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Show "TENNESSEE'S PARTNER." Sickness and Want Have Ovsrtaken the Hero of Bret Harte's NoiveL (San Francisco Chronicle.) "Tennessee s Partner" is lying ill in tnc East Bay hospital. Oakland. In real life "Tennessee's Partner" is J. A. ChatTee. and for over fifty-four years he dwelt with his partner in "Second Garrotte," Gar-rotte," the mining camp is called, and where the pair have lived and loved and worked the same claim (luring all that time. Ir. the story told by Bret Harte, Chaffee Chaf-fee is the gentle old miner, who loved Tennessee almost to death. Although I Tennessee stole his . wedded wife, the I partner, who always bore the relative I name, forgave him. and sought to ran-! ran-! rom the culprit at the cost of his ,ill from Judsje Lynch. But those w-jre stern times, and the "law" took "its course. When all was over the silent little partner part-ner cut down Tennessee's body, and in the presence of Jinny, his mule, buried it in the garden. In the spring the loyal partner went to meet the man he had loved so loyally. But "Tennessee's Partner" did not oTe in the spring, as Bret Harte would have him in his fanciful tale, but continued to dwell in Tuolumne county with his friend. Chamberlain. The foundation of Bret Harte's story was in the elotiuent (ilea Chaffee once ma3e for a man's life. It saved a neck from the vigilance -.committee., and turned the culprit over to I lie regular authorities, but the littlt? miner's eIou?nce had won a boon never granted before nor since in T'loHsmne county. The friendship between Chaffee and Chamberlain began on Jan. 10. ;S49. Although Al-though this was more than fifty-four . years ago. the date is r.till fresh in Chaffee's Chaf-fee's memory. During all that time they have lived pea ; j;''illy under one cabin roof, mined the same claim, dipped from a common purse, without so much as a question one to the other, an l never a quarrel. Recently, however, that, common purse has become extremely slim, and, in fact, all run out. There has not been so much as a grain of gold dust in it, much less a nugget. In their distress they have been assisted by Professor W. A. Ma-gee Ma-gee of the state university. Neither Chaffee Chaf-fee nor ChHinbrl lin are able to work long, both being very feeble. Finally Chaffee became so sick that Prof. ia-ftee ia-ftee was obliged to separate hi n from "Tennessee" anl take him to Oakland, where he has placed him in a hospital. While the partner were con.Tiiinlty idols .in Tuolumne county for years they stem to- hav fallen in hard lines of late, and but for Profpssor Mas:ee's aid would hive been in actual want. Durins- all these years "Tennessee's Partner" has visited San Francisco hut three times. The last was in 1SD5, but he was restless and refused to remain n way frim Chamber'iain more tlvm four days. He was a slender little old man. with a face that shone with benignity and benevolpnce.- While a miner - by profession, and engaged on the fame claim for decades in Tuolumne county, he was a carpenter way back in New-England. New-England. When asked. as to his mine duri.ie his visit of ten years ago. "Does it pay?" "Well, yes." he said, "it mak'3 a living liv-ing for us. I haven't made my pil yet. but I am expectinK to every day. That's the beauty of it. ' His blue eyes twinkled In expectancy, and he rubbed his hands briskly.. "My claim's uneven. Sometimes I wash out $400 in one pan. and then for a lone- time I won't get even the color of gold. Eut it's the most independent life a man ran live n running run-ning after men and dunning them. When you make a dollar it's your's." It's a lonpr tim? since "Tennessee's Partner" git a color of gold from th-.-ir mine, and the ancient pair has contin-ved contin-ved to Jwsll as best they might at the home they are pleased to call "The Place." by the aid of friends, for many a lo;ig Jay. |