Year: 1869

Mr.. A. WARD-DEAR SIR We'll


[ called on good natured, garrulou.
old Simon Wheeler, and l inquired
after your friend Leonldas w. Smi
ley, as you requested me to do, and
[ hereunto append the result. II
You can get any information out oil
it you are cordially welcome to it
| have lurking auspiciou that your
Leonidas w. Smiley is myth-that
you never knew such a parsonage,
and that you only conjectured that if
| asked old Wheeler about him it
wonld remind him of his infamous
Jim Smiley, and lie would go to work
and bore me nearly to death with
some internal reminiscence of him as
long and te lious as it should be use
less to me. II that was your design,
Mr.. Ward, it will crafty you to know
that it succeeded.


| found Simon Wheeler doing
comfortably 10y the bar-room stove
of the little old dilapidated tavern in
the ancient mining camp of Boom
erang, and noticed that he was fat
and bald headed, and had AN oAPres-
sion of winning gentleness and sim
plicity upon his tranquil countenance.
He reused up and gave me good day.
| told him friend of mine had COM
missioned me to make some inquiries
about cherished companion of his
boyhood named Leonidas W. Smiley
Rev. Leonidss W. Smiley-ayoung
minister of the gospel, who he heard
was at one time a resident of this
village OF Boomerang. l added that
if Mr.. Wheeler could tell me anything
about this Rev. Leonidas W. Smiley,
| would feel under many obligations
to him.


Simon Wheeler backed me into O
corner and blockaded me with his
chair-and then sat down and reeled
off the monOtOnous narrative which
follows this paragraph. lie never
smiled, he never frowned, he never
changed his voice from the quiet,
gently y-fowiBg key to which he turned
the initial sentence, he never betrayed
the slightest suspicion of enthusiasm
but all through the interminable
narrative there ran vein of impress
i've earnestness and sincerity, which
showed me plainly that so far from
his imagining that there was any
thing ridiculous or funny about his
story, he regarded it as really i'm
por;ant matter, and admired its two
heroes as men of transcendent genius
In fiuesse. To me, the spectacle Of
a man drifting serenely along through
such a queer yarn, without ever
smiling, was exqulsitely absurd. As
| said before, / asked him to tell me
what he knew of Rev. Leonidas w.
Smiley, and he replied as follows -
| let him 60 on in his own way, and
never interrupted him once:


There was a fellow here once by
the name of Jim Smiley, in the winter
of '49-or maybe it was in the spring
of '50-I don't recollect exactly,
somehow, though what makes me
think it was one or the other is be
cause l remember the big hume wasn't
finished when he first come to the
camp; but anyway, he was the curl
ousest man always betting on any
thing that turned up you ever see, il
he could get anybody to bet on the
other side, and if he couldn't, he'd
change sides--any way that suited
the other man would suit hina--any
way just SOS he got bet, he was sat
isfied. But still, he was lacky he
, most always come out winner. Ht
was always ready and laying for O
, chance; there couldn't be no solitary
thing mentioned but what that feller'd
offer TO bet on it--and take any side
you please, as l was just telling you
| if there was a dos-fight, he'd bet on
| it; if there was cat-lght, he'd BET
on it; if there was a chicken-fight


he'd bet on it; why if there 6as two


birds setting on fence, he would


bet you which one would fly first


or if there was a camp meeting h,


would be there regular to bet on par


son Walker, which he judged to b'


the best exhorter about here, and 50


he was, too, and good man if h'


even see a straddle bug start to e


anywheres, he would bet you how


long it would take him to get wher


ever he was going to, and if you tool


him up be would follow that straddle


bug to Mexico but what he would


find out where he was bound for and


how long he was on the road Lot;


of the boys here has seen that Smi


ley and can tell You about him.


Why, it made no difference to hin


he would bet on anything--tht


dangdest feller. Parson Walker:


wife land very sick, once, for a good


while, and it seemed as II they warm


going To save her but one morning