The Logan Republican. [volume] (Logan, Utah) 1902-1924, 1904-02-17
Old Tom
Brophy


Jack. A gray-black beard. ragged and
uncombed, covers most Of his tanned
face; he wears gray wooden shirt,
trousers of no particular color or
shape. and a piece of black felt hat.
A good many city people have GER
tain contempt for old Tom; feeling,
which. II they but knew, is no more
than returned by Tom.
Once there was a man from Chi
cago who attempted to give old Tom
q quarter as tip for helping him
cut and drive some tent pegs.
THANK you, I rather not" said
Tom. refusing the coin. IF I hadn't
of liked you, I'd have seen you further
before I'd have helped you"
At which the city man felt a bit
ashamed and wondered II he really
had the old fellow sized up right.
Every Sunday morning, instead Of
getting up at O'Clock, as usual, old
Tom lay luXuriously in bed until half
after G. Then he arose and betook
himself to the lake. Thirty feet out
from shore stood the broad stump of
an old pine tree. Wading calmly out
through water up to his hips old Tom
sat down on top Of the stump, dis
r'bed-an exceedingly simple process
and proceeded to take bath. Then
he nut on a fresh wooden shirt and
Q red and yellow mackinaw jacket
and started away at his slow and dig
nifed walk over the blazed trail.
through the hemlock swamp which
led to French Jacks" shack and
homestead on Seven Mile "crick."
II callate to step over and file
Jacks saws fer him."
How far is 1t, Tom?"
Eighteen mile, comm an goin'."
Cant he file his own saws?"
TOO old and too much busted down
by hard work and likker. Jacks 70.
you know, and we're the nearest
neighbors he's got. Jacks got the
rembles SO bad he can't hardly run
q saw, let alone file 'er."
How much does he pay your"
PAY? Huh! I'm as ornery as they
make 'em, but amt takin' no money
of Of French jack fist yit. Besides,
won't have to go over many more
Sundays. One of these days I'll find
the old cuss petered plum out over
there In his shack. Got to keep a.
goin' till then. fist to be decint."
Then the man from the city did
some more thinking as to the right
of old Tom Brophy to be classed as
. member Of good society-in the best
sense.
One August evening a genuine
tramp came suddenly out Of the trail
which led back into the great pine
forest and shuffled up to the shack
where four men we're sitting. old
Tom among them.
Now a tramp Is as rare In the big
woods as. an Austrian grand duke in
Chicago and excites Just as much
curiosity and interest, though the
woods people are not SO vulgar as to
show 1t openly.
"Evnin'. gents" said the shifty
eyed vagabond, dropping the bundle
done up In red handkerchief, which
he carried at the end Of a stick.
"Ev'nin'," returned the four men in
front OF the shack, four pairs OF
steady, shrewd eyes all the time
studying the pathetic, curious figure
bullying at all sorts OF unexpected
places with stored plumber.
kin Teller git something 70 eat?'
asked the tramp.
Gle kim" answered lie push" Of
the camp, and precontly brought on,
from the shack heaping plate full
Of boiled beef and potatoes.
"ThGnk YOU" said the tramp, wher
he mad eaten. (which way does this
trail lead TOT"
Straight into the big woods" sait
the push" 'They amt clearinf
along It for twenty miles"
well, ! must be a-goin'. So long.
The tramp shufIled away into thu
forest, and big Dan" spoke first.
Must he tryin' to git away from
the officers. Likes not he's a muir
derer."
'Er one them big embazzlers. NJ
real tramp'd fuss around in this coun
try, ninety miles from everywhere,
said Scotch Aleck.
Il do hope to thunder he amt go
no matches about him said Big Dan
"The woods is as dry as gunpowder
Fire is the one great dread of tn,
people who live in the big woods
Imagine a log hut standing in tn
midst of little clearing and entlrel!
surrounded by a tangled forest; sc
that dry forest on fire and sec tn
great pillows of flame sweeping N
hundred feet or more against IN
sky and running before thirty mil
gale, and you can imagine something
OF the dread with which son of III
north woods looks upon a fire In tn
foresf