The watchman and southron. [volume] (Sumter, S.C.) 1881-1930, 1898-07-20
rs STRONG Man.

s.. a SIhgIlNU III Ms4AN.
ss The weekly coach was due at South
City, and all the inhabitants were ca
gerly awaiting its arrival. The Diggers'
Arms was, as usual, crowded, and
against its hospitable walls lounged
these unable to get in. Suddenly 8
crack, loud and reverberating, sounded
zn the clear mountain air, and with a
Whoop and rattle the great coach lum-
bared up.
The driver, CHEEKY Yankee, who
Knew his men as well as he did his
horses, shouted: = Have you heard the
lsews, boyss No. Well, Til tell you
North City has imported e parsonr'
A what!' shouted the miners, jeal-
sa1s OF their own town.
sArea live parson, and, what's more,
#thagsye turned the old saloon into q
meeting house. 2
There was a long standing feud be-
tween North City and South City, which
dated frem the first gold rush, and
many and useless were the buildings
4has the rival towns had erected to ego
ene better than the other.
All locked toward Texas Joe, an old
and tough miner, who By a breyity Of
speech and q quick use of his gun had
long held the perilous position of dicta-
q IL -, ~, I,,rt,,f,a
No one spoke-indeed no one quite
cared to. AT length the oracle, shifting
lsis Mug from one cheek to the other,
azid Pass the word that there'll be a
meeting here Of all the boys at 6 sharp.
: Ii amt ia Be allowed chat young
anoye ahead village like North City is
sa take the shine out OF us. No, sir, it
sain' likely. =
Long before the whole adult pop
nlation was collected near the saloon,
and it was clear thatsno room would
.sold the crowd. Finally an open air
neesing was proposed and carried-mo-
tons moved by Texas Joe generally
were-and the dictator took the " bar
srel. q
Men of South City, = he began, you
I'LL know Why this here meeting is call
id. We have been made fools Of by the
s,eople asFay yonder, = waving his hand
,norshwara, land it amt to be. They
have beer presumptuous enough to get
suarson, as n the inhabitants of these
,oarts want either doctors or parsons,
and are cracking On about it no END.
Now, I aim 't more religions than most,
sstiill 7 SAP, kicking his heel in the bar
rel TO emphasize his words, that it's a
real disgrace to as that We amt got "a
parson too. Now, what say is this:
North City have got larson; South
City will have one toe. They have got
% travelling euss; We will have man
aff our own, q chap wot's got some edu-
cation. That Il fix 'em up, you bet.
a redhaired Cornishman, who hated
jos, yentl1red to say: 81 vote We have
good chapel man; he'll be sight
cheaper and will be more Of our OWL
wayof thinking.
Now, Treleaven, you dry up. Pts
copals I inew. Catholics ] know, but !
know nothing and care less atout fancy
religions, and we'll have one from the
bishop or we'll have none at all. . A
chorus Of appTosing voices showed that
Joe had theg gasdahe meeting, and the
Gornishmaa saiagily drew back.
Now, It carn.t be done without
monsy I ain: got much, still I,Il give
S.e, said the chairman. 'sI'u give
Ssss.'' ssI'af give S1o!'' Here, take my
dust!l Here's for the skyscraperp'
we're heard on all sides, and amid a
scene of wild excitement Texas Joe. aft
er counting the collection on the barrel
head, said, /" Well have the best there is
Z to be s. i've vegot SOC" He beamed
oa the crowd and saw genuine satisfac-
8 ton On every face in front of him.
Then, with a qreer smile on his face,
Treleayan pushed his way to the front
and said: ssI call that a good start, and
now ali we've got to do is to write to
Frisco, for there's sure to be boss
I there who will send as up the man we
want. vote that the chairman write
and see to the whole job.j;' A dead
pause followed this, for almost every
man knew that Joe could neither reao
nor write. He rose slowly, with his pis-
tci in his hand.
Now, look here, mates, there's a
kind er nasty swang about the last
speakers remarks that I don't like. I
ANITA pushing man, but Of course I'll
write il Mr.. Treleaven wants me to.
! Say, do you now?'' he asked, looking
intentIy at the Cornishman as he did so.
The crowd fell away on all sides, for
the air seemed little heavy.
5 No. P'raps young Green, the last
tenderfoet, had better write it. We
onghtn't to put it all on you, Joe. No
soFense," he muttered
All, said Joe, "just as you like.
Now, Green, get paper and pen. %
The crowd gathered again. "Give the
boy room. Now just you write" With
admiration the miners listened while
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