The river press. [volume] (Fort Benton, Mont.) 1880-current, 1912-02-21

- "SANSh ~Ht w VVAkk0EXs ~ kAH0V
out IN Hfteen limits arter strtkin' q
ioL. ,ong as be had u wife dat
.ct an Il dollar a day dar seemed
10 ..essin' necessity for him to break
his back. He might have been savin'
his strength for a meetin' with San
dow. We must not judge him too
harshly. Had he been u great worker
he might have fallen from a ladder
and been killed years ago..
II don't reckin Brudder Sly had any
p%ertickler motto or watchword, and !
count dat in his favor. De man dat
has to have SIGH things to keep him
straight wild his Teller MAJ must allus
be mistrustin' hisself. l hab known of
twenty different men takin' Excelsior
for a motto. and not one of 'em eber
ARMED 50 a day. l hab known of
twenty odders pastin' de motto Hon
esty am de best policy in DER hats.
and l reckon nineteen Of 'em went to
Jail for stealin'.
IF he had any motto at all it was
Take Things Easy Mebbe OATS de
best way. l has known men who tore
up de airth like wild bulls for a few
vars and died without 'nuff to bury
'em. No doubt Brudder Sly could hev
| eaten a hull bushel Of turnips at once
had he been a rusher. but he took
things easy and devoured only seben.
A Mar Of Honor.
LAS for honor, Brudder Sly had it far
in advance of thousands of other men.
If he lost 80 cents to me while play
in poker he would come around at
midnight to pay de debt. l might men-
ton dat when he did come l allus got
up in de mawnin' to miss a fat pullet.
but mebbe de thief was somebody else.
"Brudder Sly was constant in attend
ance at church. but a large number of
people didn't glib him any credit for
dat. While he stayed frew de sermons
he didn't drap a cent in de contribution
box and he nebber paid a dollars pew
rent. Sorter a half religion he had.
but mebbe it was huff to answer de
purpose.
Oar war members of dis club who
looked wild contempt on Brudder Sly
bekase he had nebber read of Wash
ington, Napoleon or Shakespeare. He
had nebber heard of de leather or rub
Der trust. He didn't know dat aigs
could he kept in cold storage for three
years and den put OF de market as
Fresh Long Island Aigs Received To-
day. He didn't know dat his coffee
was half tanbark and his tea half tree
leaves. He didn't know how many
members Of congriss are owned by de
Standard lie company nor how many
up.
"Brudder Sly was innocent of all
these things and many mo-. but l
reckon he took mo- comfort dan we
who worry ober 'em. He did believe
dat dar was at least twenty honest
men left in de world. while de rest of
us hev got de number whitfield down to
two. One of 'em hain't had no chance
to steal yet. and de odder am in de
porehousc and has no use for wealth.
Cautious Summing Up.
my fr'en's. I'm not making out dat
Brudder Sly was either good or bad.
He was jest fair. like de general run.
He jest sized up wild de folks you meet
at de grocery and butcher shop. De
world hain't lost so VERY much, and
VT it could have made room for him to
Iinger on. Oar am no moral for use in
his life or death. His ways was his
own.
Il shall take keer not to say dat
Brudder Sly has gone to his reward.
Oar am two kinds Of rewards. and l
can't be sure which has been meted
out to him. I amt hopin' which it am.
It's not only too late for dat. but I'm
not buttin' into other folkeses busi-
ness.
Mrs. Sly will miss him, but she orter.
We miss dawg when he runs away
or dies. We shall vote to glib her $50
from de benefit fund, and de usual
emblem Of mourning will be display
ed on de front doah Of de hall for
de usual time. De secretary will write
de word Gone arter de brudder's
name on de rolls and stop right dar.
Oars a heap Of guesswork about it,
and we don't want to make any mis-
take. Let us 60 home"
. Q Q