Newspaper Page Text
A WALKING
BATTERY
By JULIUS D. WALKER
Copyright, 1910, by American Presa
Association.
Wtoi Johnny Barker was eighteen
years old he enlisted iu the United
Wales navy as eleetrician. In the navy
Jktitiy learned two things. He learn
«*'S ait about electrical contrivances, and
lie learned what were and what were
lib? Ids rights. Moreover, he associat
ed with men who were trained to tight
When Johnny's term of enlistment
expired he entered the service of a
tojopany Interested iu laying a trolley
line iu the far west. The road ran
l*elween two towns, either of which
was- bad enough, but both together
were frightful. They are cities now,
fcei-ied to become such by the improve
ternits put' Barker, but at
that time they had not put away Judge
Kev.'iiver, who dispensed all the law
there was in the territory. Every one
lohi Johnny that he must go about
armed if lie wished to live, but Johnny
sr-.M he wouldn't be quick enough with
n revolver if attacked and he might as
wt >} he shot without one as with one
If.'.ml. without one he would lie saved
list tabor of carrying about so heavy
« settpon.
.leiiiiry went to a dance one night, and
*r tltd-girls he asked to dance with
Jds:i was Nora O'Neill, a red headed
Irish girl who worked in a house where
taenia were served to workmen on the
?•: ii.«y line. While tiie couple were
warding on the floor waiting for the
3. ar.d fiddle to furnish music a
y man indigenous to the country
*1- »i -cd up to Johnny and said:
•*1 want you to understand yer jiimp
io' sty claim. Don’t you do it ag'in.”
Haring thus put out a warning, the
fct'civ wont away. Johnny asked the
jriri what he meant.
•■Oh. he thinks be owns me, but he
d'cr fl I wouldn't have nothing to do
with such a low down feller.”
ny danced with Nora several
tinir" after that. Jim Turkic, who
wisfced her for his own, glared at him,
lint committed no overt act Johnny
was unarmed, and those who knew
JIK-r ..-rerred that he would never kill
a r\- -j without giving him a chance for
tii« Lfe. Since he had killed half a
d,u*i> and no one had killed him this
•Zido’t seem to be much of an ttd-
to his enemies.
S?et before the dance broke up Jim
served notice on Johnny that he had
kittr be prepared in the morning
either to give or to take a dose of lead. I
When 9 o’clock came and Johnny had |
not been kilhd the people of the town ,
lined the main street to see the work
done. They wouldn’t have arisen early
to see a fracas of this kind: but. being
up. they didn't mind looking on. John- j
ny had not yet come out of his quar
ters. and some said he had gone away
during tiie night. Others declared that
he was at home and one who had i
served Uncle Sam wouldn’t run away
from an enemy.
Meanwhile Johnny, who had made
friends with the better class of citi
zens. was informed by -them that Jim
Turkle meant what he said and, since
he had given notice of his intention,
would not spare his enemy because he
was unarmed. They advised Johnny
to sit up nil night and practice firing
at a mark and especially at doing quick
work with a revolver. But Johnny
said he didn't think that he could equal
his enemy in that line If he practiced a
year. But, though he didn’t seem to
relish the position he was in, he said
he had thought of a method of pro
cedure that would make the chances
more equal.
It was about half past 9 that Johnny
left his quarters and with his hands
Iu his pockets sauntered down the
street, lined with people waiting to
see him killed. There was no evidence
of a weapon anywhere about him. He
wore an ordinary business suit that he
had brought with him from the east
; if he had carried a weapon under the
' short sack coat it would have been
: apparent. Only one change was to be
noticed in his apparel, instead of the
sombrero of the country he usually
wore he had on a derby. Around it
was a very singular band, pierced at
! every inch by a. hole about a quarter
| of an inch in diameter.
Turkle had been all the morning
standing in front of the Alhambra sa
loon waiting for his victim. Seeing
Johnny coming, he advanced to meet
him. Jim scowled at his enemy
I keeping his hands in his pockets, since
' he should have kept them in readiness
to defend himself. Jim could not see
; a weapon, but supposed Johnny had
; one concealed. When they came at a
fair range Jim sent a bullet at his ene
my. Since it failed to hit and Jim
i was a dead shot, those looking on snp
; posed that it had been fired to warn
Johnny that the fight was on.
i Then commenced the most reffiarka
| hie firing that crowd had ever seen,
i From the holes in Johnny's hatband
( came a series of smoke puffs, accom
panted by sharp reports. Johnny's
; head was seen to bend slightly, as
| though lie were aiming. He also turn
ed to tiie right or to the left that he
| might bring other holes in his hat
band to bear on his enemy. Jim was
i so astonished 'that he jprcot_to_fireJjU
- Christmas Greetings!
As we are Approaching Christmas and
Nearing the close of 1910—We desire to extend
Christmas Greetings to all of our many Friends
and Patrons and to thank Each and Every One
of them for all Favors Shown us from the very
Smillest to the Largest, Assuring Everyone of the
High Appreciation of the Cordial Relations that
Exist Between this Institution and It’s Customers.
We desire also to Remind you that we are
lacorporateed under the National Ban' iig Laws
and work under the Supervision of the United
States Government and ask that we may be favor
ed wuh your business the eoming year.
The First National Bank
of Cochran,
J.B. PEACOCK, ' J.B. THOMPSON,
President, Cashier,
B. J. WYNNE, R. H. PEACOCK,
Vice-Pres., Asst. Cashier.
one of the bullets sent from his ene
my's lint [ilereed Ills side and par
alyzed nil effort. He fell and was
picked up by his friends, and Johnny
passed on.
He bad rigged short pistol barrels In
Ills hat: also a battery with wires
leading from it to circuit making keys
in his pocket.
Origin of Coal.
Coni Is of vegetable origin. When
vegetable matter accumulates under
water it undergoes a slow process of
decomposition, giving off its nitrogen,
hydrogen, oxygen and some carbon,
the result of which if carried far
enough is the formation of a mass of
enrbon. Tent, found often in swampy
tracts, is the first stage in the coal
forming process, and the further
stages nre formed by the burial of
these vegetable deposits under great
loads of sediment, where they become
subject to pressure and sometimes to
heat This effects a series of changes,
consolidation and loss of oxygen and
gives a series of products whose na
ture depends on tiie degree to which
the original vegetable matter has been
changed. The products are known as
lignite, bituminous coal and anthracite
coal.
Mixing His Dates.
There is a story of a man who was
so transported with joy as he stood
lip at the altar rail to be married that
his thoughts reverted to a day when
he stood up at the prisoner's bar in a
court of justice to plead “guilty” or
“not guilty” to a criminal charge. So
powerfully did that, the most painful
event of his life, obtrude itself upon
his mind that when tiie clergyman put
the question, “Wilt thou have this wo
man to be thy wedded wife?” and so
on, the poor distracted bridegroom an
swered with startling distinctness,
“Not guilty, so help me!”—From Tuek
eramu’s “Personal Recollections.”
A Stubborn Opening.
The head of the household was go
ing through her husband's pockets the
next morning.
I “What kept you out so late last
i night?” she suddenly demanded.
| “it was the opening of the caiu
i paign, my dear,” the lesser half re
' plied.
j “Well, it didn't take three cork
screws to open it. did it?”
j And she drew tiie offending articles
I from his side pocket and waved them
before him.—Cleveland Plain Dealer.
Masculine Perversity.
Mon are funny creatures to cater
for. A woman will buy the things site
wants, but a man will only buy the
things he needs —Exchange.
the' cochran journal
TO OUR MANY FRIENDS AND PATRONS
Farmers, Bring us your CottM&tk
Merchants, Come to See. L&Q/M
When you want Nice Fresh Groceries, or Anything Carried By an
Up-To-Date First Class Grocery Store.
We Flave the Largest Warehouse in
this Part of Georgia.
Our buildings cover one half acre and we are amply able to take care
of 3 our cotton, fertilizer etc.
We keep a large supply of fresh groceries on hand, and do a strictly
wholesale business and can compete with any wholesale house in Ct^rgia.
Thanking, ycu for your past favors, soliciting your future patronage,
and wishing for you a merry Christmas and a happy New Year,
Yours for Success,
PLANTERS’ WAREHOUSE & GROCERY CO.