Newspapers / The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, … / Aug. 16, 1908, edition 1 / Page 10
Part of The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.) / About this page
This page has errors
The date, title, or page description is wrong
This page has harmful content
This page contains sensitive or offensive material
10 CIIABLOTTE DAILY OBSERVER, AUGUST 16, 1C03. ,:h -m MM M IvUiUilJ PJUUUUuid UuQJuyuiL -. 1 '- . , " 1 U, - - . ,. , . . v ' a VUVU?UM(UiUUU COLUMBIA, S. C tit Tales of Hi? Tqwh and ths Times DT BED This ' rtory could. nd perhaps should, bs left untold, but after I am Sesd and one some enemy might tell it. At my ripe old ge it Is per missible Xor 'ins to become remi niscent ss sll elderly persons do. . k . ..,.. anl'iL iiucker. jjy father, wno is mu horss sense, the best kind In Prov idence, has declared, ever since one day he sent mi to buy ho. proyl1- td by the anslous owner, and I bought It. that I was born a sucker which, of coursr, mans a flh tnat will bite t anythinj and 'had relapsed once or twice a year since. That charge I admit. My brother Badger. ; who had too much srumpuon 10 eo lire law. take up Journalism. Insur ance, preaching or anything else that -would send him gadding about the country, said, one 4ay. not long ago, q the shop, to the boys my asso ciate reporters thai I was always mean and cited, as an example of my Mclousneee, a case in which a stub born mule ad I were at war. Ho, wears now that I looped s, breaM chain around the bessfa lower Jaw and plowed him with It instead of a bit. I may havs done thia. Hut. Vlnd resders, I have reformed. My disposition Is sweeter, my heart softer. A sucker 1 was bom and a sucker I wSll die. Therefore, those who do rot like the part I took in an epi sode that I am about to uncover roust know that suckers will be suckers. To the best of my ability 1 am go ing to stick to the truth in telling this tale. - . , TUB FIRST ItOCND. Saturday night before Christmas, jm. I had a desperate fight at Mon roe, as Boo May, Policeman Ashcraft. Sheriff Horu and other citizens of that, town could testify. I was on my sy home from Moore county, where 1 had been to report to'The Observer the facts of the fire-damp explosion In the Cumnock coal mine, which re sulted In the deaths, of about forty men. For three days and nights I frisd been among dead and dying, and tiad bad but little food or sleep. My work over. I was on my way home for the holidays. Having had no op portualty f see the daily papers for nearly a; week I devoted my spare moments to catching up. The news boy. bright sprightly little fellow, with a cock eye, aad a cut in his lip. was liberal with me, letting me ex change certain papers for others with out requiring anything to boot, and 1 felt t very grateful to him as ray money had aboat given out. Somewhere between Rockingham and Wadesboro, as the train from Ra-Ji-igh te Charlotte rocknd along, atop j.lnj at every station, my friend, the newsboy, came la and asked me it I -would do him a favor. -Certainly, if I can," was the ready reTne. - ' . . -Well, there Is a ih the-nwiwrsclsssaTilTo wanW'to 1 uy my watch but I asked bins too T-'.Lxh for It and am afraid to droi 1-) h figure l-t I' frighten aim. 1.5 t '.m that I would Uke 119 for !-. - ' I believe that he will give mi 2 5. i t I want you to do. .If-yoo I't n.'.nS, Is to to back there aad - i him that K Is yours and that you 1 the money for It, and offer. It ' 'm f-5r 15." --r a 1 v il-rrown, hungry auck , t:.at j reposition looked all right i i .e. IiuUlj l;al been good to ? n ' Try? , . mWM; We have jbeen curing people Wc use no dangerous drugs or in any other way submit you to any treatment that might injure you makes a new man of you " The Sanitariums are handsomely furnished and very comfortable. . The table fare is the equal of any If you want t6 stop using either whiskey or morphine, wire, ; ; Gome BUCK Die; J would be ffood to him. I took the watch, went forward and saw the man. The offer, as suggest ed by the boy, was put In a most appealing way but the prospective purchaser crawfished. He did not want a watch didn't need It wouldn't have it. That let me out. I had done a turn for Butch, Thus ended the first round. THE SECOND ROUND. Returning to the first-class section I turned over the watch, tolc. the newsboy what had passed between the eecond-clnss passenger and I, and forgot the past. I sat well back In the car and busied myself studying the people In sight, speculating on them. It was nearly 11 o'clock and I was hungry, tired and sleepy. twme where and at sometime, that evening, Mr. Allen Tedder, then going home from Wake Foreat, where he had been in collego, came and sat down by me. We did not know each oth er, but soon struck up an acquaint ure. I had graduated from the Plate University In June, and Mr. Tedder and I dlMussed college life. It was while thus engaged tnat I heard some one say loudly and dis tinctly: "Tonder is the d d scoundrel." I knew from the tone of the man's voice that ha was an frry. Craning my neck a little I saw three men, standing In the front door of the car. The one In the middle was tall, angular and well built, wore a Mack shirt, without collar. and looked fierce. From the grtme on his face and clothes I took him to be sumo sort of mechanic. He was the man who uttered the oath. His companions wore smaller, and quieter. 'There is trouble brewing for somebody," said I to myself. That chap means business cursing and swearing In the presence of ladles." Marching down the aisle to my seat the trio stopped. "Toung fellow, here Is your watch." declared the tall man, "and 1 want my IS." 1 . "Who are you talking to?" I asked. In antasement. "You. that's wh, and don't "be long about handing out the money." "It Is none of my watch." said X. "The newsboy said It was, and X wsnt my mony.M , "Get the newsboy and. I will tell him that ho llcm." ; .,- "I can't Snd him and I must have my money before you leave .-. this trslnr . ( . . . . Thrf train was then slowing down for Monroe, where I ehsnged for Charlotte, and the news butcher must have been In the baggage car. pack ing his goods preparatory to leaving the train. - - .. "I asked you If yon would give IS for the watch and you aaid that you would aor that Is all I had to do with the trade. , I did not know that TOU bonrht It K th iim.Iia,1 I AO. damn you, I will have y money, or I will lick you." I had been a halfback 1 n Mfke Hoke's football team at Chapel Kill, and was as active as anybody ot my weight In the tat. " I felt my mus cles knLtlng. ; ' "Friend. I am not golnr to fight fen If I can help It. but. if I d6 have It to do, I sll whip you or kill you." The. savase-w-rtsinf--B--meTTT could feel It but t did not want to fght under the circumstances, realis ing that the batcher had taken a4 ; ' my Direct to Sanitarium From Train. vantage of my being a sucker. "I will take care of you all right,' said the indignant fellow. "Fish for your dough, or it will be too late." Such assurance made me quail be fore (this giant, six inches taller, twenty pounds heavier, and much harder than 1, but I could not fun. Once more I argued. "You are laboring under a wrong Impression, young man." said I, In the softest of tones. "If you will get the newgboy he can settle this trouble. I had nothing to do with the watch. He ajtked me to set you to say wnat you would slve for it. I failed. That Is all there is to It. I have no $5, If I worn to be swung." "Then, you sorry rsacal. I will beat you. you are a cur any now, The moment he said that I dropped the bag that I had in my hand, doub led my fist and started to strike him In the fare, but, seeing that tne la dies in the car had .become frighten ed, I picked up my grip, brushed my accuser out of the way, and walked to the front of the car, which had almost come to a standstill in the yard at Monroe. My movements were so quick that lanky Tom, or whatever his name was, did not realise that I was going unrH I had passed him. I had two purposes in taking this step: First. I did not wish tq cause a commotion In the car: second, I had made up my mind to kill the fellow if ne got me aown, ana Dy making mm follow me, I would put the law on my side. Like flashes these things passed through my mind.. THE THIRD ROUND. As I stepped off' the train I asked the conductor where I would find the Charlotte train. "Qo to the station and wait there." replied the captain, "it has not come yet, but it will be In In a few min utes." We were about ona hundred yards from the station. I turned to go, when I saw the three men oomlng down the steps. One of the smaller men said to the tail one: "Give him hell. Tom." 1 was the 'Mm." Before I could make away my an tagonist caught me by the left thumb, with his rUht hand, and said: "You need not be in such a hurry; when you go away from here jjrou will need a stretcher." - , . - ,T,:, X was sorry for myself 'and wished that Badger, or Hugh, or my father was here. A lonesome feeling crept over me. 1 did not aee a person in the tittle circle that had formed that I could call a friend. At that time I was unknown outside of Providence township and Chapel Hill. But. there was but one thing to do. I had to right or take a whip- Flng. While the bully held my thumb reached in my coat pocket, pulled out a roll of manuscript, handed It ta a man whom I had seen buy a tick et to Charlotte, and told him-to give it to Mr. Caldwell, at The Observer office, and tell him that X would be there by and by. - - . THE FOURTH ROUND. Having disposed of ' my manuscript I stepped close to Tom, If that be bis name, and asked In as polite a tone, ed-to ssyr befare any ess. could-slna. tanburg, -was operated la three sec afc4msiMs4ds"e4 -me I had ouged the fellow In the TloMrrnrrTsnssissipDiiie excur. :" whether eyes until, they Mo4. It was then on,.t. fMm Kr JkJ? or not after I bad told him what I bad about the watch deal. "Tea, damn you." shouted he, still holding to my thumb, "I'm going to lick you." Before the words had left his Mouth my right fist cut him over the left eye snd he fell at full length noon thejrrouj!si. The fight was on-then. 4 for the brute In me asserted Itself. Uke one bull terrier throttles anoth er I throttled Tom. With my elbow la bis chest, 017 feet one way and Qured Forever by the ' Ji for 20 years. operation. his another, X fastened my finger In his throat and choled his tongue out. Although be had been brave in de nouncing me he tried to yell. "police." Not satisnea I drew mysen in knot, bounced upon his breast and started :to run mv thumbs in his eyes, and would have done Jt to my eternal disgrace, if a traveling man, Mr.: William B. Meares, whom I did not know at that time, had not grab bed my hands. "Don't maim hlm.u said Mr. Meares, "I am your friend In the fight, but he bas hollared, get up. ."Certainly, I'll get up." said I; ' did not want to fight him anyway I rose and walked across the track. turned with my back to a freight car end conversed with Mr. Meares. THE FIFTH ROUND.- i had been there but a second when my adversary, with coat off, came run ning at me hissing: "Yes, damn you, you knocked me down Just new. before I knew you would fight. . This said he sent his right hand to my face but I sidestepped, struck mm good and hard. on the left Jowl and he went whirling to the ground, with his Shoulders supported by tne car. I dropped down on him and made a pass for his neck but slipped and. when I recovered, be had closed bis Jaws on my left eye brow and was chewing as if he liked the taste of my flesh. Blood trickled down my cneek and the cavity made - by bis teeth stung. I was on top but he had me good and fast I felt as if the entire brow, hair and all, would be lifted out at any moment. The thought was not a pleasant one. But I had no time to lose. 6ee Ing the predicament I was In X bowed low, brought no my hands, and closed them about bis wind pipe. . It was not long after that that ha turned loose and struggled to free himself from my wiry fingers, fatally bent on stopping his wind. Being strong. muscular and alert ha got to bis feet by bracing his back against the car. We had lost our original holds "he with his teeth and I with my hands. "Now, by s"sea- who hits tie ground first." said one of Tom's asso ciates, as we turned and twisted for the advantage In a catch-as-catch-can wrestle. - - - 1 Had not the friend given this sig nificant hint of Tom's ability to wres tle I might have let .him fasten bis arms around . me but when I heard this I made a desperate and succu ful effort to get, hold first. Catching one hand In the collar of bis shirt and the other la the waistband of his trousers 1 mule-dodged him.- That Is. I pulled him close to me, picked him up on my right knee, swung him to the right, stopped suddenly, and threw him to the left I bad been taught the - mule dodge by a negro boy on the farm, where ny first fall broke me up so badly that my mother had to send for a doctor, I knew the mule dodge and the possibilities ta It . Tom fell between two railroad rails ten feet from me but by the time bis back touched the ground - X wss In bis throat and, this time, 1 4am asham that Tom yelled so loud that Police man Ashcraft, who was On duty fire blocks away, heard him. - The sav age the brute In me was a routed and X would have" blinded the man for life had not Mr. Meares Interced ed again. Withdrawing' my hands I sat straddle of my prostrste opponent ind"toTar MmThat If be followed me again I would shoot him. Turning to his friends, as I got up. X said: "Gentlemen. If yon can do anything with blm. yon bad better do It, tar LI F Fourteen Sanitariums now in ( " ) ' Open Day and if be comes to me again F will hare to kill hlnv" Something like one hundred peo ple had assembled by this time. The , fight had been going on several min utes it seemed; an hour to me. Mr. Meares orterea his arm, I lock ed it and- walked away, going toward th station. Allen Tedder had my grip and Peter Holmes, the negro porter, my hat, "Give me a pistol!" said Tom as I turned my back. A, knife! Any thing to kill him with!" , THE SIXTH ROUND. Having made up my mind not to touch the fellow with my hands again I walked on without looking back. "Look out ha will stab yon!" cried tne crowa. . This I beard but did not heed. "Reddy, he will cut you!"' - "Reddy." That waa the call that turned me, for I knew soma acquaint, ance was warning. Hearing the feet' of the running crowd approach I wheeled Just In tims to save myself.. Tom -and his two friends, running side by side, were coming. In Tom's uplifted band was a long, keen blsded knife. . In the twinkling of an eye I drew my revolver, a tS-calibre, and thrust it in Tom s face, striking bis nose with uie muzzle. .-,. "My God. don't' shoot." said Mr Meares, dronnln to his knees. My finger was on the trigger, my mina made-up, but Tom whirled and ran. I lowered the run, stuck It in my pocxet and walked into tha wait Ing room. 9em Just had time to caicn tne Atlanta train and I mine. 1 nad never seen the man before and 1 have not een blm slnoe. The last word lie said, as he climbed in the car. was that ha would whip ma if ever he met me again. 1 He meant It I should go many miles out of my way to miss him for. I have noth ing against blm. -In this year, when I am turning gray about the temples, I wish Tom and bis walL I m hm done him an Injustice but X did not intend it j now apologize for fight ing him and ask the mule, that I plowed with a chain for bridle bit, to forgiva and forget , Had It not been for' Mr. William Meares on that bitter cold night, at Monroe, I -would have been tried for maiming or killing a man. The little scar that nestles above tha corner of my left eye only serves to remind J". h,w close X came to shedding tha blood of a fellow man. I can't belp being a sucker, but I will try oc -to be a savage. ; 7 , ' i i t : Excursions Run From Many States) to Aahvn Correspondence jt The Observe wA-shevUle. Aug. I!. Many . excor sldnlsu from Charleston, 8. Ci'Cc. lumbia, S. C; Atlanta, Qa,; Savannah, Oa.; Norfolk and . Richmond. Va rolled Into Ashevllle on special trains this evening. Train No, from Spar tanburg was operated' in ..three sec tions, each section heavily laden, while train No. . II. also from Spar tanburg, was operated la three see-1 slonltts from Mobile. Blrminghsjfft. Nw Orleans, Shreveport, Pensacola and Memphis will come 8unday and Monday. The Jacksonville special train Is due to-morrow evening. The excursionists are traveling on ten-day and fiftsen-day tickets. The summer eason In Ashevllle and western Nortb Carolina la now at its belghth and there are probably as many visitors la ths mountain at this season as at any ether on time for years. suimTi(Bimii in the slightest. . Our treatment hotel in the South. , am RETOSVILLE, N G Night. PARTY AT HONEYMOON LODGE. Mr. and Mrs. John W. Kennedy ln tertain at a House Party at Their wauurul Mountain Home Near TryonA Pilgrimage Made to the Jtecenuy Erected Alonumenl in Howard's Gap. - Special to The observer. ; ' Tryon. Aug. 16. Mr, and Mrs, John W. Kennedy entertained at an enjoyable plcnlo house party Thurs day afternoon and evening at their .mountain place, Honeymoon Lodge. Honeymoon Lodge is situated In the thermal belt on the south slope of Tryon mountain at ari elevation of nearly 2,000 feet, overlooking the. beautiful Pacolet valley, the famous vineyards of the thermal belt and the Towns f Tryon and" Lynn. , After th large number of guests nsd enjoyed a most bountiful picnic supper In the dining hall, all repair ed to the spacious veranda and promptly at 9 o'clook Madam Luna appeared for the evening and by the light of her countenance and to the strains of a violin by an "old-time fiddler" the vounaer aet.enlovwif the Virginia reel, and awaked the echoes along The mountain sides with "Se wanee River," "My Old Kentucky Home'- and ; other old favorites. - In the afternoon a number of the guests visited tne Howard Gap monument, erected in June by ths Jr. O. U. A. M. to the -memory of Captain How ard, who defeated th Indians and their Tory allies at tha beginning of tne revolution, in the battle of Round Mountain. The battle- took u place near tnis spot, and the -gap was nam ed for Captain Howard. Ths menu msnt was. to have been unveiled on the Fourth of July, but rain prevent ed the programme from being car iiea out ana s aaie ror -ine unveil ing has not been aet. The monument can do seen from Try on. - Tryon Is a cosmopolitan little city and to show from what widely differ ent sections of the country she draws her visitors it may be mentioned that among the guests present at the bouse party were . Mr. and Mrs. Al exander uoraon, jr., uaiumore: Mr. and Mrs. R. C. Moseley, Columbia: Mr. and Mrs. W. H. Hall. Norfolk; Mrs. Arthur Smith, Washington, D. C: Mrs. T. E. Corcoran, Albert Cor co ran, Charleston; Mrs. Mandeville, miss wiuiams, miss Moore - Jesup. oa.; Miss Florence Clark, Chicago: Miss Marquiar Chester, 8. C; Misses Minnie and Sallle Arledge, - Messrs. J. E. Shlpman.i Buford F. Williams, Charlie H. ' Williams, Columbus; W. R. LeCompte, Corydon. Ida.; . Misses Bessie Stevenson, - Carolyn . Smith. Hallle Heater, Messrs. B. L. Ballen ger, -C W. Ballenger; Curtis Arledge. W. C. Corcoran. Richard Ballenger. Mr, and Mrs. A. L. HilL Mr. and Mrs. J. B. Hester, Mrs. H. .J. Car rigues, , Tryon. and Master "Buster" 8a Hey, of Saluda. . - ( . ' - - " .-' ' Simpson and Bennett ' Lease ." Star warehouse. r Special to The Observer. : : V ' Winston-Salem. Aug. -IS. Messra John T. Simpson and Arch Bennett havs leased the Star Warehouse, cor r of- MaUvandUJUxUv-strsetSr-and win open trior business on Septem ber 1st. Mr. Simpson will not sever his connection witb Brown's, Ware house, of which he is part own;r. Messrs. Simpson and Bennett are popular gentlemen, balling originally from Rockingham county." and that they will make a suceess -'of their venture seems undoubted. 'The'ware-' house will be Improved greatly to meet the demands for comfortable business quarters for the tobacco firmer. Wholesale family washing. The price of our" service is based upon the weight of the clothes sent. Five cents per pound. At this rata w. v.cibcb luwi wug costs no more than the expense of having a woman by the day and furnishing coefc soap, starch and meal. If you allow for the doing away of the an noyance of wash day our plan is, much the cheaper. Most of ths Ironing is Included at this price. SANITARY STEAM , LAUNDRY. A Challenge From Mr. J. A. Smith to Mr. L Y. s-v- Webl. . Bessemer City, N". C, Aug. It,3 180. Mr. E. Xv Webb, .. ' Shelby, N". C. ' ' - Dear Sir: 80ms one has. banded me a copy of your home paper. The -Cleveland Star, in which I under Stand you are a -prominent - stock' holder, and in said paper Is published ' an article very scurllous and abusive of me, s&jHng that a Joint canvass. wnicn x naa announced would not oe. maae Between us was wise on mr nm r. mm VAtii Aln' apmniil th. A la trlct with me would be like "dragging sss ucaau mm. nmm h. l v uuK - 1 I hereby challenge you for a Joint discussion of the issues of this cam paign, and any personal abuse your henchmen or you may choose to onng against me, or-zo torestau any- obleetlon to thia Joint discussion, it .Ill KnMl.ll IPtU. ...In. ' that you do not approve of said scurllous article published In The Cleveland Star or: any. other paper, I hereby agree not to allude to it. as - far' as you are concerned in, the. eampalgn. - Said discussion to be held In the Auditorium in Charlotte, hi. ff at 111 data wm Mn .ma r between the fifteenth of October and ' the first day of November, and. aa ' you are the one that is ta Aa tha dragging, you to lead off in a sneech of one or two bouts and me' to re--1 V3 . . tVUI'UlHI, U Lilt, UIUV ivillinm Ktr vnn an1 I4 vtit ithAA.. . you to have- ten minutes for a re- 1jtl.il.. A - mm. 1 - - ,1 I rejoinder. -' 01 ine Auaiionum ana. me one-nair. . I publish this letter in The Char- 1f isa Ahsaitvaii satn4 Pt,t . nAaaamaw'1 City Messenger, and you can , ; reply" through the lame, , chapnefl, if yoac . WahM' Sa I'kfi.lIM ' ; " ' -' ' ' --,- , J.- A. SMITIL .' 1 ERSKINE COLLEGE ' . Ivstabllshcd 'tn I83T. . f Off ertr two boal "courses,' leading ; respectively the A. B. and B. 8. Degree. ' ' . , - -' The standard of the Institution Is high one: the terms are ex ceedingly moderate. The whole atmosphere of the com munity la' conducive to good morals and Christian manhood. or uiusiraiea catalogue, and for pavtlcutars, apply to - DR. rf- S. M OFF ATT, President, ; - Lock Box 2, - Pu West, S, C " h . fct'
The Charlotte Observer (Charlotte, N.C.)
Standardized title groups preceding, succeeding, and alternate titles together.
Aug. 16, 1908, edition 1
10
Click "Submit" to request a review of this page. NCDHC staff will check .
0 / 75