San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1897-05-16
A GRAVE AT A RATTLE.
Contributed

Contributed
In the early days of California, a
man by the name of John Tice made
his entrance into the golden state. He
wandered on to the tract now known
as the Fremont grant in Mariposa
county, rich in placer mines. He
took claim, and out of it he dug
enough gold for a fortune or two, but
he could not stand prosperity, and he
became too convivial and whisky got
the better 70 him, so that soon after
he had taken the gold out of the
ground it was in the hands of saloon
keepers and gamblers, of which there
were a great many in the diggings.
When his gold was exhausted, and
Tice got to thinking over the fortune
he had squandered, he became repent
ant depressed. But he resolutely went
to work and soon discovered another
''diggings" almost as good. With
this discovery his spirits returned, and
he became as convivial as before, or a
little more so. His mine yielded
bOuntifully, but by the time his gold
was out of the ground 1t also found its
way into the hands of the saloon men
and gamblers, so that by the time Tice
had worked his mine out he was no
better off than he was before he dis
covered it.
Repentance again came to John TiCe
and he was heard talking to himself
and saying two good finds have gone
to the devil.
Well the third time is the charm, 1
will find the third, keep duly sober,
and save up what 1 get out of it, and
retire from business"
But Tees luck as he expressed it,
had deserted him, and he did not find
his third diggings, and he became more
dissipated and respondent than before,
and sank lower and lower. He final
ly adopted grave digging as living,
and when a man was killed he made
enough to provide him with a living
for month or two, and generally until
another man was sent out in some
drunken broil or gambling row.
But as the diggings became exhaust
ed, the killings also became scarcer,
so that Tice found it hard work to
make a living and particularly difficult
to procure a comfortable supply of
whisk:'.
At last he concluded to seek sympa
thy and comfort from his old friend,
Mrs. Quintardt, a large, fieshy woman,
and by the way was quite pious.
Tice went to her and told her his
troubles, and among other things tel
ling how his former friends sighted
him: that instead of calling him Mr.
Tice, Esquire, colonel and judge, as
they formerly did,it was old Tice now,
when speaking of him, interlording his
narrative with a superabundance of
damns, by g-ds and other but rough
expressions and cuss words. Old
Mother Quintardt, gently and kindly
admonished him several times not to
use such profanity, but finding that
kind admonitions did no good, she gave
him a severe lecture and scolding.
Tice quietly and respectfully listened
to her through, then rising to leave, he
said: Mrs. Quinardt, l know that it is
wrong to swear so in your presence,
but 1 am sorely worked up, over my
condition, and l intend to make anoth-
er rise, and if you will forgive me for
my swearing in your presence, I'll just
be good Cd d-ed, If l will ever do
so again damned if / do, and got up,
/ put on his hat and walked out without
another word, and without having OBJ
tanned any sympathy or comfort from
I her.
He went and got his pick and shovel
and was seen vending his way toward
the lonely cemetery. Some said Ttce
e had gone out prospecting again. some
2 one thing, and some another, Tice kept
5 his own counsel. not telling any one
I what his Intentions were. on reach
> ing the graveyard, however, he enter
I. ed. and selecting a desirable spot, he
Z dug a grave large enough to suit a
large sized person, saying, "if it is toe
: large for the person needing it. il can
o be filled I'm without much trouble and
S and dug IT deep enough "a hide away
E "any stir he said.
He trimmed Il down smoothly and