St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1896-03-14


1ne one who 'fOots his horn" ID sure to
get the crowd, and now
Know why all the cattle tagged the old
bell COW.
Nixon Waterman, In L. A. W. Bulletin
STEMBLE'S INVESTMENT.
BY CHARLES DUnLEY RHODES.
The town marshal, ex-officio editor
OF the Lariat Exponent, afterwards
declared that his bad luck came that
night with the rain. 1t first came leak
Ing through the roof about midnight,
and, finding a convenient crease in his
blankets, trickled slowly downward,
until it awoke him with a start. Be
ing man of few words, he simply gave
= grunt of disgust, leaned over to cor
ner of the diminutive room, seized an
umbrella, opened it, thrust it accurate
IL under the leak, and calmly fell
asleep.
In the morning things were in even
. worse state. The bed was q minia-
ture island, the type-cases were half
filled with water, and the press, foot
power affair, stood cheerlessly in a
damp corner as if waiting to be resus-
citated from its all-night exposure.
Even then, Hank made no remark
his first act after sitting up in his
blankets being to pull forth slowly a
huge plug of tobacco from his hip
pocket, take a generous chew. and then,
~ If fortified against all manner OF
disagreeable things, to spring up and
begin putting things to rights.
There was knock at the door.
s4Come," he shouted, gruffly; and
there appeared to view little old gen.
tleman whose black frock-coat, white
collar-an unusual luxury in Lariat--
and mir of quiet dignity accorded well
with his gray hair and mustache-
s.Partlon me-" he said, with slight
air Of diffidence. ''but is this the editor
Of the Exponent?'
Hank nodded.
81 am Col. Stemble." the little old
fellow continued, affably, land I am
up here on special business for the
Black Butte Cattle company. Now, to
come to the point, am very anxious
to have q special edition of your paper
published today"
Hank kicked an empty tin can under
the press, and looked hard at his boots.
People were wont to say that he was
cautious man.
..It will pay" the cattle man con-
tinued; ''and this will give you some
idea of my wishes He handed the
editor some pencil notes and new
greenback.
Get the paper out by three o'clock
et the latest, and above all things make
Il interesting"
"I'll do it," Hank replied, with Gus
tomary brevity; and dthen,with renewed
energy, he resumed the renovation of
the little one-story shanty which
served as editorial Office, press-room
Ind home.
The old gentleman smiled to himself
- he trudged away-such a paternal.
benevolent smile as to seem almost
out of place in such an unconventional
wicked little frontier town as Lariat.
IA far rs the eye could reach were to
he seen the temporary structures of
canvas and tarred paper which were
the homes of the Inhabitants. Up and
down the railroad the first-comers had
pllkhcd their tents. and as the town
orcw rough streets had been formed.
ranging back to the line of low hills at
lie east. Lariat enjoyed the distinc-
tson Of being the extreme end of the
new railroad which was rapidly push
inR its way through Wyoming towards
the great northwest. Crouch's, down
the road, had until recently enjoyed
that honor But one fine morning after
the first train had pushed on to the
prcsent site of Lariat, the inhabitants
of the older town had emigrated in a
body, and Crouch's was no more.
True to the editors promise, the
Exponent appeared at the time named.
hat not until Hank O'Doughall, man
IN whose veins ran a strain of thrifty
Scotch blood, had engaged in several
mysterious transactions with certain
nroperty owners of Lariat, in exchange
for some ready money that the editor
had been boarding up for many day.
the latter became the owner of a con-
siderable strip of land along the rail-
road-an acquisition afterwards ex-
rlained by the following announce
ment which appeared in the Exponent:
1--WE take pleasure in announcing the
arrival Of Col. C. H. Stemble. agent for.
and . prominent stakeholder in, the
Black Butte Cattle company. This
English syndicate. having been struck
1ith the advantageous location of
Iariat, is contemplating the erection
of enormous stock yards in our city.
Ar the shipment Of cattle from the
Powder river valley. It il needless to
coument upon the great influence that
4his deal will have upon Lariat, the
I6tar city Of northwest Wyoming, as
AZ improvements will amount to ut
last 50. O.00o," etc.
Il was all very quickly and amicably
sarxanged. That evening the colonel
s1ea IN enthusiastic reception at the
1neaxan,t the leading hotel, where there
.wnro none 60 confident Of the future
IAFiat. 20 jovial, and withal % lavish
- his money, - he. incidentally,
3 - ~ be said that tho bar Of the Ala
sNaann did . big business. and that the
Senaed proprietors Of LAriat. Hank Nc.
1,eall especially, awakened to the
s - that they had good thing.
1lope1t morning the colonel. note
s1I.51k = hand. shd acce onied BY tbe
s. z*555SS . ssSf..me5aA tIn = n Snnr,eeeed