Courier Democrat. (Langdon, N.D.) 1891-1920, 1907-10-10

could bring out 'Moneymusk' and DE
Swanee Ribber' an git out'n de way
ole Dan Tucker like Jasper could. I
done miss his fiddle a-jiggitin' away
out on de po'ch OBJ a summer even"
-Four months after Jasper's departure
from home a stout, travel stained black
man, slightly gray, walked slowly and
YEARLY up the trail leading to a, new
and promising Rocky mountain mining
camp.
He carried a little bundle tied up in
a red cotton handkerchief. The out
lines Of a violin could be traced with
in a green cotton bag IN his back, and
he gave his name, at the mouth of a
shaft where he stopped to get a drink
Of water, as Jasper Price.
"Well, old partner" said the man
who gave him the drink Of water, you
look as if you had walked all the way
from Georgia"
"You done struck pretty close to de
trewf, sah," said Jasper ruefully. "I's
walked many weary miles OBJ de way,
an I'd "a done walked de hull of it eff
it hadn't "a been for dis yer fiddle"
He had heard wild stories of the ease
and quickness with which fortunes
were made in this mining camp, and
In his simplicity he almost expected
to find nuggets of gold and silver In
regarded on the streets.
He found quite a different state of
$hi,,rc ID1orJo 1oro I,o1 ~ -,n.1- h o,,J
for their living, as elsewhere, only the
reward Of energy and industry was
perhaps larger and more prompt than
in the older parts Of the country.
Jasper could get no farther, and pres
emily he found himself possessed of
some share Of the restless energy of
the people around him. His dormant
powers seemed to be aroused by the
spirit of activity that was in the crisp
and eXhilarating mountain air.
No one could be supinely idle long in
such a place as this great mining
camp. Jasper was soon busy with AK
and saw and hammer, putting up a lit
tie cabin for himself OF a corner lot he
had staked out as his own.
When the cabin was done Jasper
nailed q pine board ove the door on
which was the one word "LAWnDry.
he could not read or write, but he had
induced an acquaintance among the
miners to paint his sign for him.
In his spasmodic hours of industry
when at home Jasper used to help his
wife with her daily washings and iron.
ings and had in this way acquired
something of the wonderful skill that
had given her the reputation Of being
the finest laundress in all the country
roundabout her home.
Since Jasper did not know how to dc
anything else, and as there was q
great demand for the one industry in
which he had some skill, he had re.
solved to open a laundry.
His success was great and immedi-
ate. There were as yet in the camp
very few women, and the prejudice
against Cinnamon was so great that il
was not safe for one Of that race to
come into camp.
Before the end of the first week Jas
per was so overwhelmed with work
that he hired a poor boy who had
strayed into the camp as an assistant
Another helper was needed early in
the second week and still q third be.
fore the month was done.
Jasper had a fourishing business and
found it necessary to enlarge his
shanty. He developed a capacity fol
business that he himself had nevel
suspected.
His industry increased with his sue
cess. There was plenty of money in
the camp, and it vas not long before
Jasper was possessed of ten times as
much money as he had ever seen be
fore. Moreover, his head was not turn
ed by his success.
He had a queer habit of going about
chuckling to himself and saying: so
mus write a lettah one of desc days
for a fac, 1 mus. Hi! 1 bet hitll bt
a mighty welcome lettah to de pussor