The Bossier banner., 1907-12-26

Swanee Ribber' an git outn de way
ole Dan Tucker like Jasper could. l
done miss his fiddle a-jiggitin' away
out on de po'ch oh a summer even"
Four months after Jasper's departure
from home stout, travel stained black
man, slightly gray. walked slowly and
wearily up the trail leading to new
and promising Rocky mountain mining
camp.
He carried little bundle tied up in
a red cotton handkerchief. The out
lines of a violin could be traced with
in green cotton bag on his back, and
he gave his name, at the mouth of
shaft where he stopped to get 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. FPS
walked many weary miles OBJ de way,
an I'd "a done walked de hull of 1t eff
it hadn't "a been for dis yer fiddle"
He had heard wild stories of the case
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 un-
| regarded on the streets.
He found quite different state of
things People here had to work hard
| 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 place as this great mining
camp Jasper was soon busy with AK
and saw and hammer, putting up a lit
/ tie cabin for himself on a corner lot he
had staked out as his own.
When the cabin was done Jasper
nailed a pine board over 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 IL
which he had some skill, he had re
solved to open laundry.
His success was great and immedi
ate. There were as yet in the cam,
very few women, and the prejudice
against Cinnamon was so great that !
was not safe for one of that race tt
come into camp.
Before the end of the first week Jas
per was so overwhelmed with wor]
that he hired poor boy who hat
strayed into the camp as an assistant
Another helper was needed early il
the second week and still a third be
fore the month was done.
Jasper had a fiourishing business an,
found it necessary to enlarge hi
shanty. He developed capacity fo
business that he himself had neve
suspected.
His industry increased with his sue
cess. There was plenty of money il
the camp, and it was not long befoE'
Jasper was possessed of ten times Il
much money as he had ever seen be
FORE Moreover, his head was not turn
ed by his success.
He had queer habit of going abou
chuckling to himself and saying: :
mus write a lettah one of desc days
for fac, / mus. Hi! | bet hit'll b
mighty welcome lettah to de pusso