The Birmingham age-herald., 1907-12-29

From the Philadelphia North American.
 'eThere was good many strangers come to Greenville long about recon structon times," said old man Greenhut, as he leaned over the bar in his saloon in Arkansas City, what gave an ap- pearance O. more or less mystery. Ev- cry mothers son on 'em -'peared to be lookin' fir sompn an afraid to tell what s'twas.
 First off we uns what lived in Green vile had considerable trouble, more or less, tryin' to make out what twas t they was lookin' fer. Mabbe that would mt ha' troubled us none, if we cd ha sensed anythin round t was wuth the s'arch.
 "Bimeby, we come to know t these here mysterious ones was no threners, lookin fir op'nins, an ater that there didn't none on em have to wait no time afore comin' to a understanin'. Mostly they'd come to town an put up to the travern, an walk round a bit ater din- ner, like they was takin' a survey.
 There wouldn't be nothin' did fore the next evenin', bein as we didn't never hurry nothin', but if we seed the strang- CT was liable for to stay, there'd be 8 c'mmittee O citizens wait on him an tell him twas up to him to let out what his intentions was An there want none on 'em ever made any answer but the one. They said they was lookin fer openin. {.
 '"Then Bill Haskns, he was arays chairman of the c'mittee, bein as he was the best speaker in town, he'd say, Well. stranger there aih't but two industries in Greenville what pears to be liable to ind Q outsider, on 'em is getting rid O undesirable citi- zens, an 'tother's draw poker.
 "Bein as Bill was somepin' like seven foot high an some broad in D pportion, with a fist the size of ham, there want gently no gre't argument put up. Mostly the stranger lowed he'd travel, but there was some on 'em said they was partial to draw poker, an they'd set in.
 'There was some redeemin' features into it. an one by one some O the leadin' citizens begin fer to pay off their back taxes.
 eve settled it t Doc Wilson sh'd take hand it to the stranger IT traveIn expenses when he went broke.
 Always Went Broke.
 70 course, if he shouldn't go broke hut there want ser'ous apprehen- sion about that, seein t Haskins, an Pettipone, and Doc Wilson, an DICK Pratt, t aly's played with 'em, was called four O the best poker players in the southwest them days. course, that meant four O the best on earth.
 .sThere want one on 'em among them ,t stayed t ever got away with any moren that $15 kitty what was took out for 'em, scrup'lous.
 'The preacher up to the Methodist church come to hear about this kitty, like everybody hears about everything Tn A place like Greenville, an he preached a sermon about it one Sunday. Said it was a sweet an touchin' manifestation O. true Christian charity, besides savin the c'm'unity cons diable trouble an ex- pense lookin' after strangers that was broke in their midst.
 "An' he said 1t minded him forcible O one time he was preachin' to ol'able rough congregation in strange town an sent his hat round for collection. He said he didn't get nothin' in the col lection. but he felt like thankin' the Lord when he got his hat back.
 "Then about the time when the game nm to Doc Wilson's had come to be look ed on as one O the reg'lar institutions O (sreenville an we was all lookin' out day bv day for new carpet-baggers to come to town there came calamity, sudden as A mules kick what spread desolation an despair a foot thick all over the at ,,oosphere Dick Pratt said, open ana above-board, that it made him feel se- r,ous doubts O the friendly feelin' Q Divine Providence, an Bill Haskins cuss- ed a hue streak for two days steady. swearn' he'd kill the next no'therner he seed. -
 sIt all come of a little sawed off chap 't come to town some different i'm the way most on 'em come, seein' he rid a boss an carried his own saddle bags, like he was some used to travel Pears he want so hell roarin' cur ous as most on lem, neither. bein' as he put up to the tavern an looked alter his hoss his- self afore he got dinner, an then when he'd of his dinner he set down on the gallery front O the tavern smokin big hIack cigar. t was nigh as long as he was 'stid O rampin' round town gapin' at things.
 Used To carpet-Baggers.
 eve ms was so used to carpet baggers by this time, though, t we sized him up rr one. him bein' stranger, an the standin' c'mittee waited on him next flaw. 'cordin' to the reglar programme. He sat suckin' onto another big black cigar an sayin' nothin'. but when Bill Haskins begin talldn' he looked up sud- Zen an says:
 '' Excuse me, gentlemen. Fur be 1t i'm me to interrupt, but let's liquor fust.' An he jumps up an leads the way to khe bar like true southern gentleman.
 '.This here sure was liable for to stump