, 1900-05-01

times anu DdQ sometimes, Dul tuelt
is always catfish. l vas after EN-
once. There had been a heavy rain, the
river was ~bank-full, and l was usin
a hand line. Suddenly 1 felt a slight
tug and l began to draw in. The fish
pulled heavy for a light bitter, but ]
hauled away. When l got my hook to
| the bank, on the end Of it was nothin'
in the world but a stone jug about
two-gallon size. The hook was down
in the jug. l broke the thing to get
the hook out, and when I did SC uncov-
cred a gaspergoo that must have weigh
ed five pounds. The fish got into the
jug when it was little and stayed in I'M
til it vas too big to get out. The month
of the Jug was upstream and it lived
on such food as drifted in.
I'm a surveyor by trade, and l don't
lift my hat to any man that every car
ried a chain. Once I was engaged to
survey an enormous body of land in
western Texas. 1t was an old Spanish
grant, and the deed said that a grind
stone had been used to mark one OF
the corners. That was 200 years ago,
Well, l got my bearin's and started out.
T curvsved twentv.six miles north by
northeast tbirtv-one miles east by
southeast, IS miles south by south
west tw.ntv-Hve miles west by north
west and tbirtv.one miles north by
northwest nv north When I got to
is II, Strike your pole here" He
st,cL II in hard and II went through
tbe hole in the center 81 the grindstone,
That was then a foot underground. We
a,o a bole IN GO, n most in and there
mo, Tho stone
"A,ter the war T didn't have any too
much money and 7 went ont west,
WHARF in q little while. I had less. 1t
was in silver c;tv N NJ that this ham
named The town was inst started.
Tbere was q blacksmith shop. a supply
store eight saIoons and a hotel. I had
s,1 o. 7 cot a drink with tho quarter.
and want into q nlace where thew were
deal,n, faro II was only a one-roomed
| sback built Of boards set straight on
end Here and there the sun streamed
brouph the cracks. It was 2 o'clock
in the afternoon. and the man in the
chair had been dea,,n, since 70 o'clock
the night before. His partner was sick,
or been shot, or somethin'. The fell
low in the lookout chair was a volun-
teer. and sound asleep. The game was
drasgin' along with nobody bettin'
high, and the dealer would swear now
and then and wonder why somebody
wasn't sent to relieve him. Well, 1
bought some reds and whites with my
Sill and lost EN- In fifteen minutes.
was about to give up my seat and get
out, when a funny thing happened.
There was Q kRothole in the side Of the
house, and the sun comm through
this cast a round, white reflection
bout the size of a dollar, on the ace.
just in front of me. The ace won. and
the sleepy dealer paid it with one white
chip. l let 1t lie. and 1t won straight
through the deal. I got up from the
table three hours afterward with 49,.
SIS. I s'pose I'm the only man in the
world that ever won more'n two thou.
sand on a piece Of sunshine.
"Talkin, bout rattlesnakes, they're
not half as mean as they are painted
They not only feel love. but they have
a keen sense of gratitude. This is
why: I left camp one day in Virginia
and was stroliinS around when 1 heard
a tremendous racket In a thicket.
went in and found a RATHER in the
lgrasp Of 4 king snake. The king snake
held him By the back OF the neck, and
MAS vrapped eround him twenty times
lsioviar crushins thu LIE out of him
The RATHER was a big. handsome tsl.
lIov but no,rsriass. ana I nsver shall
l~forsst the frenzy Of DESPAIR in his eve
IL hated To ~ him murdsred In tina,
>s.ner m I killed tn. hing .nak,
and v~,t m thinkin, m mira abop,
n. c sitt,., aov, Ia rat ssts, n vnils
In -. .h.-.,.A hv n ru.+H,, r.., M.
and ,ookin, around 7 Jaw the RATHER
= knew ~ VA. tho same ona nv thu
warl. IN hi. n.c. He WAS not kwield
hut .cam. to me IN a rawp;n' manner
land lawn, nj. Load ,,on NV Inee