The Kennewick courier-reporter. [volume] (Kennewick, Wash.) 1914-1938, 1914-10-08
N compliance with the request

I'm compliance with the request
Hi of q friend Of mine who wrote
from the east, called on good
natured, garrulous old Simon
wheeler and inquired after my friends
friend, Leonidas w. Smiley, as re-
ouested to do, and hereunto append
the result. have lurking suspicion
that Leonidas w. Smiley is myth;
that my friend never knew such a per-
sonage, and that he only conjectured
that IL asked old Wheeler about him
Il would remind him of his Infamous
Jim Smiley, and he would go to work
and bore me to death with some ex-
asperating Renaissance Of him as long
and as tedious as 1t should be useless
to me. If that was the design 1t sue
ceeded.
fortably by the barroom stove Of the
dilapidated tavern in the decayed min
ing camp of Angels, and I noticed that
he was fat and baldheaded and had an
expression Of winning gentleness and
simplicity upon his tranquil c0unte-
nance. He reused up and gave me
good day. told him q friend Of mine
had commissioned me to make some
Inquiries about cherished companion
of his boyhood, named Leonidas w.
Smiley, Rev. Leonidas w. Smiley, a
young minister Of the gospel, who he
had heard was at one time a resident
of Angels Camp. added that IL Mr..
Wheeler could tell me anything about
this Rev. Leonidas w. Smiley, would
feel under many obligations to him.
Simon Wheeler backed me into
corner and blockaded me there with
his chair and then sat down and reeled
OF the monotonous narrative which
follows this paragraph. He never
smiled, he never frowned, he never
changed his voice from the gentle flow
ing key to which he tuned his initial
sentence, he never betrayed the slight
est suspicion Of enthusiasm. but all
through the interminable narrative
there ran vein Of impressive earnest
ness and sincerity which showed me
plainly that, SO far from his imagining
that there was anything. ridiculous or
funny about his story, he regarded 1t
as really important matter and ad-
mired it's two heroes as men Of trans
cendent genius in finesse. / let him go
on in his own way and never inter-
rupted him once.
"Rev. Leonidas W.-h'm-Rev. Le-
Well. there was a Teller here once by
the name Of Jim Smiley in the winter
Of 40. or maybe It was the spring OF
80. don't recollect exactly somehow.
though what makes me think 1t was
one or the other Is because remember
the big flume warn't finished when he
first come to the camp. But anyway
he was the curiOusest man about, al
ways betting on anything that turned
up you ever see If he could get any
body to bet on the other side, and II
he couldn't he'd change sides. Any
way that suited the other side would
suit him. Just SOS he got bet ne
was satisfied.
"But still he was lucky. uncommon
lucky. He most always come out win
ner. He was always ready and laying
for chance. There couldn't be no
solit'ry thing mentioned but that fel-
ler'd offer to bet on It and take airy
side you please, as was just telling
you. II there was q horse race you'd
find him flush or you'd find him busted
at the end of 1t; If there was dog
fight he'd bet on It; II there was a cat
fight he'd bet on it; II there was q
chicken fight he'd bet on it. Why, II
there was two birds setting on fence
he would bet you which one would ny
first, or If there was camp meeting
he would be there reglar to bet on
Parson Walker. which he judged to De
the best exhorter about here, ana 80
he was. too. and good man.
IF he even see straddle bug start
to 60 anywheres he would bet you
how long 1t would take him to get to-
to wherever he was going to, and II
you took him up he would foller tnat
straddle bug to Mexico but what ne
would find out where he was Dound ior
and how long he was on the roao.
Lots Of the boys here has seen tnat
Smiley and can tell you about nlm.
Why, it never made no difference 10
him-he'd bet anything-the dangest
Teller. Parson Walkers wife laid very
sick once for good while, and It seem
ed as If they warn't going to save nef'
But one morning he came In. and Smi-
ley up and asked him how she was
and he said she was considerable better
thank the Lord for his inf'nit mercy.
and coming on so smart that. with the
blessing Of Providence. she'd get wen
yet. And Smiley before he tnougnI
says. We'll. I'll resk $3.50 she don't
anyway
"Thish yer Smiley had a mare-tne