The Opelousas courier., 1896-01-11

tnlS a out In Orderment to beat the
common enemy and have some honest
politics we are tryin on the convention
plan this year. You must stay and re-
main around here and bring Rocky
Creek around all right. I will give it
out that I have left the field in favor of
you, and then anything you say will 60
down with the boys. Now as for me, l
will bruise around keerless and ondif-
ferent like in the other beats and let it
leak out hat in case Of a deadlock I
for the sake of peace and harmony and
the anonymous success of our grand old
party"
Like Swappin Pocket Knives.
Well, me and Blew then went on with
the plans and specifications which he
had laid down, and between US we went
up to the convention with a delegation
which we could handle like a crowd Of
boys swappin pocket knives. Blew had
put his hand into the game and shut me
out oncst with old man Jeems w. Stag
gers in a race for county coroner. But
now the past was past. We had smoked
the pipe of peace and buried our little
Ratchet, blade down, and oncst more
Blew Scroggins had Rocky Creek Beat
in bis vest pocket.
As soon as we got to the convention
Andy Lucas come around to the Rocky
Creek boys and says to me, says he:
"Well, Rufe, old boy, how do we
stand on the question of high sheriff."
s"Solid for Blew Sroggins," says l.
but Blew amt in the race" says
Andy"
Il know that, Andy" says I, "but we
can enter him upon the mellowin Of &C.
casion, as it were"
"Well, who are you for for county
judge?" says he.
"Blev scroggins forever" says I.
How do you stand for collector"
says he. O
Like one man for Scroggins," says I.
"Who is your man for assessor?!'
says he.
"All one way for Scrogg.as," says I.
who will git Rocky CreeAgfor county
clerk?" says he.
THE Hon. Blevius Scroggil,s," says I.
"Who is your mar for governor Of this
great state" says he.
"A man by the name OF Ssroggins
from Rocky Creek" says !.
"Well, by all the devils at oncst,"i
says Andy, "who is to bs the next presi-
dent of the United States?"
"Blev Scroggins like a deer in q
walk" saysI.
And right at that time I do believe
that Andy Lucas was about the mad
dest white man / had ever saw, but he
didn't lose his head and git one-sided
for a fight on the spot.
But durin all this time Blew S%croggins
he was mixin around amongst the vari-
GUS delegates and tradin on Rocky Creek
from the big house to the kitchen. He
made some sort OF q deal with every
candidate in the field, givin one vote for
three, and then traded the home dele
CATION straight and solid to all the men
on the slate. Old man Simeon Collins
and Bud Newton and Andrew Milligan
and Will Tom Pickens had all come in
with delegations which they could round
| up any way they wanted to. So when
finally at last the convention come to-
gether the old hen was on, and the gen.
eral appearments to a man on the ground
floor was that she would lay a Scroggins
egg before the sun went down behind
the western hills.
Tying the Double Bow Knot.
To start out with the convention put
on the two-thirds rule, and to the gen.
eral surprise of the main crowd old man
Collins went through for county judge
| like he was shot out of a cannon. Tho
| other candidate for Judge was old man
Jerry Turner, and a better man ley
breathed the breath of life than him.
| But he had been takin things easy and
| sleepin on his rights. He didn't have
no opposition SO far as he knowed and
everybody had said they was for him.
! He didn't come in that day till after the
convention met, thinkin all he would
have to do was to make a ringin speech
and thank the convention for the high
honors which they had heaped upon
| him. And when the cat jumped the
other way old man Jerry looked a man
| that had answered before he was called.
He mounted his nag and rid of towards
home, and from that time hencefor-
wards to his dyin day he never pulled
another card Of played another hand in
politics.
But when the convention come down
to the question OF sheriff Blew he went
in for maxim a deadlock. He throwed
| Rocky Creek, single shot, first to Sam
Nettles and then to Andy Lucas, and
rot it back in seven scatterin votes from
the other Slate Beats. As between Sam
and Andy the game stood about six
| with one and one-balf a dozen with the
other before the convention, and by the
third ballot Blew had the thing tied
into , double and twisted bow-knot.
Then he set right down and helt his
little hand steady. KNOWN full and we'll
| that he could draw and fill it ont when
things got good ripe and ready for q
stampede. He had started in with
Rocky Creek solid, and old man Collins,
after he was shot through for county
Judge, took and throwed the delegates
from Bark Log Beat in ; bunch to the
~Scroggins column. That was in the
bargain, and he knowed that ii . man
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