The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1907-08-25
MAN N
l THE
Mr.. Owen Pepper Confutes One Of
the Theories of Old Man -
Grsenhut.

out what he'll do.
An it's most aniazin'. too, how draw
poker shows itself for to be, like IL al'sys is.
the chosen instrument o. Providence fr
- develop all rs good into a man, a.
veil as To show up the yaller streak into
him. p'vidin' he's yaller.
There's them II mosey along uneventful
fr the most o. their lives. never dom nothin'
special an not DRAWN no notice to EN-,
hein' as they don't nothin' happen to show
what sort o men they be an what there
is into EN- till mebbe somepin' II happen.
Don't q no special difference what
it is, SOS IL g what you cd RELY call a
emergency. II there's somepin' or some
body fr that there nan TO do, an he does
it, he's a q II he don't, he amt"
"S'posin' he don't rightly know what TO
do?" said Mr.. Owen Pepper.
Well, in that case" said old man Green
hut. somewhat taken abGck. sin that
case, mebbe 't%wouldn't be quite so clear,
but I sh'd say t he'd ought for to know.
Pears like a man sure would know Z
he was a man at all. What you askin'
such a fool question as that for, anyway?
Pears like you butts in more frequent
an less sensible nor a average citizen d
consider healthy.
-Oh. I don't know" said Mr.. Owen Pep
per. who was we'll aware Of the annoyance
he caused the old gentle man by arguing
with him, and took keen delight in trying,
albeit, not always with success. 10 prove
him wrong. "ob. l don't know. There was
a Teller I'm up my a. in Tennessee come
face to ace with a emergency oncet, n
hain't RELY made up his mind yet what
he had ought fer to have did.
-'Twa'n't no little trinin' fool predica-
rnent, neither, such as you made mention
OF, but a reel full grown emergency, such
as turns your hair gray an leaves you
knock-kneed FIR a week or more. Pears
like he won't never get over broodin' on it.
He amt knock-kneed no mo-, but he'll be
gray headed till he's dead. along O. that
there emergency, an broodin' over it.
There an no question O. him bein' a
man, neither. When the Lord made Tom
Baxter He made more Of a man to the inch,
an more inches to the man, nor anybody
else in the hull Cumberland Range, an
that's sayin' some. There an q young
woman thin a hundred mile d look at
another man II he was round"
Women don't al'ays know" said old
man Greenhut with some scorn.
-N-no. They don't al'sys, an that's a
fact" admitted Mr.. Owen Pepper. thought
fully. But they knowed we'll enough
b Tom Baxter showed up. An the
men knowed, too.
He was ak foot five, barefoot, an nigh
about a yard an a half wide acrost the
shoulders. with an arm like a bear an a leg
like a mule. An his face was as purity
as q gals, with big black eyes, an curly
hair Z was as black az q thunder cloud sfore
ne met up with that there emergency l was
tellin' OF, on'y faint black no mo-.
Tom Baxter not on'y growed up more'n
anybody else In our section by a couple Of
inches. but he growed up oonsid'able better.
He cd lick any man there was round afore
he was Ia an he cd outwrastle q bear an
outswim Q fish. not to speak OF shootin'
an ridin'. jumpin' an runnin' an such.
-'Pesred like whatsoever there was to be
did Tom Baxter cd do it betterIn anybody
else"
Sounds like bed be some desirable a. .
citizen In Arkansas City, said old man
Greenhut. with thu air o. one who does not
care TO ask q direct question. "p'vidin' he
cd play poker like you say he cd dc other
things."
Arkansas City poker said Mr.. Owen
Pepper, thought be called some PECULIAR.
amt passin' no criticisms onto it, he
added hastily. as he saw that old man
Greenhut was about to speak. Its poker
an it's all right. but p'raps it's what you
mought call higher grade poker nor what
you see played round through the country.
special among the mountains where 1
come from.
Il amt sayin' what sort OF a game Tom
Baxter mought put up into your back room
nor il he was to set in with some o. them
p'fessionals Z travels the boats. Ais ]
know is Z he cd hold his own into any
game I was ever played in our section.
An most gently afore the game was
over he held the other fellers. too. Any
way. he s'ported the hull family on what
he win fr'm the time he begin till the time
be run up ag'ip this here emergency you
was speakin' OF.
How come he had to sport the family
was Z his dad was oonsid'sble little ac-
count. bein' q preacher an more given to
readin' books nor he was TO hustlin' fr
grub. Then there was Toms stepmother
an girls. an there was Toms half brother.
Hal. what he nigh worshipped.
He want never much good, but Tom
thought he was, an when Hal ruined away
I'm home, bein' on'y a boy, Tom grieved
hisself bad. An they never heard nothin'
O. Hal fr -more'n five year..
-Havin' the null burden o. the family on
his shoulders, Tom settled down to business
when he want recly DID enough for to be
reckoned q man. on'y, as l was teilin', he
we're a mar afore he we're eighteen. there not
bein' no man his equal In western Tennessee.
Well, he settled down all right. There
va'n't no man nowhere as was more steady
an industrious nor he was.
You'd find him every night, right after
supper, settin' in Jim Sksgs's saloon waitin'
y business, no matter what the weather
var. 'Twa'nt for the drink. Tom Baxter
didn't drink hone to speak Of fr a man like
MIN that cd finish a bottle at q settin' an
Rot show 1t.
He was there for the poker, an there
ran never a game in the place I he didn't
set in. Nor there want never a man cd
FAY Z Tom Baxter quit the game afore he
did. An bein' diligent thataway, Tom
Baxter done tolable we'll
That's right said old man Greenhut.