The Ely miner. [volume] (Ely, Minn.) 1895-1986, 1906-08-31

Does old Col. Trlppltt ever pore
you fellows with interminable yarns
about things that happened and peo-
pie he knew SO or 60 years ago."
Maybe not. I don't known what
/ ever did to win his special favor
in that respect, but he appears to
take a peculiar delight in entertain
ing me with his pestiferous recollec-
tons of the good old times which, as
Washington Irving says, appear to
have abounded in good-for-nothing
characters.
"Of course, the colonel's an old
man, and ones got to make allow
ances for him. I've stood it like
good 'un for years; but about a month
ago made up my mind that it was
time to retaliate. / determined to
give him long, dreary, inconsequent
shadowgraph of the past that, ]
thought, would prove an efficient anti
dote to his mania for ancient bio
graphical fatuities.
THE opportunity came one night
when / caught him sitting alone at a
table in Hennessy's place. / sat down
beside him and asked him to take
something.
The colonel called for his favorite
tipple, and Immediately launched into
the preface to one of his three-volume
stories about nothing in particular.
You don't remember old Billy
Cough, that used to live the other
side of Hansons creek, John?' he be-
gan-the stereotyped formula. No, l
guess that was before your time.
Well, sir, the funniest thing hap
pered that you ever heard of, one
morning when we were driving over
to
81 beg your pardon, colonel, for in
terrupting you,' broke in; but
there's something want to ask you
before forget This afternoon Jesse
Randall and 1 were having a talk,
and neither of us could recall the
name of certain man whom we used
to know very well. Guess you could
have told us in a second; but neither
Jesse nor / could think of that name
to save US. 1t wasn't Meredith, nor
Merryweather; but some such name
as that-it began with Merry" any
way
Yes said the colonel, closing one
eye and stretching his head; there
was a man of some such name as that
lived around here, years ago. How
long has he been dead, john
well, 1 turned that question Off
OF course, there never was any such
man at all.
oh, / don't know, exactly / said:
but you must remember him, all right.
He lived on Delaware avenue, on the
side opposite to your house-a little
further up, nearer the park. He was
a tall, fine-looking man, with a heavy,
iron-gray mustache.'
Ives, sir said the colonel, that's
the man, all right. I knew him as
well as 1 know you, John. Strange
that l can't speak his name--and I've
got it on the tip of my tongue
of course, there's no question Of
your knowing him, colonel said. He
had two very handsome daughters.
They were very lady-like girls, and
highly accomplished. The father was
a hospitable man; used to entertain
great deal-kept open house, in fact
You never spoke a truer word
than that in your life, joint the colo
mel exclaimed, enthusiastically. And
he knew how to do it, He didn't do
it by halves. Many's the night he's
sent me home in his carraige-though
I'd only couple of blocks to go
after the rye had been running pretty
swift
And, If you remember, colonel
went on, jogging the old gentleman's
memory OF this purely hypothetical
parsonage, he was elected to the city
council one year, but only sat there
about three months. He was unseat-
ed on petition. 1t was proved that
votes had been bought for him-if not
by him; and he came near getting into
trouble
True as you're living, John. re-
member it as well as If it were yester-
day, the colonel said. But what was
the mans name?'
Funny, isn't it?' 1 said, sympathet-
ically; just when you want to remem.
Der mans name, you can't do it for
the life of you; and, another time
when you have no use for the blamed
thing, it'll keep dinging in your ears
like buzz-saw. But this old fellow
that were speaking of-Merry some
thing-had glass eye, you know
"'Ah! That was 1t. / knew there
was something peculiar about him:
but / couldn't just locate the trouble.
That's what it was, John-a glass eve.
But there wasn't one person in hun
dred that knew it: it was as natural.
looking as the genuine article. But
what was the mans name? Merry
-Merry-something with a Merry in
front of it, I know; but I can't get
the rest of it out. It's just on the end
OF my tongue, John; but there it
sticks
We'll, you'll think of it by and by,
colonel, | said; but you'll have to ex-
cuse me now. l must go-got an ap-
pofntment. Good night
Good night, conn says the colonel.
I'll tell you the old cocks name next
time l see you
i. left him sitting there absorbed in