St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1902-11-19
BLACK ROCK.
CContinued from Oct. 29.]
CHAPTER VII.
THE BREAKING OF THE LEAGUE

ture designed me tor g'e1t painter. +
railway direct T ntere,el with thai
design of nature. IS &c has with many
another of hers, and by the transmits
sion of an order for mountain pieces
by the dozen, together with a check
so large that | feared there was some
mistake, he determined me to be an
illustrator and designer for railway
and like publications. l do not like
these people ordering "by the dozen. y
Why should they not consider an art
lists finer feelings? Perhaps they can
not understand them, but they under.
stand my pictures, and | understand
their checks, and there we are quits.
But so it came that | remained in
Black Rock long enough to witness the
breaking of the league.
Looking back upon the events of that
night from the midst of gentle and de-
cent surroundings, they now seem
strangely unreal, but to me then they
appeared only natural.
1t was the Good Friday ball that
wrecked the league, for the fact that
| the promoters of the ball determined
that it should be a ball rather than a
dance was taken by the league men as
a concession to the new public opinion
In favor of responsibility created by
the league. And when the managers
patronage had been secured-they fail
ed to get Mrs. Mayors-and it was
further announced that, though held in
the Black Rock hotel ballroOm-indeed
there was no other ACCOMPLISHMENTS
suited to the peculiar tastes of league
men would be provided it was felt to
be almost necessity that the league
should approve, should indeed well
come, this concession to the public
opinion in favor of Responsibility Great
ed by the league.
There were extreme men on both
sides, of course. Idaho Jack" profess
sional gambler, for instance, frankly
considered that the whole town was
going to uncomfortable depths of pro-
priety. The organization of the league
was regarded by him and by many 9th
ers as sad retrograde toward the
bondage of the ancient and dying east,
and that he could not get drunk when
and where he pleased Idaho" as he
was called, regarded as a personal
grievance.
But Idaho was never enamored Of
the social ways of Black Rock. He
was shocked and disguised when he
discovered that a gun" was decreed
by British law to be an unnecessary
adornment of a card table. The man
ner of his discovery must have been
interesting to behold.
1t is said that Idaho was Industrious
ly pursuing his avocation in Slavins,
with his gun lying upon the card table
convenient to his hand, when in walk
ed Policeman Jackson, her majesty's
sole representative in the Black Rock
district. "Stonewall Jackson"
or "Stonewall" as he was called for
obvious reasons-after watching the
game for a few moments gently tapped
the pistol and asked what he used this
for.
"Tll show you in two holy minutes if
you don't light out" said Idaho, hard
ly looking up, but very angrily, for the
luck was against him. But Jackson
tapped upon the table and said sweet
ly:
you're stranger here. You ought
to get a guidebook and post yourself.
Now, the boys know | don't interfere
with an innocent little game, but there
is regulation against playing it with
guns; So" he added, even more sweet
ly, but fastening Idaho with a look
from his steel gray eyes, "I'll Just take
charge of this" picking up the revolv-
er, 1T might go off"
ldahOs rage, great as it was. was
quite swallowed up in his amazed dis
gust at the state of society that would
permit such an outrage upon personal
liberty. He was quite unable to play
any more that evening and it took sew
eral drinks all round to restore him to
articulate speech. The rest Of the night
was spent in retailing for his instruc-
ton stories of the ways of StoneWall
Jackson
Idaho bought new gun, but he wore
1t lin his clothes" and used it chiefly in
the pastime of shooting out the lights
or in picking off the heels from the
boys boots while a stag dance was in
| progress in Slayins. But in Stone
wallis presence Idaho was a most cor
rect citizen Stonewall he could under
stand and appreciate. He was 6 feet 3
and had an eye Of unpleasant penetra-
tlOn. But this new feeling in the COM
munity for responsibility he could nei-
Their understand nor endure. The league
became the object of his indignant
aversion and the league men of his
contempt. He had many sympathizers
ana frequent were the assaults up0n
the newly born sobriety of Billy Breen
ana others OF the league, but Geordie's
Watchtul care and Mrs. Mayors steady
influence, together with the loyal CO.
operation of the league men, kept Billy
safe so far. Nixon, too, was a marked
man, 1t may be that he carried him
SELF with unnecessary jauntiness to-
ward Slavin and Idaho, saluting the
former with, lawful dry weather. eh
slavln" and the latter with, "Helo
old sport! Hows times?' causing them