Blackfoot news. (Blackfoot, Idaho) 1891-1902, 1896-04-04
A MIGHT IN ARKANSAW.

.Did you ever visit Camden, Ark.T n
asked a young lawyer at Chamberiihs.
the other night. well, you don't
want Il. he continued. Il came near
losing my slife there one night, all
through the common, everyday Gus
sednesgsof few of its worthy citi-
zens.'
..whanis the place like2 1 don't re-
member much about it. and that much
is not particularly enchanting. II has
a postoftiee, railway station aud
couple of saloons; you can find the
houses. or rather huts OF residence, IL
you look long enough. There Is an
alleged hotel in the place, too. found
ii after considerable difficulty, the day
landed. Ii is one Of those delight
fully swampy countries. where the
miasma floats in the air until you
could cut II with a knife. and 1t Is not
only a chilly place in the matter or
climate. but chilly for strangers at any
temperature, as | found out.
My business there was III connee-
tion with big claim. and found my
affiators after l had mooned about the
section for three days. The inhabi-
tants, that is. the male portion, seemed
10 live mostly on bad whisky. am
NOT ayerse TO an occasional drink my
self. hut when walked into the hotel.
thoroughly worn out with my trip and
homesick from the looks of the place.
| queered myself with the house at
once by asking for " Manhattan cock
rail- The barkeeper, who was also
mine host. leaned forward over the
bar, bent down his head and took a
look at me.
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
straights or We won't take nothin.
Whisky's good enough fur Their gents
In these parts, an reckon It's good
enough fur We This was said with
the air of one whose say went in the
town. and l meekly took the whisky.
/ didn't take any more of it while
was there.
1T was on the fourth night after
my arrival that packed my valise in
the rat-infested. garret-like room for
which paid a dollar day. and set
ont for the station. where intended
10 take the train for Cairo, ILL., 1t was
shortly before midnight and all the
town was dark and still. But down
the slope, rs | drew near, | could see
the light i'm the station, and / 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. 1t was red-hot and
roaring like furnace Around 1t sat
a number of as yillalnous- looking
prominent citizens of Camden as l
had met during my short stay. They
We're lazily engaged in chewing tobac-
co ard whiting sticks of wood with
ngfy-looiSing knives. They filed in the
intervals of spasmodic conversation
by splitting on the stove, causing great
cl1Eids of sickening yapor to ascend.
over to one side / saw 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
sniekering as / crossed the floor. Per-
haps my clothes didn't suit the assem-
blase. perhaps didn't seem to be suf-
ficfently hail fellow, well met / paid
no Nattention to the men whatever,
and. STOPPING down, peered through
the. little hole. A strong odor Of bad
whisky staggered me-
when / 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 rs | knew how to
command endeavored to arouse him.
Presently, after repeated attempts, he
raised up on one elbow and bIinked
idiotically at me.
'Whazzat yer say lie asked. inn
pudertly.
:. Il want ticket to Cairo replied.
THE hi you say replied the ticket
agent. WAL, yer don't git no ticket.
amt sellin mo tickets TO Cairo, many
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
ct | 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 little too much. Didn't
tell yer, yer didn't git no ticketT re-
spoDded the genial agent. He was
lFT7f