Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1901-03-08

5 AFORCNENES SIS. :
s. BY DABNEY MARSHALL. e
BY DABNEY MARSHALL.


sNSsSk5S7S1R7S 81
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Copyright, 1901. by Daily Story Pub. Coz
Ostensibly ST was a farmer and black
smith, and occasionally a cattle drover,
! but as the agricultural region about him
! was poor, and the pasturage though ex-
! tensive was inferior, being covered chiefly
with pine straw, a diet to which the
/ sheep and cows did not take kindly and
/ upon which with the perversity of dumb
critters" they refused to tatten, the in
I come from even a triple employment like
| this would seem to be necessarily limited.
But genius is always superior to cir
cumstances, so Emerson says, and 81
exemplifed the saying by always hay
ing an abundance of the comforts of
! life and plenty of money. His wife al
/ ways appeared in a new dress at each
annual prOtlacted meeting. his boys Wore
store shoes, and always had powder in
their gourds and shot in their pouches.
AS for ST himself, he owned breech-
! loading sun a drummer might not dis
dain. and used real smokeless powder
cartridges. His neighbors told visiting
friends from across the river in Amite
county, that 81 actually paid two and a
half cents a piece for these, and the
bounded wonder at such evidences of
wealth.
When collections were taken up for
what the preacher called 1.-The spread
ing of the gospel of the sweet Savior
among the heather in China and the
| poor Catholics in New Orleans ST al
ways put dollar in the hat, Mrs
/ Hardshook fifty cents, the boys a dime
each. and little Lodela. the only girl
of the family, silver quarter. In con-
sequence 81 passed for a deeply religious
man. and the parson always called him
| Brother Hardsook.
Nor was Sis generosity purely &C.
clesiastical. He had been frequently
known to leave the railroad with as
many as two one-gallon jugs full of
Ticker" and come home with empty jugs
owing to a liberal samplng of their
contents on his own part, and generous
distribution of the same to all he met
| who universally It first refused to drink
but finally consented being as how it was
| ST as offered the ticker, and they would
moist little, not as they We're wine-
bibbers and gluttonOus, but would take
a swig for the good of their innards"
Most of the neighbors drank what
was offered them and asked no uues-
! tions and made no remarks. But some
of them were deeply and audibly per-
picked as to where 81 got all this money.
Certain circumstances connected with 81
would linger in their minds and what
was worse break out on their tongues
They would comment how the cattle of
neighbors near ST had way of disap-
pearinS just when they We're "most fit
ten for market. But in that great un-
fenced country what was there to pre-
vent cattle from straying? Dumb crit
ters," said ST. ''are mighty biggty and
roamingsome any how. and will some
| times just rush to their ruin
Some times also in the fall country
stores near him We're robbed and their
safes blown open just after the money
had been received from the town banks
to pay for the incoming cotton. 1t was
a strange coincidence that after such
robberies ST had more money and dis
trlbuted more flicker than usual. But
81 said "life is full of condolences and
a mystery according to the scriptures"
''Leastwise," added he, that is what
the parson says the Word says, and I
amt the man to dispute a licensed
minister of the gorsepell, nor is you
nuther, neighbour" he would ask of his
listener as he lovingly toyed with the
trigger of his famous gun.
mo, indeed" replied the neghbor with
alacrity, edging off a little. 81 don't
I dispute the parson luther you. You air
both right as fer as I knows on"
Still some folks would prove "too
eaky of tongue" in regard to Sis affairs,
and it was strange how the corn cribs
and cotton houses of these "measly back
cappers,' as ST called them, had a habit
Of taking fire in the dead hours of the
| night.
But one day the grand jury actually
indicted ST for grand larceny. He was
accused of stealing ten head of cattle
from Mart Smiggles. The chief Wit
ness against ST was Dune Swarrington,
a good-natured farmer too stupid to
be dishonest, whose farm adjoined the
road over which ST had to drive the
cattle to New Orleans. The testimony
was strong for the state. ST could al
most hear the doors of the penitentiarv
Orening upon him. at was an awful
experience for a Christian" he used to
say in after years. but then he would
add, them the Lord loveth he chases."
81 went upon the stand and testified
in his own behalf. He acknowledged
that he sold the cattle. 1t was true
he was a farmer, he said, looking at
the farmer jurors, stOckman if they
would. He was uneducated too, no
hanger around of lawyers and court
rooms, for he thought an honest farm
ol's place was in the field. and not loaf
ing around among them that represent
oil corporations and merchants, and 50
he did not know much law but he was
a Christian and an alliance man ana
he hoped he did know what was right.
il he did not know what was lawful
two mighty different things" he said,
'as some amongst you knows, what
has had homes closed out under deeds
of trust for debts you never made and
things you never bought
The sale of the cattle. he went on
had come about this way. He was GO
ing to New Orleans with. fine herd
Among them was a most likely male
II wish you could have seen him.
ledge" he said deferentially to that
! To To