The Barre daily times. (Barre, Vt.) 1897-1959, 1914-03-16
Why Carl Becker
Came to America
By LOUISE B. CUMMINGS

for Il short time.
MY name is Carl Becker. / hail
from Cologne, and I'm going to settle
down in this country"
What did you do thar maxim it nec-
essary for you to leavew drawled the
landlord
What do? How you know I do
anything?"
WAL. most of 'em that comes here
have had to light out from whar they
come"
II say noting about why / come
from home, except that must spend
a year in fortress if stay dare. my
yader he say: Carl, you spend a year
in fortress, den you serve your time
You hat lost a good deal Of time. Sup
pose you 60 to America. Lots of peo-
pies go to America, and they all get
rich Vot you say, eh?'
II say: 'Vader, / go to America. /
spend de time j spend here and in de
army maxim money. and then ! come
back to de vaterland and take care of
yuu anu uuLteT.
"a good idee," replied the landlord.
'What was they goin to put you in
the fortress forT'
"Vot for dey put me in de fortress?
Ach, / think don't talk about dotp
81 reckon it wouldn't make much diff
ference about here unless 1t was for
boss stealin That's about the only
thing they don't like in these parts.
You kin shoot all you like and it's no
body's business but yours, but you take
Anybody's boss and If they ketch you
you'll have to dance whaf' the grass is
too short"
''Vot you mean, dance"
1.-THE hangman's jig"
The landlord took young Becker to
q room and when he returned remark
ed to o few persons who happened to
be present:
That's the kind we want out here"
Carl Becker was among the higher
grade of emigrants and came not over
In the steerage; instead he came first
class and when he reached Nevada
had $1,000 in his pocket That was
in the day when silver mining was
new In this region, and new country
is proverbially a rough country. The
evening of Mr. Becker's arrival he
came downstairs with singular look
rougher element Of the country were
standing at the bar drinking. A man
with red beard In sheepskin brooches
happened to turn as Becker entered
the room and fixed his gaze on the
cap.
well, now" he remarked, '4thats
the purtiest piece of headgear ever
seen in these parts. If 1t had feather
from a peacock's tail stuck into 1t 1t
would be a dandy ornament for wo-
man"
Becker heard the criticism, and his
lips broke into a beautiful smile.
Say, young man." pursued the man
with the red beard, "whar did you git
yer bonnetY
my bonnet-ha, ha! You call dot a
bonnet"
II axed you whar you got It."
II got dat when vas in de univer-
sity..
"Phew, the university! You don't
mean you've been to college"
yah, Heidelberg"
well, we don't stand no SIGH rain
bow tops as that out yere" And the
speaker, drawing a knife about sixteen
inches long from between his shoulder
blades and catching Mr. Becker's cap
on its point, tossed 1t ON to the floor.
A change came over Carl Becker. He /
stood looking at the man who had re- |
moved his cap with an expression of |
serious dignity.
"Pick up my cap" he said. ''and gif |
it back to me-"
well, like thati' replied the other. |
I'D have you know, young man, that |
we don't take orders out here, and we
don't allow young men to wear any |
headgear except the sombrero Of the |
country. If you want fair fight you
shall have it. Reckon you amt armed
or I'd heered from you afore this. Jim,
give the boy gun or whatever he
likes"
The man addressed as Jim thrust a |
revolver into Carts hand, but he de-
clined it and I'D he would take a
knife such as I'D been used in the re- /
moval of his car. A knife the same |
length as the other was handed him,
and he put himself in the posture of
fencer.
you got lot of style about you,
amt your? said Becker's opponent. |,
But before he could finish the young |
German gave him a cut In the cheek |
that concentrated his attention on his
enemy's knife. He made a thrust at
Becker, but Becker nimbly retreated
out of reach, and before his enemy |
could recover for another attempt he
received a cut on the other cheek.
Then Becker cut off the tip end of his
nose. Lastly he gashed his forehead,
and the blood running down into his
tyes stopped the fight
"Whar did you learn to handle a
knife like that?" asked the landlord of
Becker
81 learned dat at the university. |
tas champion of my corps"
Reckon the reason you came over
here was for KILN man.
mo, but came pretty near killing