Connecticut western news., 1922-03-16

1 LII OuuIS , WHISKY WILL them.
 The boys arrived in a cloud of
 dust and a chorus of Indian whoops
 and dismounted and hobbled their
 horses. They came toward the work
 CTS, led by burly Jack Armstrong, a
 stalWart, hard-faced blacksmith of
 about twenty-two with broad, heavy
 shoulders, whose name has gone into
 history. They had been drinking some
 but no one of them was in the least
 degree off his balance. They scuffled
 around the jug for a moment in per- feet good nature and then Abe and Mrs. Waddell provided them with the
 best remnants of the dinner They were rather noisy. Soon they went up on the roof to help with the rafters and the clapboarding. They worked well few minutes and suddenly they came scrambling down for another pull at the jug. They were out for a spree and Abe knew itiand knew furth- CT that they had reached the limit of discretion. .
 Boys there are ladies here and we've got to be careful" he said. 'Te's stick to the job tillfour o'clock. Then we'll knock off for refresh ments."
 The young revelers gathered in a group and began to whisper together. l Samson writes that it became evident then they were going to make trouble ! and says:
 "We had left the children at Rut- ledge's in the care of Ann. went to Sarah and told her she had better go on and see if they were all right.
 Don't you get In any fight she said, which shows that the women ] knew what was in the air.
 Sarah led the way and the others followed her."
 Those big, brawny fellows from the Grove when they got merry were look ing always for a chance to get mad at some man and turn him into a plaything. A chance had come to get mad and they were going to make the most of 1t. They began to growl with resentment. Some were wigging their leader, Jack Armstrong, to fight Abe. One of them ran to his horse and brought bottle from his saddle bag. It began passing from mouth to mouth. Jack Armstrong got the bottle before it was half emptied, drained it and flung it high in the air. Another called him a hog and grappled him around the waist and there was des- perate struggle which ended quickly. Armstrong got hold on the neck of his assailant and choked him until he let go. This was not enough for the sturdy bully of Clary's Grove. He seized his follower and flung him so roughly on the ground that the latter lay for moment stunned. Armstrong had got his blood warm and was now ready for action. With a wild whoop he threw off his coat, unbuttoned his right shirtsleeve and rolled it to the shoulder and declared in loud voice, as he swung his arm in the air, that l he. could tout jump, out hop, out run, throw down, drag out an lick. any man in New Salem"
 In a letter to his father Samson writes: F
 "Abe was working at my elbow. saw him drop his hammer and get up and make for the ladder I knew | something was going to happen and | I followed him. In minute everyone l was off the roof and out of the build l ing. I guess they knew what was coming. The big lad stood there l swinging his arm and yelling like an | Injun. It was big arm and muscled | and corded up some, but I guess if I'd | showed the calico off mine and held it | up he'd pulled down his sleeve. | didn't know just how good 8 man | Abe was and was kind O scairt for a minute. I never found it so hard work to do nothin' as I did then. Hon. 1 est, my hands kind O ached. wanted | to go an cuff that feller's ears an grab hold O him an toss him over the | ridge pole. Abe went right up to him an said: -.. ..>-
 "'Jack, you ain't half so bad or half | so cordy as ye think ye are. You say you can throw down any man here. I reckon I'll have to show ye that you're mistaken. I'll rassle with. ye. We're friends an we won't talk about lickin' each other. Les have friend ly rassle.' Y.
 m second tue two men were locked together. Armstrong had lunged at Abe with a yell. There was no friendship in the way he took hold. He was going to do all the damage he could in any way he could. Half drunk, Jack is a man who would bite your ear off It was no rassle; it was a fight. Abe moved like lightning. He acted awful Timber an we'll greased. In a second he had got hold of the feller's neck with his big right hand and hooked his left into the cloth on his hip. In that way he held him off and shook him as you've seen our dog shake a woodckuck. Abe's blood was hot. If the whole crowd had piled On him guess he would have come out all right for when he's