The Houston daily post. [volume] (Houston, Tex.) 1886-1903, 1896-01-19

voluble gentleman that Mr.. Twain makes
him while driving Horace Greeley over
the famous Van Horn grade. Grand old
Hanks vocabulary was very limited.
There is grave doubt as to whether or
not he was familiar with the twenty-six
characters that represent the alphabet.
He was born pantommist who seldom
sought information and answered nearly
all inquiries by shake or nod of his
head. A dozen words a trip was about
the limit of his colloquial powers, and
it was frequently remarked that he never
said but one good thing-and that he
did not say. A stage driver by the name
of Charlie died suddenly in Carson City.
The coroner's jury found that the name
Charlie was not appropriate to the dead
one" Sallie Ann or Susan Jane would
have suited the corpse better. Hank
came to look at his dead comrade. To his
utter Amusement he saw before him
well-developed, beautiful young girl %
or n years of age. As tears streamed
from his eyes that betokened more sur
prise and something indescrhable than
to think that we have been showed in
in the mountains, slept together in camp
and in a hundred hotels, and | never
n-ev-cr-Gentlemen, what will you takeE"
| met one of these storm gods the other
day up in Kerr county. He was native
Californian. Standing just six feet high
with a great fine head on his square
shoulders, and the muscles of a gladiator
weighing about 1T5 pounds, without an
ounce of surplus flesh. the voice of
lion and the courage of 4 Spartan, he
would have made splendid model for
n sculptor's Hercules. Though no mortal
ever saw him quail, though wolves hide
out and stampedcd cattle stop and mill
and tremble when he roars. his favorite
III Nxrtt1s
hird-the Boythorn of Dickens in flesh
and blood. Let lie call him Burge, for
by any other name his friends might not
recognize him. He is every inch Il man,
and one day Texas will hear from him,
for if he lives he will soon be million
aire and possibly a politician.
We talked all night-talked of Hang.
town, of old Calevaras of F'iddletown' OF
the Geiger grade, made famous by
Bret Harte: of the old mines and miners,
of the mail coaches and the big mule
teams.
Let Mr.. Burge tell his own story. 1t
is good one. and don't forget that az
the time this happened he was Just "a
years of age, a trained athlete ana me
stoutest man in all California, WIN the
courage of a lion:
"You remember Cape Horn on the
Cloverdale and Napa Valley roadi IT
is one of the highest points over which
any road passes in Californa-far above
the clouds in the region of perpetual
snow. Well, | was freighting over that
road with q sixteen mule team ana three
wagons. | had the bell team: Al mat
time whenever we pulled a fellow out
of the mud or up n grade we took his
bells away from him. Every one OF my
mules wore set of bells and | had
champion pair nailed on the front wago:'.
was pretty heavily loaded. and inst
as | struck the highest point OF the
grade ! saw my leaders throw their ears
forward | stopped instantly ana dls-
mounted. Then | saw the heads of Two
sorrel horses coming around the point
Of the mountain. | had met teh-norse
team on the narrowcst and most danger.
GUS part of the grade. The driver OF
the horses came forward and each OF
us greeted each other with the same
polite expression, which was; 'Ihis is men
amazingly" e,u,.
II looked the ground over carefully
One of two things had TO be done. Either
,, we would have to unload and pull thc
other fellows wagons back to Wlusr
place or / would have to pass mn righ.
there The former operation would block
the road for several days at a cost OF
many thousand dollars. Only ie"
days before drunken driver let tel,,
mule team and three wagons loaded WIN
!
snot. BY holding on TO pine tree anu
leaning over you could see a wagon wneti
in the top of a tree Il mile below anu
white streak made by the ilour-nothlhs
else only the backs Of the eagles.
rock wall had been built MP where tha'
team went over. i measured the srpuh,ui,
Said | to the other fellow; II you VIII
do as tell you I believe ] can pas:
you il that rock wall don't give away.
| / mounted my saddle mule. Remember,
was on the outside next to ne gorge
and that bottomlcss hell. Now, save -
'as soon as you can see daylight between
my trail wagon and the mountain sh,H
your leaders through with pull ana ha,.; =
whip of scorpions as if the old dew
was after YOU | had petted and taihed
to every mule as if had d,6 esen 'n, Mnrs
We shook hands, and pulling my hat
hard over my head, drew the me over Dyer
sixteen of the grandest and noolest mules
that the world ever saw. The wheels b9, ~,
gan to roll. For two or three m sanrS t ia
went well, then--oh,. God. | hearu ans
| rocts fallinc ouf Of that wall ] glunceu