The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-09-01
THIRSTY DAN
E.o.<o.o.O.c-o.O.O.o
Convripl1t


 the office of the Los Garpillos Screamer.
 The sight of such an unwonted activity aroused an indolent curiosity in them.
 Whats struck Jerry?" drawled Sam Spelman. Hes running as if the pay card struck the pike. Must hev some tnlag happened"
 Here, you boys" It was John T. Dro- gal. the editor, who appeared at the door in Il sleeveless shir, and wiped the pers- piratlon from his face, which was red with the heat and excitement. He was waving a long, yellow paper Listen to thls:
 Commodore Dewey's squadron destroy ed the Spanish fleet in Manila harbor early yesterday morning. Three of Ad- miral Montejo's ships were burned, one sunk and the rest disabled
 The stolid crowd became suddenly ener- gzed and they let out q scattered cheer. Then for the first time in month they bestirred themselves Within fifteen nm utes the great news had spread through out the town and drifted up the noun tainside It was passed along from gang to gang down the shafts and along the tunnels At noon men coming out Tor lunch appeared all sides, punching each other in the back. recldessly waving pistols in the air and pulling the trig- gers with narrowing indehniteness Of aim. Bv afternoon the two little general stores
 
 every bit of cloth which might be used to decorate the adobe houses and build ings The cracked bell on the Catholic mission church was dangling peal as continuous as could be made by relays of volunteer bell ringers. Even the dirty greasers on the outskirts of the town reused themselves from their blankets spread out on the sunny exposure of thcr weather-torn adobe huts to lind out the cause of the uproar.
 Before the Spanish American war Los Garpillos had been a contented town. Its superiority to the rival town or san JaBo admitted in its own eye or no posslDle uuestion Los Garpillos boaSted in ma terial possessions of d real doctor, bil- Hard table a Palace Hotel,' local paper and little branch railroad run ming from TuheX Junction on the main line down to the mines. San Jago had no doctor, no railroad, no hotel-strangers being obliged to take rooms over the sa- loon-and no newspaper, the New Mex ican Sunbug's office having been ralded and shattered by over-sensitive citizens within two weeks after the first publica- ton of the paper.
 The moment the war broke out, now ever, San Jago, metaphorically speaking, leaped to the front with an eXultant yell. For San Jago, being in the valley. was a center for cattlemcn, and it's 340 nhab-
 
 and anywhere.
 Los Garpllos, however. on the other side of the San Jago mountain, was o%- clusively d mining camp, and had been unable to find u single citizen qualihcd or fitted for cavalry service.
 So in bitter silence and with profounl depression at the offensive airs of su- periority assumed by it's San Jago neigh bors. Los Garplos had witnessed eleven prospective military heroes ride out from San Jago. amid shriell and cneers and DIstol shots to join the Rough Riders at San Antonio. The depression had con tinued until May 2. Now the news of the great victory had reused Los Garpillos to something like joyful action.
 Before evening George Dewey had be- come nlnost one of the local celebrities.
 In the midst of all, however, there was one flaw These rejoiclngs were really more national than local. and Los Gal plllos was forced to admit that san Ja6o still held the advantage of actual per sonal participation in the glories or Wal This advantage San Jago held. however only up to four minutes past ire on the afternoon of that second day of May For at that precise moment Mir. Pete Watkins. one of the leading spirits Of Los Garpil1os on feeling in the pocket or ms coat for a match, pulled 9ut Wltl th9 matches a very dirty, torn and rumpled piece of naper He looked at 1t car1leSslN for moment, then smoothed 1t ana De- gan to read.
 vigorous discussion was at that mo- nent going on among the other prom- nent citizens of Los Garpillos who had moi al the customary town forum, Enll Glotherman's saloon. "The Bucket or Blood" The exact location of the Phihp- pi~e Islands had given rise 10 much dla- play of alleged geographical kno"Ieuse and to earnest financial support or HIS knowledge on the part of each disputant' A few were also insistent that Manila was a navoring extract and not clly'
 Suddenly n loud whistle from lete Watkins attracted their attention.
 "What's struck yer?" asked one of the crowd. Has that letter anything to do with us?"
 Watkins had an air of suhdued eN- citement "P'r'aps,' he answered. .Mavbe so. Say. boys what's the names of the ships old George had over in Manilly?" n.
 John T. Drogal. the editor had the Associated Press telegram in his pocket and read the list off
 "Olympia. Raleigh. Petrel boston Concord. Baltimore. McGulloch.
 Before the list had been fully repeat ed Pete Watkins had jumped from his chair. rushed up to fat old Glotherman, punched him in the chest. rutned ms long. colorless hair down over his eyes giving q wild series of vells, and ending l.v throwing the Dute"man out rom behind the bar, cried Boys, step ui,. it's on me"
 What in thunder's the tfouole' "sN ed sam Spelman.
 The others waived their curiosity and Pete. "Tll be locoed if he hasn't Dan was there Yes, sir, right in the thick of told Danny Togler-good, ola Thirsty Dan.' Huroo for Dan and Dewey,'
 At these incoherent remarks the oth- CTS began to take more active inter est. and MT. Pete Watkins was emphat- ically asked to stop yelling and to come down to business
 "Iisten to this letter, you fellows. he said. pointing to the erumpled sheet which he had found in his pocket Tt the one l got from Dan last January you remember l told you about 1t then I'll be damned if l hadn't forgotten all about the cuss ever since. or where ne was This is the part you want to hear. 1t was written from San Fran cisco the 30th of last December; | enlisted today as a sailor on the Onlt- cd States gunboat Concord, and were gong to sail on the Sth of January to join the Asiatic squadron'
 whats that? Whats all your Jaw inc about?" asked Lone Hand Piker
 "Why, you old fool" replied Wat kins. don't you see? On the Concord Well. what ship was in the fight witlN nld Dewey? Wasn't it the Concord? And where was Dan Togler? On the concord. And who licked the Span iards? Why, Dewey and Thirsty Dan' And where did Thirsty Dan come from? Why Los Garpillos. And where
 In ny1