The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1915-02-25

Of 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.
quested 10 do. aud hereunto append
the result. have a lurking suspicion
that Leonidas W. Smiley is a myth.
that my friend never knew such a per.
sonage. and that he only conjecturcd
that II | asked old Wheeler about him
IL would remind him OF his Infamous
Jim Smiley. aud be would 10 20 work
and bore me 10 death with some ex.
asperating Renaissance Of him as long
and as tedious as IL should be useless
TO me II that was the design It sue
ceeded
found Simon Wheeler doing com.
fortably by the barroom stove Of the
dilapidated tavern in the decayed min.
ing camp OF Angels. and noticed that
he was fat and baldheaded aud had an
expression Of winning gentleness and
osAhhASltl hiou hio AAhhNhii NNuutt
nance. He reused up and gave me
good day. told him a friend Of mine
had commissioned me 10 make some
inquiries about cherished companion
Of his boyhood, named Leonidas W.
Smiley. Rev. Leonidas w Smiley.
young minister Of the gospel. who be
had heard was at ole time a resident
Of Angels Camp. | added that II Mr.
Wheeler could tell me anything about
this Rev. Leonidas w. Smiley. | would
fee! under many obligations to him.
Simon Wheeler backed me into n
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 dow.
ing key to which he tuned his initial
sentence. be 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. 80 far from his imagining
that there was anything ridiculous or
funny about bis story. he regarded II
rs really important matter aud ad.
mired its two heroes AS men of trans.
cendent genius Ia iinesse | let him 90
on la his own way and never inter
rupted him once
Rev LeOnidas W.-h'm-Rev. Lee
Well. there was a Teller here once by
the name Of Jim Smiley In the winter
u ~. or maybe II was the spring Of
~. | don't rrcollect exactly somehow.
though what makes the think Il was
one or the oihcr Is because remember
the hlg hume warIt finished when he
tirst come 10 the camp But anyway
he was the curiOusest man about al
ways betting IN anything that turned
Mp you ever see II he could get any.
body 90 bet on the other side. aud II
he couldn't he'd change sides Any
way that suited the other side would
suit him. Just SOS he got a bet he
was satisfied
But still be was lucky. uncommon
lucky He most always come out win.
ner lie was always ready and laying
for chance There couldn't be no
solit'ry thing mentioned but that fel-
lcr'd offer to bet un II and take ary
side sou please. as | was Just telling
you II there was n horse race you'd
fnd him Hush or you'd lind him busted
nc the end uf IL: II there was dog
light he'd bet on IL, II there was n cat
hght he'd bet uu 10: II there was
chicken light he'd bet on IL. Why. n
there WIS tw0 birds setting on a fence
he would bet you which one would fiy
drst. or II there was camp meeting
he would be there regular 90 bet ON
Parson Walker. which he judged TO be
the best exbOrter about here. and 50
he was. too. and good man.
III he even see a strnddle bng start
TO 90 auywheres he would bet you
how long IL would take him 90 get to
TO wherever he was going 20. and II
sou took him up he would fOller that
straddle bug Ia Mexico but what he
would iind out whore he was bound for
and how long he was on the road
Lots of the boys here has seen that
Smiley and can tell YOU about him
Why. II never made ~ difference TO
him-he'd bet anything the dangest
Teller Parson Walkers wife laid very
sick once for q go"d while. and II seem.
ed ~ N they warn'l going Ia save her
But one morning he came In and Smi.
ley up and asked him how she was.
aud he said she was considerable better.
thank the Lord for his inf'nit mercy.
and coming on ~ smart that. with the
blessing Of Providence. she'd get well
yet And Smiley before he thought
Enys. Well. III r,ssk $40 she don't