The state herald. (Holyoke, Logan County, Colo.) 1887-1921, 1910-03-25
JIM POLES
TAVERN

OF North Carolina" said John Gilbert,
the travelling groceryman, that I had
become shy of tackling 1t, and one
day meeting on the road darby who
was on his way somewhere driving a
bull hitched to wabbly wagon on
which were loaded dozen or so sticks
OF lightwood. l thought it might be
well to see If he couldn't give me
some information as to the probable
fate that might be in store for me at
the inn lying in wait at the mountain
town / was approaching. / stopped
him and asked him II there was
good hotel there.
The darby leaned forward with his
elbows on his knees, looked at me,
cooked one eye up toward the sky as
If he was bordering on the subject
had brought forward, and then coming
back to earth gave his bull whack
with the CAD he carried and exclaimed:
'W'oa. yo' p'intedly OIL hoodoo.'
The bull hadn't stirred since the
darby stopped him in the road and he
didn't stir under the whack OF the
show of disciplining was but a divert
ing habit of the bulls owner. / was
on the point Of pressing my question
when the darby rested his elbows ON
his knees again. and turning to me
said: I reckon 20 nevuh did know OIL
ledge Gillian. wat kim frum ovuh yon
In de Chowan kentry?'
81 replied that had never known
Judge Gillian.
But cose yo done heah bout
him?' said the darby
NO said l. I never heard about
him either
That seemed to surprise the darby
not little
Shoot he exclaimed after staring
at me while. 'Whah yo' done come
FUN, sah?'
Il told him was from the north,
and even that didn't seem to excuse
me for not having ever heard of old
Judge Gillian. The darby sat in
pondering attitude half minute or
so, and then looking at me again as
II was something of curiosity, he
gathered up his lines preparatory to
starting on his way and said:
Jim Pole. he done kip hotel up
yon, sub
But hold on said. I don't care
who keeps the hotel. Is 1t a good
one? And what has old Judge Gillian
got to do with it,
/ do 4, L..
elbows on his knees again and he
glinned as he said
81 nevuh did stop at Jim Poles.
sub. in my life, but oil ledge Gillian
one time he kim ovuh hyuh to lay
down de law du'in' de cote time, an
he stow bese'f away at Jim Poles.
lone o. de baddes' nigguhs dat
bean 'roun' hyuh den he bean fotch
up befo' de oil jedge. Dat nigguh he
bean n bad un. too. an dey fine him
guilty de wuss kyne.
"'ol ledge Gillian he bean stoppin'
den. two. free days at Jim Poles. He
lookin' desput sot In he mind wen
dey fotch in dat po' nigguh wat dey
foun' guilty.
""stan' up dab. 20 nigguh!" he
say.
He stan up, mos skeeuh to den.
""Nigguh." de Of ledge say. dis
hyuh a monst'us ting yo done bean
foun' guilty To-! My haht II bean des'
lack stone ag'in you an mighty re-
grstful to find dat de law an de con.
s'Nution. dey standin' In de way o. my
'hctin' on yo' te'ble punishment des'
pinin' to give yo'.
""Ef de law an de constitution dey
didn't stan in de way o. my dom II.
hhore done sentence yo' TO stop one
whole week at Jim Poles tayuhn. des
sho's yo' bon, Ez case II done stan.
dshfo'." de oil ledge lay II down to dat
po shiy'n nigguh. Il CANT do II. an
de wus' ! kin do to yo' is to SEN yo'
to de pen'tenshry TO ten yeahs" de
OIL Jedge say. an dey done took dat
bad nigguh away.
THE darby on his load OF light.
wood rolled his eyes up nj me. while
his grin spread wide across his face.
and continuing. he said:
"'Co'se. | nevuh did stop at Jim
Poles In my life. sub. an so ! CANT
say weyvuh de hotel bean n good un
or no. but I hcah folks dcolar. many
times. dat oil ledge Gillian he sutten.
ly do let dat nigguh on mighty lucky"
with that the darky started up his
bull and went on his way. As gased
after him he glanced back and heard
him say;
"'Neyuh did heah OF OIL ledge
Gillam' Shot Dat shore bean mon.
sous auccuh''
There was ansthcr tavern In the
place, and I didn't stop Mt Jim Poles.
but, relying on the darky's tale Of old
Judge Gillamis opinion. n this one
wasn't u branch OF Jim Poles. then
III. proprietor must have learned no.
s.l L..ula. from tt,n nat. aaa fd