The Caldwell tribune. [volume] (Caldwell, Idaho Territory [Idaho]) 1883-1928, 1910-05-13
I'M POLES
TAVERN

day meeting on the road a darky who
was on his way somewhere driving
bull hitched to wabbly wagon on
which were loaded a dozen or so sticks
of lightwood | 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 if there was
good hotel there.
THE darky 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 a whack
with the CAD he carried and exclaimed:
'W'oa, yo' 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 | assumed that this little
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 yo' nevuh did know Of
ledge Gillian, wat kim frum ovuh yOn
in de Chowan kentry?
Il replied that | had never known
Judge Gillian.
But co'se yo' done heah bout
him?' said the darby.
No said |. 1 never heard about
him either
THAT seemed to surprise the darby
not little.
"'Shoo!' 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
bordering attitude half minute or
so, and then looking at me again as
If | was something of a 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 I said. I don't care
who keeps the hotel Is it 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:
81 nevuh did stop at Jim Poles,
sub, in my life, but OIL Jedge Gillian
one 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 Of iedge. Dat nigguh he
bean 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, yo' nigguh!" he
say.
He stan up, mos skeeuh to def
""Nigguh," de oil jedge say, dis
hyuh a monst'us ting yo' done bean
foun' guilty fo'! My haht it bean des'
lack stone ag'in you an | mighty re-
gretful to find dat de law an de con
sitution, dey standn' in de way o my
pinin' to give yO'.
EFF de law an de constitution dey
didn't stan in de way o my doin' it,
| shore done sentence yo' to stop one
whole week at Jim Poles tayuhn. des
sho's yo' BON! EZ case it done stan
dahfo'," de oil iedge lay it down to dat
pO' shiv'n nigguh. 81 CANT do 1t, an
de wus' kin do to yo' is to sen 20
to de pen'tenshry fo' ten yeahs!" dc
oil jedge say an dey done took dat
bad nigguh away.
The darky on his load of light
wood rolled his eyes up at me, while
his grin spread wide across his face
and continuing, he said;
Cose. | nevuh did stop at jim
Poles in my life, sub, an so | CANT
say wevvuh de hotel bean a good III
times, dat oil ledge Gillian he sutten
ly do let dat nigguh off mighty lucky,
With that the darky started up his
bull and went on his way. As | ga2eG
after him he glanced back and hcarC
him say;
'Nevuh did heah Of oil Iedg,
Gillian! Sho! Dat shore bean mon
sous QUeeuhn
There was another tavern i'm tn,
place, and | didn't stop at Jim Poles
but, relying on the darky's tale of oil,
Judge Gillam's opinion, if this on,
wasn't branch of Jim Poles, thel
the proprietor must have learned no
tel keeping from Jim Pole and L,
have been willing To bet on it "
Sarcasm.