The Sunday telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1914-1927, 1916-09-03
Talk of PoIeCats Comes to Gil
max in Poker Game at Old
GreenlaW'S.
By David A. Curtis.

A considerable time had elapsed
Bince there had been any serious
physical encounter, or rather any that
was accounted serious, in old man
Greenlaws little saloon in Arkansas
City, and Joe Bassctt, being man
who delighted in strife more keenly
than in any other of the pleasures OF
life that were available in that local
ity, was depressed in spirit accord
ingly.
His mental outlook was peculiar, TO
say tho least. 1t was fairly we'll de-
scribed by Sam Pearsall. who said Of
him one day: Joe aSl't never what
mought be called good natured 'thout-
en- he's into fight. Pears like th'aint
nothin' makes him s cheerful s It
does to be chawin' somebody's car"
Even in Arkansas City, however.
ears were not at that time customarily
chewed unless upon some provocatIon,
and tho citizens of that place being
acquainted with Mr.. Bassett's idiosyn-
Grassy, were charity OF provoking him,
so that he found small zcst in life
when there were no strangers there.
Not everybody knew, however. what
kind Of place Arkansas City was, and
in consequence people sometimes got
off the boats and II they were not
quick to observe they sometimes al
lowed the boat to get away before they
went back on board
Stranger Strays Into Greenlaw's.
Being thus stranded. MS 1t were, they
would go into old man Greenlaw's
saloon, and doings would ensue. one
such wayfarer came in at tho particu-
lar time when MIR. Bassett was suf-
fering from depression Of spirit, as
was said, and almost Immediately
paved the way toward occurrences by
what seemed an incautious remark
He had invited the company to drink,
first, according to the prevailing Gus
tom Of that part of the country, and
SO had established tentative footing
from which he might have advanced
TO favorable position, but no.
This yer town pears to be kyind
o. dead" he observed, with a super
cflious air. II shd say what If they
want somepin' did tolable soon it'd
be liable TO to smell bad"
NATURAL History Debated.
us that so?" said old man Green
law indifferently. Il haint took no.
tice O. no p'ticlar perfume recent, not
afo' yo' all come in, didn't. Yo' all
haint run foul o. no polecat lately,
have yo'?"
"Hain't had no s'picion o. nothing
like that, not afo' done come asho', | |
haint," responded the stranger
promptly, but mebbe that's what |
done took notice of. Mought bo n
polecat. but what's been did 10 It?
Pears like somebody must ha' agger-
waited It somepin' shameful"
"They don't nobody round these
parts monkey with no polecats.'' re-
piled the old man sternly, mot "thout-
en- they gifts f'miliar 'Taint reckOned
none too healthy TO- nobody to git
thataway, not onto a short acquaint-
ance, faint, an polecats amt no
reception. Mcbbe 20 all mought do
well If yo' was TO make note o. that
thar. We uEs amt noways pitcher
bout how we gifts rid Of EN-"
well, faint nothin' TO me how yo'
treats EN-" said the stranger with
lofty Indifference, "on'y I'd a heap
druther not como asho' II I'd knowsd
they was active as they pears 10 be.
Back where | come from we don't
gently low em TO stay around
BaSsett Grows Sarcastic.
"Yo' all pears to have a mighty po'
'pinion O. yo' kin" observed Bassett in
tone betokening evaporation, They
amt nobody hyar gives n damn where
tits yo' done come from. but th'ain't
no difficulty bout onderstandn' why
says. Pears like yo' must ha' been
III