The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1916-01-02
OLD MAN .REENLAW
DRUMMING UP TRADE
Sends Emissaries Abroad and
Receives Perplexing
Reports.
COLLAPSE OF THE sCHEME
~ DAVID A. CURTIS.

pear to be noways d'scriminatin',"
srumbled old mar Greenlaw as he and
four faithful c~oparceners Of his sat
In his little saloon In Arkansas City,
awaiting the possible arrival of some
person or persons who might rouse
them to a renewed interest In life.
The financial responsibility Of main
tanning the business alliance which
held the Ave together devolved upon
the old man almost entirely. and II was
therefore natural enough that he
should be the n to feel the most
anxiety when. as was % the a a
long interval occurred between the
advent of strangers with whom they
might hope to do business. The other
four were measurably content to sit
from day to day consuming time and
tobacco In large quantities ana mani
Testing little concern. but to him en-.
forced inactivity was irksome because
OF the expense involved.
Their indifference was a grievances
to which he not i%nfreqLently gave
voice. but when, as sometimes hap
pened. they made a mock Of his anxiety
he grew positively peevish. Just now
he had uttered a bitter complaint about
the slackness of trade, and Sam Pear
call had rebuked him with an air Of
solemnity which aggravated him
greatly.
"Yo' all didn't ought TO- to fret" said
Sam. "Yo' is always a sayin' what the
Lawd II p'vide. Why don't yo' put
yo' trust In Providence an set quiet %
Trouble with Providence is," said
the old man discontentedly. what they
aint' no d'pendin' onto It. Pears like
faint now~ys d'scrimlnatin.. The Lawd
al'ays sends strangers in I'm time to
time. right enough. but they's been q
heap on 'em recent what mought bet
ter stayed away.
Take them three pirates o. hell I'm
Texas. TO- Example. what come In a
spell ago an got the drop on the hull
i've o We uns with six guns. Mebbe
the Lawd done sen EN-. but tn over
pow'rin' weight o. Providence 'peared
to be hrowed t'other way. I don't put
my trust into II till I lose my bung-
starter. but alter that I seen 'twa'nt
no use"
"The preacher was tellin' bout q
tribe O. niggers, at camp-meetin' to'ther
night" said Joe Bassett. t~houghtfully.
"what lives out in h wilderness
0ome'res what a a rligion I pears
to be q heap mo- sensible n ourn.
They worship idles made o. sticks an
stones. an when things goes wrong.
Tong o. the idles not tendin' to business
proper. they beats EN- W. the haid
with clubs. ] dunno's 1t does no GOOD.
hut they must be a heap o. satisfact ton
into IT."
That there's blasphemious," said
the old man, sternly, IAN ! won't lLste n
% II. They amt gwine to be no idhs
w%orshipped In my s'loon. % while I'm
p'pietor. II ! can't run II religious, I'll
close up an git out"
Don't make no difference to me how
religious it's said Jim Blaisdell. in
differently. but II they amt mo- busi-
ness did n they has been recent they's
others II git out. whether yo' all closes
M or not. I reckon me an Jake en-
Do \ heap better ~travlin' the river to-
seiher n We Is settin' here 'thouten
a Came."
"Sho' kim" exclaimed Jake Winter
bottom with strong emphasis. I'm
rettin' blue-molded my own self, set
tin here doin' nothin'. I reckon III
fo'git how to play poker II they ain,
romepin' diddin' afo' long"
That's it," exclaimed the old man
bitterly. "Yo'uns stes n sets, waitin
70 me an the Lawd tn p'vide. an not
dom nothin' to fetch in trade. II 20
was to git out an hustle Onc't in q
while mebbe they'd be mo diddin'."
"Yo' all makes a noise like they wa,
.,alx.ru 500 xfa A,,r s,x.,. ,..,,tt,,s -
he fetched in" said Pearsall s~cornfully
What good is they in hustlin' wher
m amt nobody to hustle? II we wal
70 fetch in the hull population O. Ar
kansas City they wouldn't he none,
enough into tn entire aggravation 10
20 buy a stack O. chips with"
90 co'se they wouldn't" retortet
the old man impatiently, IAN tn aim
nobody wants no citizens fetched in
II a Arkansas City man was to have
q wad an was to be skun outen II
the hull c'munity d bellyache to thai
'Xtent what we uns d all be liable 70
to cit lynched. Thing to do 10 to fetch
H. strangers m 'bsorb their fioatin
Cauital."
"rl' amt much to be did fshin
on dry land" observed W~interbottom
18th amt been a stranger In tow
10 a month o. Sundays. Gawd know
'taiu't no wonder" he added bitterly
'l reckon ! wouldn't came herr
my own self If I'd a knowed wha
kyind Of a place It's"
Don't make no difference wha
hyind of a place it's" said the OLE
man. "Yo' all d ought TO- to mem
hcr what the Good Book says:
"'Proft an loss I'm no ~location rise.
Play well yo' game. There all the prof
lays"
"Oh, shucks!" calculated Blaisdel
disgustedly. You all pears to b,
talkln' In round rings. not gettin' no
where's. like a puppy chasin' his tail
Wutin!.l~ zoe sense O. talkin' 'bou
pawn ~ game when m amt n
ramc, nor nobody to play 1t WITH"
Lays into "A nutshell" declared tn
o'd man %stoutly. I'VE uns IL into Ar
htnsas City, an we needs stranger
.u'o our business, II they isn't n
hangers into Arkansas City, thing I
o1 j. to go where strangers be an ri
'.m They's al'ays plenty on EN- ont
the boats.
What yo' uns d ought To- TO do !
70 git abo'd the boaSs an fetch 'en
or What l p'n3se ~ TO n or W {
'o' ms to go up the river y fur
Helena an git acquainted with som
g. the passengers on the way bach