and there being !
nothing better to do no soon Joined |
in with the others in the laugh that
was raised. His big neighbor passed
him a peace offering in the shape of |
a flask approaching an army canteen
in size. The Bostoniap pulled man
fully at it, and for the rest of the
trip the two were most friendly COM |
panions. The ranchman took the
tenderfoot under his protection and
would suffer no one to impose on
him. A grand rush followed our ar
rival at the first railroad dining sta
ton, where after our two days
fasting a meal for so persons was
served to the $50 famished passen.
gers. 1t was grab, everybody, and
the big man loomed above the crowd
as he strobe, holding aloft whole
boiled ham in one hand and loaf
of bread in the other, back to tho
car to join his friend from Boston"
New York Sun.
Jaw Breakers.
4 COrrespCp1oD+ CooJ, 9, o1;o,o;.,..