The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1827-11-14
From tie .Schoharie Republican,.

ANEcDoTE OF GEN. HAMILTON. Dur
ing the life time of this distinguished
statesman, and while on a journey to Al
bany he CHANGED to put up for the night at
tavern in one ofthe small villages on the
Hudson River, where a Mountebank had
advertised a display of his ingenuity at
slight of hand, slack wire, &c. that eve..,,no
Induced by motives of c..:.friositv, and de-
sire 10 Wlle away the tedious hours of a
winters evening, the General took front
seat in the apartment allotted for the per-
tormances. His keen, piercing eye did not
escape the observation of the Juggler, who.
/ stepping up to him and handing him sill
yer dollar, politely requested him to hold it
until he should call for it, adding that it
might escape his fingers without his knowl-
edge. The General, thinking some harm
less trick was intended, and being DESTROYS
OF humorlng the Joke, very readily accept
ed tae dolleG, and clenching it fast in his
hahd, lated in momentary expectation of
sc4he attempt being made to extricate it
from his grasp, without his privity. The
Juggler, whenever he attempted to perform
new trick, would first cast an inquiring
glance at the General, as much as to saw.
" now look out for the dollar % when the
former would Immediately look into his
hand, to convince himself that he was vet
IN possession of it. After the performance
had ended, the Mountebank requested his
dollar OF General Ii. who, on retlirc,,no i
observed that he could disco2er no trick ~
H. IL, DC, .hough,r cplied the Mountebank:
81 had not been three minutes in the
room when perceived that if did not do
something to divert your attention, you
would detect me in every trick | attempted :;
therefore gave you the dollar to hold and
managed to have it abso. so much of your
attention, that | got thro' the performance
much better than | anticipated when you
first fixed your eyes upon me-" Gen. Ii. it
is said, was highly amused with this chef
d'euUre of the Juggler, and pronounced Il
the best "trick" performed that evening.
The ENCHANTED GUN. It happened
some sixty or seventy years since, in the
land Of pumpkins, that an honest old sim
pleton who had been "to training;" had
made money enough by throwing stones at
a 8 training cake" to get very comfortably
even without any daft upon his
purse of three " four pence ha' penny piec-
es,D laid by for that purpose several months
before. Some wags who had kept soberer
upon the occasion than our hero, not having
had so good luck at gingerbread gambling,
loaded his gun to the very muzzle, with al
ternate charges of excellent double bat
tied" and touchOood and starting him
homeward, took care to put red hot nail
rod upon the topmost piece Of Lockwood.
Uncle lchabod, honest old soul, shouldered
his firelock and took up his line of march,
for home. He had not gone far, however. !
before pop goes the first charge from his
gun rather singular thought uncle Tcha-
bod, but mere accident doubtless: n
charge being left there carelessly. A few
rods further bang goes the second CHARGE.
: Lord a n,drsey" says Ichabod, "tbis is
'arHm strange; / swaggers, but guess ID
iidn't 60 off the first time, or else 'twouldn't |