The L'Anse sentinel. (L'Anse, L.S., Mich.) 18??-current, 1910-06-25
JIM POLES
TAVERN

Il had been up against the hote
problem to such an extent In that par
Of North Carolina" said John Gilbert
the travelling groceryman, that hat
become shy Of tackling 1t. and ONT
day meeting on the road darby whs
was on his way somewhere driving {
bull hitched to wabbly wagon OF
which were loaded dozen or SO stick
Of lightwood. thought 1t might b
well to see II he couldn't give me
some information as to the probable
fate that might be In store for me al
the inn lying in wait at the mountain
town I was approaching. | stopped
him and asked him II there was q
good hotel there.
"The darby leaned forward with his
elbows on his knees, looked at me-
cooked one eye up toward the sky as
II he was pondering 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. 20 p'intedly Of hoodoo.'
"The bull hadn't stirred since the
darby stopped him In the road and he
didn't stir under the whack OF the
cad; so I assumed that this little
show Of disciplining was but divert
fng 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 yo' nevuh did know oil
ledge Gillian, wat kim frum ovuh yon
n de Chowan kentryT
II replied that had never known
Judge Gillian.
but co'se yo' done heah bout
himT said the darby.
mo, said l. I never heard about
him either
That seemed to surprise the darby
not little
Shoot he exclaimed after staring
at me a while. 'Whah 20 done come
rum, sah?'
II told him I 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 a
bordering attitude half minute or
SO, and then looking at me again as
II ] was something OF q curiosity. he
gathered up his lines preparatory to
starting on his way and said:
Jim Pole, he done kip hotel up
yon. subj
' But hold on said 4 don't care
who keeps the hotel. Is 1t a good
one? And what has old Judge Gillian
got to do with it?'
.'The darby leaned forward with his
elbows on his knees again and he
grinned as he said:
II nevuh did stop at Jim Poles.
sub, In my life. but OIL ledge Gillian
sne time he kim ovuh hyuh to lay
down de law du'in' de cote time, an
he stow hesef away at Jim Poles.
One O de baddes' nigguhs dat
bean roun' hyuh den he bean fotch
up befo' de oil ledge. Dat nigguh he
bean a bad un, too, an dey fine him
guilty de wuss kyne.
"'Or 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
toun' guilty.
""Stan up dab, 20 nigguh!" he
say.
He stan up. mos skeeuh to def
"Nigguh," de Of jedge say, dis
hyuh a monst'us ting 20 done bean
foun' guilty To-! My haht it bean des
lack stone ag'in you an | mighty re.
gretful to find dat de law an de con-
s1tution, dey standin' in de way o. my
fiictin' on yo' te'ble punishment des'
pinin' to giveeyo'
""Ef de law an de constitution dey
didn't stan. in de way o. my doin' 1t,
I shore done sentence yo' to stop one
whole week at Jim Poles tavuhn, des
sho's yo' bon! Ez case 1t done stan,
dahfo'," de OIL jedge lay 1t down to dat
po' shiv'n nigguh. Il CANT do 1t, an
de wus' ] kin do to yo' is to sen yo'
to de pen'tenshry TO ten yeahs!" de
Of ledge say, an dey done took dat
bad nigguh away
THE darby on his load of light
wood rolled his eyes up at me. while
his grin spread wide across his face,
and continuing, he said:
Goose. nevuh did stop at Jim
Poles in my life, sub, an so CANT
say wevvuh de hotel bean good un
or no. but heah folks declar. many
times, dat OIL ledge Gillian he sutton.
~ do let dat nigguh on mighty lucky!
With that the darky started up his
Bull and went ON his way. As gazed
after him he glanced back and heard
him say:
'Nevuh did heah of OIL ledge
Gillaml Sho! Dat shore bean mon.
Sous queeuhi'
There was another tavern In the
place, and I didn't stop at Jim Poles,
But. relying ON the darky's tale Of old
Judge Gtllam's opinion, II this one
wasn't branch Of Jim Poles, then
HE proprietor must have learned no
tel keeping from Jim Pole, and I'D
have been willing to bet on It."