The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1896-01-16
A NlGHT IN ARKANSAV

..Did you ever visit Camden, Ark p
asked a young lawyer at Chamb erlin's,
the other might. well, you! don't
want to" lie continued. 81 came near
losing my lifes there one night, all
through the common, everyday Gus
|-sedness of q few of its worthy citi-
zens."
What is the place like? / don't re-
member much about it, and that much
is not particularly enchanting. It has
a postoftice, a railway station and a
couple of saloons; you can find the
houses, or rather huts Of residence, if
you look long enough. There is an
alleged hotel in the place, too I found
it after considerable difficulty, the day
I landed. 1t is one Of those delight
fully sWampy countries, where the
miasma floats in the air until YOU
could cut it with a knife, and it is not
only a chilly place in the matter Of
climate, but chilly for strangers at any
''My business there was in connec-
ton with a big claim, and found nv
affiators after I had nlooned about the
section for three days. The inhabi-
tants, that is. the male portion, seemed
to live mostly on bad whisky I am
not averse to an occasional drink my
self, but when walked into the hotel,
thoroughly worn out with my trip and
homesiclk from the looks Of the place,
| queered myself with the house at
once by asking for a Manhattan cock
tail. The barkeeper, who was also
mine host, leaned forward over the
bar, bent down his head and took a
look at me.
I" Look hyar, stranger he said,
when he had done his inspection, we
don't put up any of them ar foreign
drinks hyar. Yell take whisky dead
straight, or We won't take nothin'.
Whisky's good enough fur Their gents
IN these parts, an reckon it's good
enough fur ye.' This was said with
the air of one whose say went in the
town, and I meekly took the whisky.
l didn't take any more of it while I
was there.
1T was on the fourth night after
my arrival that packed my valise in
the rat-infested, garret-like room for
which l paid a dollar a day, and set
out for the station, where I intended
to take the train for Cairo, Ill. Tt was
shortly before midnight and all the
town was dark and still. But down
the slope, as drew near, could see
the light in the station, and I hurried
my pace, anxious to get in out Of the
chill dampness.
!. "When opened the door an intense
heat struck my face, and there, in the
middle Of the barn-like waiting room,
was great stove. It was red-hot and
roaring like a furnace Around it sat
a number Of as villainous- looking
prominent citizens of Camden as
had met during my short stay. They
We're lazily engaged in chewing tobac-
co and whiting sticks of wood with
ugly-looking knives. They filled in the
Intervals of a spasmodic conversation
by splitting on the stove, causing great
clouds of sickening yapor to ascend.
over to one side [ saw a little,
round hole, about as big as a plate,
where rightly conjectured must APP
ply for my ticket. was greeted with
brazen stares and some smothered
snickering as I crossed the floor. Per-
haps MY clothes didn't suit the assem-
blage, perhaps didn't seem to bersuf-
ficiently hail fellow, well met I paid
no attention to the men whatever,
and, STOPPING down, peered through
the little hole. A strong odor Of bad
whisky staggered me.
when I ventured to look again, /
found that the fumes came from an
Individual lying in careless and even
somnolent attitude upon the sofa. In
as polite language IS [ knew how to
command endeavored to arouse him.
Presently after repeated attempts, he
raised up on one elbow and blinked
idiotically at me.
sWhazzat yer say?' lie asked, i'm
pudently.
II want a ticket to Cairo I replied.
The HI you say replied the ticket
agent. WAL, yer don't git no ticket
amt sellin no tickets to Cairo, n any
other place tonight
''This was exceedingly tiresome.
looked up at the clock on the wall, and
saw that the train was inconveniently
near. Look here, man,, said I've
got no time to argue; want my tick
et.' I knew that if missed the train,
I would not get another for twenty
four hours, and the prospect of spend
Ing that length Of time in Camden,
Ark, was a little too much. Didn't
tell yer, ger didn't git no ticket? re-
sponded the genial agent. He was