The Owyhee nugget. ([Silver City], Idaho) 1905-1984, 1910-06-16

There is no one in Silver City more
contented than Riley nor one more inde-
pendent withal. In spite of the hard
times prevalent here, the inactivity of en-
terprise, the lack of business and the gen
eral discomfort, Riley has never yet, to
anyone's explicit knowledge, been heard
to utter syllable that could be inter-
preted as protest against existing cir
cumstances. Summer or winter, rain or
shine, Riley is always the same. 1t is
either an inborn consciousness with him
or else a maxim which he thoroughly
learned early in life, that worry, care,
anxiety, ambition and lust are only lures
which the genius of destruction throws
out to weak mortals to entice them on
ward to their dissolution.
Riley is as regular in his habits as the
most pious deacon. The sun is no more
prompt in its rising nor more exact in its
time Of retiring than is Riley. In eating,
too, his hours are so punctual that if the
clouds have obscured the sun or your
watch has stopped you could accurately
estimate the time by his appearance at his
eating place. His character and habits
are so unimpeachable that no one ever
says word against him. Riley could
have given some pointers on the art of
contentment to that New York millionaire
who committed suicide because his for
tune fell from $2S, 900, 900 to $40, 900 and
who saw poverty staring him in the face
because he had an income Of only $1,000
to aid his lily white hands in making a
living for himself, his wife and their pet
poodle dog. Riley takes no thought of
the morrow. He tolls not, neither does
he spin; yet nature supplies all his wants
as efectually as if he labored for hire
from sun to sun. 1t is puzzle to many
people how he manages to get along so
we'll; but when he can not find more
tempting morsels he knows where to find
an inexhaustible supply even in the
depths of winter back of the stable near
the hotel. There the extravagant horses
have wasted enough hay and grain to
place him beyond the reach of want.
One might think him stolid creature
without perceptible wit but such is not
the case. When he sees the cows coming
to feed from the same source he recalls
the old adage that two Of trade can sell
dom agree and that he must ward off
that sentiment of jealousy which he sees
manifesting itself in the challenging toss
of their heads, so he raises his voice in
friendly greeting which seems to say,
''Never mind, I'm your friend and there's
plenty here for all of us" His artfulness
never fails and they all feed side by side
as contentedly as birds in their little nests.
In fact, Riley has way of making friends
with everybody. So great is his power of
prejudicing people in his favor that even
the town boys viii not throw snowballs
at him. The reason for this may be be-
cause they have read ''Black Beauty" or
"Exmoor Star" but other reasons can be
found in Riley himself. If one of them
wants his cart or sled drawn for reason
able distance, Riley will lend his services
for bunch of alfalfa, whisp of timothy
or a handful of oaths. He will let them
ride on his back until he finds that there
is nothing in it for him whereupon, like
chinaman, he will ''no savee," and then
no amount of persuasion can make him
understand what is wanted of him. Ri
ley will make friends with anyone whose
friendship is worth cultivating. just give
him handful of peanuts, stick of can
dy, a few scraps of bacon rinds or even a
piece of gunny sack that has had salt in
it and the next time he sees you he will
raise his head in recognition, throw for
ward his ears, elevate his nose, open his
mouth and call out in his breezy bass,
"Goo-oo-d-mor-uh-orr- nh orr-ning-orr-
ninc-nrr-ninp-nrr-ni -nino-nrrrr- y Ifl