The Snyder signal. (Snyder, Tex.) 1887-????, 1915-12-17

isolated IRON the outside world that little atter-
ton is paid to the holiday. Yet Harry Boehme,
the well known SKY pilot" of the West Virginia
district, recently told narrative of an old lum-
berjack which shows that even among these men,
hardened as they may be to the gentler things
OF life, the Christmas spirit has tender place in
their hearts
u was in a Cheat mountain camp last Christ
mas eve" Mr.. Boehme said, when some one
mentioned the name of Billie Burke. There was
an instant stiffness in the cabin; the boys drop
ped their cards, and the words poor Billie were
on almost every lip, ! was somewhat puzzled.
Who was Billie BurkeF ! inquired For mo-
ment no one answered One of the boys called
on old Sam-'Uncle Sam, they called him. You
tell him, Sam you knew Billie longer than any
OF us.
"Ihe boys all drew their chairs near the fire
and Sam told the story.
yes knowed Billie from the time he was
wee shaver me and him used to polt each other
with stones, tree coons and steal whisky to,
gether You know Bill and his pop were in the
moonshinin' business before the revenue officers
COPIED it
A bad cuss was that young Billie Burke be-
lore he was sent to the reform school. But what
chances did he havel lie knowed no better the
whole blooming family there in that one-roomed
log house; the old lady digging ginseng in the
summer to get enough to buy the winters sup
ply OF snuff and chewing tobacco, and the old
man running his still in the ravine, using the
corn for whisky that should have made pone
cakes for the kddcs
wal, sir, ! never seen such change in a
youngster as Billie when he came back, He read (;
he wrote he wore good clothes and fine shoes,
and he was gentleman. His people didn't know
him at first Then Billie said he was going to
meet it on the square
"'Whe he was at home the last time he met
the schoolmarm of the Red Sulphur Spring school
and he fell in love, ! suppose, though he never
said anything to no one but me; he said il to me
real earnestly. Any gal would have been proud
to have Billie; straight strong, clean and good
hearted boy Why the Presidents daughter
wouldn't say no to him
"'lf you galoots would cut out your poker
game at nights and do as Billie would do read
and study by the old lamp and try and get little
learning, why, heaven bless you you wouldn't
be the good-ior-nothn wood hicks you are. |
would do it myself but I'm too old. Anyway,
Billie was my secretary; he attended to all my
business affairs was too busy to do that. He
kept my time; wrote home for me- and done
anything asked him.
Sometimes now, when lay in my bunk at
night and hear the wind moaning in the pines, |
think | can hear Billie crying, 'Ho there Ho
there, Jerry to his team of horses When will
he come backl When this long night is over
and the day dawns afresh I'll see him, first OF ALL
coming to meet me; Billie Burke, I'll see him
first Of all
"'Wsh could die like him That turned me
from my evil ways and am going to live on the
square like Billie No more rum, no more cards,
no more wimmon; I'm going to live like Billie,
I'm on the equare
az can see him vet as he left this camp the
last day ! ever seed him done told him to
wait for the log train that went at noon but he
couldn't wait He started over the shortcut trail
TO Durbin--a six-mie tramp. There was some.
thing in the air | thought it was snow. There
seemed a terrible silence over the whole woods
when Billie left at dawn. That was the last time
| seed him alive. 'Good-by, Uncle SamP he
shouted from the hill as he waved his hand; and
4 merry Christmas to you and don't get drunk.
Make good resolutions for the New Year Good
byr
Good boy, that Billie May God bless him =
/ muttered.
"'lle stopped at the Widow Jones' house on
his way to Durbin, and she made him drink a
cup OF hot coffee, which she and the kiddies were
having at breakfast. Then he told her about the
Christmas he expected TO spend at home. lie
was lust bubbling over with JOY, and the widow
started to cry. At Christmas, she said, thoughts
Of the ones that are departed are green in one S
memory as the holly leaves that grow on tie
holly tree, and like circle Of holly leaves arc
they entwned in wreath OF memory.
Then Billie tried to comfort her. and asked
her why she was crying She said that her kid
dies wanted to know about Santa Claus because
the Paxson children, who went Shedding on ;he
hill told them what Santa was going. 10 bring
them, and they asked their nav when santa
was coming to them. She told them That be
wasn't coming; there wasn't going to be any
Christmas for them because they were poor.
"'That stuck in Bille's craw, and he said he
would 20 to Durbin and get something for en-
1contlnued on pass y