The copper country evening news. [volume] (Calumet, Mich.) 18??-1907, 1898-02-19

> TALE IN WHICH A DOCS TAIl PLAYS
AN IMPORTANT PART.

Ill ~ Wv ~
D 8...AAs - NAS N. ~,
How Operator Tanquary Was Enabled .
Retrieve His Losses and walk Away wit
All the Capital Of the Three Confdsn
Denver Gambler.
II people must tell telegraph stories, VIII,
not tell truthful and reasonable ones-sucl
as are susceptible of proof For instance
why has nobody thought IL worth while {,
tell the world about Tanquary's dog
There Is a narrative-beautiful, chast,
i and Instructive and one to which every
operator on the Denver and Rio Grand,
from Denver to Pueblo will swear. TIL,
facts are simple and elevating. Tanquary
was an operator at Graneros, Colo, me-
tropolis made up of freight car, set of al
one side of the road for use as q telegraph
office, and the house of the section fore
man. Sundry coyotes and other wild fowl
raised their voices In instruction In the
night, and the sand and rocks baked and
| quivered In the day. And Tanquary got
lonesome. Perham sent him dog-a
mean looking animal of mingled breeding,
| mostly bad, and with tail of the length,
breadth and thickness OF banana. But
/ ho WIS VoASOAuo w JANUARY, WnO
even have an occasional tramp to shoot at
or any other permissible means OF relaxa-
ton. Tanquary taught the dog TO 90 to
the section foreman's house, where he
boarded, and fetch his lunch, although at
first the dog was inclined to make a Ro.
man holiday Of the food causing Tan
quarry much irritation and fatigue from
beating him. The operator taught the dog
to stand on his head, to leap sidewise, to
chew tobacco and some other accomplish
ments, And on his own account the dog
secretly set to work to learn other things,
OF which Tanquary knew nothing.
The two were much attached to each
other. as Is the case always with people of
similar habits--so much ESQ that when
Tanquary went on his customary semian-
nual trip north to see II Denver was still
there and help to renovate, reconstruct and
paint it he took the dog along. They had
sundry adventures, which may be passed
over In silence and sorrow, and finally
brought up In poker game behind bar
Der shop In Wauzee street, three utter
strangers having decided to gather in the
telegraphers six months salary. They
played with great energy and INCREASINGLY
until the railroad man had reached the
dregs of his pocketbook He looked about
him In sorrow, and his eyes fell on his
dog, which had taken position OH chair
across the room and which seemed to be
much interested.
II you people are sports" said Tan,
you'll let me put that dog In against
dollars worth of excitement, and we will
go 1t a little longer" Then he told of the
accomplishments Of the dog and put him
through few tricks. The dog seemed to
be worried about it, and you could see he
was not at all satisfied with his new duty
of masquerading as jack pot. The three
sports, being satisfied with the animals
educational advantages, acceded to the
operators request.
Whereupon the game became one of life
and death. Tanquary after the draw
found himself possessed of two kings and
the same number of tens. All but one of
the strangers fell by the wayside, and Tan
was getting worried about the single op.
ponent he had, for the fellow had held up
three cards. The operator weighed his
hand, looked at it, felt it and tested it by
all his other senses, for he didn't want to
fritter away his dog on nothing. Suddenly
he heard a sound as of the falling of man
ma His Geographic ear caught from some
mysterious source these Morse characters:
Tanquary was one of those men who
did not inquire into the why's and where
fores Of Providence. When miracle was
performed the purport of which was to
inform him that the other man was bluff
Ing severely on deuces, he accepted it with
out cavil and played back with all his !
strength. The result was that he garnered
s2. So on that pot and was staked for the !
next deal. They started in again. Tan got |
three kings. He was inclined to bet like !
an amateur in the hands of q tout at
race track, but suddenly across his organ |
Of hearing came the low, sullen statement:
- $50.
70. -. -. -.
Tanquary cast hurried and startled |
glance about to see IL the angel and min |
ster of grace would make himself visible |
as well as audible, but saw nothing of the |
kind. Nevertheless, he threw down his |
kings, losing 10 cents. On the next hand |
he reaped $12 on spirit manifestation by |
of pair of flves in one mans |
hand, bobtail flush in that Of another |
md two pairs, kings up, in that of the
third, while he himself had three small |
,brees. AS the night progressed the oper-
,tor grew In wealth until one hy one the
;hree sports fell by the wayside, and in the
gray Of the morning the man from Ora
1eros gathered up 81, 7i3. 80 and rose to go.
"Well," snarled one of the three foe
men, the last to suocumb, ~ hope that
now you have money enough to buy that
nfernal dog of yours some grub He has
been standing up there on that chaiy wag-
sing his measly stub of three inch tail
md pounding against the woodwork with
t all the night in anticipation of the feed
your winnings would buy him.
Tanquary looked up in rather startled
way, for a great truth was dawning upon
him. 1t was true. The dog had stood for
I've hours on the chair to the rear OF the
,ther men, and the operator saw that his
mall, stiff tail was sandwiched between
wo uprights belonging to the back of the
furniture. AS he looked the tail took ON
lction and this message was borne to him:
- ..'' $50 - 4
And with devout look Of Thanksgiving
ho Graneros parsonage murmured, "No,
We didn't do thing to them "--Chicago
Record.
A Family Possession.