Clinch Valley news. [volume] (Jeffersonville, Va.) 18??-2019, 1901-01-11
The NICKNAME "eoNEs"
1t Proved uoodoo when Success Seemed
TO he in sight.

" success seemed
TO he in sight.
"I~wasn't born crosS-eyed nor club
footed" said the man from Montana,
as he made a vicious bite at the end OF
a fresh cigar" and things have gone
fairly well with me in business way,
but yet there Is one thing which never
comes up 60 ME that l don't teel like
committing murder.
My father named ME Ronaparte. As
child l was, OF course. called Bony.
but as soon as old enough to get out
into the street the boys shortened that
10 Bones, and Bones / am 10 this day
I'm telling you that no man who is
Bill or Joe or Tom ever gets up in the
world beyond a certain point He may
be known rs good fellow, but your
familiarity with him Iosee him your
respect and you undervalue him. Let
man set a nickname after he has
conquered fame and Il helps him. but
people are not helping Jacks and Jims
and Peters to Congressional honors or
Governorships. That name of Bones
excited ridicule and contempt. | lick
ed nifty different kids for loading il on
TO me. brit il stuck. I went 20 Sunday
school and day school as Bones. went
10 college and to business as Bones
IL my name had beon George or Regi-
nald or Harry. people would have con-
sldered that l had feelings, but as Il
was any old thing WAS ALI right for
Bones. No Introduction was considers
ed necessary. Being named Bones [
must be a good fellow. and good fell
lows never stand on ceremony. The
name kept me back at school and coll
eye, and though l fell in love with a
dozen different girls before was %,
they all gave me the shake on account
of the name.
L finally packed UP and took a skip
OF a Thousand miles for the sole pur-
pose OF getting rid OF Bones ] simply
used the initial. and after three months
| was way up in the new community.
opened n store, began 20 court a girl
and the people insisted that I take
the postmastership. I'd have had &C
and propably wife at the same time,
but for the advent of one of my old
acquaintance He dropped into town
and called me Bones. and n knocked
me into the middle OF the last century.
NoDouy had any use Tor man with
such a name. There was no weight.
no dignity to Il. II would have been
all right for Digger Indian or n Chin
aman. but even the Hanks and Sans
ana Abrs scoffed at It, AS matter OF
TACT. 1t was man known to every
BODY as Snub-Nosed Bill who started
the move to freeze me out. In sixty
days l took another jump and settled
down in new place. / was almost
Immediately asked 20 run for the state
Senate. | had accepted. and the cam
paign had opened with certainty OF
my being n winner when was given
away again. l knew how Il would be.
Within twenty-four hours | was assea
TO withdraw, and another candidate
was put up. The local papers even
tried TO make It out that / was a Will
ain for having played the public.
MY third spike landed me In Mon
tana, I'm there yet I'm Bones 10 ov-
cry man. woman and child tor n nun
dred miles around I'm Bones to my
cowpuncher and Bones TO every tram
who comes along. and I'm given the
throw-down for no other reason. For
the last month I've been working a
political racket which was designed
to land me in Congress after a while
1t has cost me a good deal OF thought
and considerable money. and this fore.
noon ! was dead sure OF success. But
I'd forgotten my hoodoo, you SEQ An
hour ago / received this telegram
from one of my workers. See what
he says: No use. They got ON 10
Bones, and the deal Is off,