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About The courier. (Lincoln, Neb.) 1894-1903 | View Entire Issue (April 24, 1897)
.3.Cf .'- THE COURIER. STORIES IN PASSING. 1 met him one Bummer in a little river town down in Arkan as. Elis name was Rohilmigh. The darkies culled him Ro bi, end the natives pro nounced it something like Rohbah. But he was never put out by those twistings of his name. "I'm keeping tab on the diff rant ways," be used to say, "I've reacted abi ut three bundled pro nunciations f o for. Every locality bas a proncunciat'onrf its own. I've made a study of the thing and can almost in variably fiog'e out a man's state the fir't lime he meets me." Colonel Rohi baugh had brer engag ed in business bae'e in Maryland. At the stait, fifty jears before, ho had named a certiin sum as the limit at which ho aimed. He bad reached that sum, sold nut, and Leing a bachelor, be gan travelling for ploisure, going torth in maimer and spending his winters at the Bouthein resorts. Ho tad been all over Mexico and the United Stat03 California, Colorado, Florida, the great lakes, down the St. Lawrence. Every where he went be carried a little book aod wrote down his impressions of the place. But he never showed this book to anyone. his knowledge from nature itself. He always discovered the largest nuts, the most bri'l'ant wild flowers, the ripest pawpaws, the clearest springs. It was a knowledge born within him. When I met the Colonel he had just returned from Oklahoma. He bad gone out there at the opening to see the country and the excitement of the run into the territory. He picked up a valuable t ection or two, and Kartell east again. Accidently he Btopped off a day at this little Arkansas town ot River view. Now, Riverview is as pretty a little place as the name implies '(which ib by uo means the case with the aver age wtetern town.) It lies hidden among the hills alorgtho Missies'ppi, in the midit of some very pretty woods, valleys and water scenery. A long, sunny cteet flanks the river, lined on the land Bide by old, ramLlirg stone houses, a low narrow store with a porch here and there, and an ivy grown church at the end. Up en tho hill j to the back a whits house or two peeps out from flowery orchards and heavy growths of oak and wa'nuL Up etreatn on the Illinois si Jo ttrctcbrs a wide bottom land, flat, low-ljinp, overgrown with wil lows and underbi U9b, and cjvered with water a -good part ot the year. No houses, lojds or sign of habitation on that side simplv a miniature "d'smal swamp" that gives one the creerw, and suggests ello and snakes and slimy water creatures. But I da not intend to dccrito Riverview and the country round about, for I wou'd make a bad at tempt at it, and the place is to? beauti ful for that. Anyway, the whole effect captured Col inel Rohrbaugh when he first came in June, and the dreamy air of the south held him there until long into autum. Along in OctobBr we ussd to go shoot ing for Fquirrel and quail. Occasional ly we ran down a 'ro3sum or raccoon, but not moro thanone or twice. After such excursions, if our luck had been with up, bo would take me up to his room whero he had a little oil 6tove, and there get up choice game dinners, that I can tasto yet. He was a perfect cook and a connoisseur in w inc3. And then h- rosstBicd the talent of telling good sto'is. And after the bird and the bottlo were gone ho would call up memories of big games dinner bo had attended back in Philadelphia and Baltimore. One especially he was fond of telling about, a grand Hah and oyster dinner, given to the aldermen of Balti more, years ago when he was in his prime. In the center of the table was a huge cuke of ice, hollowed out and filled with gigantic blue points. Then there was roast turkey, stuffed with escalloped oysters'and so delicately carv ed as to appear whole until tapped on the breastbone, when it fell into a bund red slices. And then followed all kinds of frys, stews, bakes and tho like; terrapin done in chbmpegne, clams anl lobsters in every conceivable style; the whole washed down with tho choices and oldest wines of Frar.ce. The latter part of October wo both left Rivcrv!ew. Tho day beforo we separated was warm 'and balmy and we rowed down to the Point for a final swim. As ho was putting on bis vest an old daguereotypo slipped from the side pocket and fell upon the bottom of the boat. The jar f prarjg back the lid and I caught a glimpse of a sweet girl's face with wavy hair and laughing eyes. But Rohrbaugh hastily gatbeicd up the portrait, closed it quickly and put it back in his pocket without a word. He had never broached the subject of his single life and I had never inquired. But I am certain that beked in that eld leather case and that old man's heart, is a romance of fifty j ears ago. How many delightful days we had that month I was there; sailing, fishing, roaming over the hills together! We rented a little siilboat and were on the water half the day. The other half we. were wandering over the country. I thought I could fieh, but my friend's catch was alwajs the longer string. He knew all the best places, all the kinds of fish, the time best to go af.er tnem. Moreover he could swim like a fish him self. We generally took a dip about sunset, and wound up with a race to the Point, a good mile away. The Colonel, 1 hough nearly s.-vei.ty, could paddle liVe a duck, and used to chise me hard whea we struck the current. My friend had made the acquaintance ot three or four young ladies in the town and was "J ways gettirg up little picnics and excursions for them. When I came it was nutting t'me and we had many pleasant parties in the woo3. The Colonel was a naturalist, if there ever was one, and he had picked up all "Where's Dave?' asked the rrgular customer, dropping into tho ocly vacant chair in the barber shop. "Left." answered the proprietor from behind the chair next back. "Left? For good?" "Yep." "Where's he gone to?" persisted the customer who had be?n shaved by the tall, jovial, easy Ehaving Dave for the past five years. "Dunno," came from the barbar. The customer sat still in the chair thinking until tho proprietor bad finish ed his man and came over to him. "Tell me about Dave's going," said the customer. "Well, it was like this." replied the proprietor, "Dave was shavin' Shorty Davis in this chair when a stranger came in and t.ok my chair. The strange man was ugly enough, a dark, hatchet" faced chap with a big, white, zig-zag gash aciosa h:s forehead. As Dave turned from strapping his razor, he got a full view of tbat mag. I saw a queer look take hokl of Dave's face. He gave a little s'ait which jerkoJ open the razor in his hand. Ho looked at the other for a moment in a kind of a dazo and then, without a word, laid down his razor, and walked out of the shop. The stranger hadn't seen Dave, but la back in the chair half asleep.' "Don't know where Dave wont to?, said the customer. Nopc." "Wfaafll you do?" "Wait until tomorrow and then get a new man. Next" HARRY GRVES SHEDD. For you to know. One is that we can furnish your house from cellar to garret, and that's a good thing-. Another is that we can do it cheaper than an' other house in the city, and that's another good thing. ' How can we do it? Well it is just this way: We buy in car lots and can save in freight. We pay cash for everything, thereby getting the lowest price and saving cash dis count. This is why we can give you more goods for your money than you can get elsewhere. And this is why you should buy your house furnishing goods of us. For instance, we are selling white enameled iron beds with brass knobs at $4.00 each, and an iron bed good enough for an' one, with brass top rail and knobs for $6.50. In chairs and rockers we don't have an' competition. Large arm rocker with cane seat at $1.90 each. Our line of carpets and dra peries afford the choicest selections and our prices will surprise you. We take great pleasure in showing you our goods and quoting prices. IE X R MORRIS Ml y 11 18 to 1126 N Street. w. Grasp this Chance To save the house purse and yet make a house comfortable by furnishing it from our store, where all kinds of furniture are being sold below cost in order that we may close out the stock. And as for carpets do not forget we have just what you want and at prices that will make you buy. S30-S3S so. lltlx Street, &sm rs g " Mrs. J. C. Belli f Manicuring H14 O Street d I II III 0D A tUjiUrtsaagJt wnwvvvft Embroidery Goods Jt Jl Stamping Jt jt -0 MIHIMO0000 Ornaments J J MMM000tftJ Hair goods J jt k T J Thorpe dfe Co., GENERAL BICYCLE REPAIRERS in a branches. - SpsirlBf done as Neat and Complets as froa ths Factories at hard ttas All kinds of Bicycle Sundries. 320 S. 1ITH ST. Machinist and General Repair Work. LINCOLN. ,
