Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1830-04-07

W. II
The remaining three children were all injured,
but not dangerously"
FOOLS DAY.
The tricks commonly played off on FOOLS day
have been current coin every where, and are ter
the most cart of the most miserable character,
without wit or meaning
The French, who are the first people in the
world at Joke, not only for its wit but its APP
plication, have long enjoyed FOOLS day. Among
them ridicule is the most successful weapon for
correcting folly and holding vice IN terrorem.-
A Frenchman of the capital is more afraid of
successful bon mot at his expense than of sword,
and the 1st of April is day, therefore, OF which
he can make double application; he may graft
fy his love of pleasantly among his friends, or
nillct severe wound on his enemies, if he pos
sess the art and wit to invent and perpetrate
worthy piece of foolery upon them. I'm poison
d.4ura is the name given to the unlucky party
who NAV be fooled rather think originally de-
rived from poison. mischief, and, not as com.
monty taken. from poisson. fish. The best
trick of this sort | recolect among them IS the
well-known trick of Rabelais, who fooled the Of
fcers of Justice when he had no money! into
conveying him from Marseilles to Paris on
charge of treason, got up for the purpose, and
when arrived there, showing them how they were
hoa xed. For this purpose he made up some ash
es in different packets labeled as poisons for the
royai family of France. The bait took. and ne
was conveyed to the capital as traitor, seven
hundred miles, only to explain the joke.
There is very common practical joke on
FOOLS day in the British metropolis: it consists
in despatching letter by an unlucky dupe. who
is to wait for an answer The answer is a sec
ond note, to third person ''to send the fool
farther" A Young surgeon, greenhorn in prac-
ticc, on his own account, and has surgery bottles
full to repletion. was caled'a few years ago from
the Strand. to patient of Newgate street, very
rich, named Dobbs. 1t was the lst of April, and
iewas his first patient. The young Esculapius
was ushered into the presence of the supposed pa
tent, who was busy writing IN his counting
house. The surgeon explained his GRAND, and
Mr.. Dobbs, having an excellent mercantile dis
cernment, soon saw through the affair. lie
bowed and said, 1t is mistake, sir; my name
is Dobbs, but am, thank God, hale and hearty.
1t is my brother, the sugar-baker. on Fsh-street-
hill. that has sent for yOu-he is subject to i'll
ness. will give YOU line to him."
The young surgeon bowed. eXpressedhs thanks,
and walked of to the sugar-bakey OH Fish-street-
hill. carriage or horse he had none three-fourths
d
snowy sweets, and found Mr.. DObbs, the sugar
baker, of Fish-streeth. as hale as his brother of
Newgate- street. The refiner of saccharine juice
understood his brothers note, stammcred out
pretended apology for his mistake, and said he
supposed. as the young mans directions were to
MIR. ]. Dobbs, that it was Mr.. John Dobbs, and
not Mr.. Jeffrey Dobbs, that was intended; that
his name was Jeffrey, but his brother John,
third member of the family, and in his business,
lived at Limehouse, whittier he thought. if our
surgeon proceeded, he would find the person he
sought. An address was handed the young tour
niquet at the extreme end of LimehOuse, which
address, it is needless to say, was false. What
will not surgeon do to obtain his first patient,
and rich one too! Away he posted to Lime
house, and soon found how far he had travelled
for nothing. Tired and disappointed, and schem-
ing vengeance on the authors of the hoax. he set
off OH his return home, cursing the Dobbs family
every step he went. As he passed along Upper
Shadwell, he saw horse gallcp furiously down
Cammomile-street, and fling its rider heavy fall
on the pavement. He ran and lifted the fallen
man, whom he found insensible. He conveyed
him to shop hard by, bled him, and soon had
the satisfaction of seeing him open his eyes. 1t
suihces to say, that on being conveyed home, our
young surgeon attended him until he was restored
to health and so gratefully were his eXertions
taken by the stranger, who was a rich East India
merchant. far advanced in life, that he took him
into his house as a medical attendant and friend,
and ultimately left him the bulk of his property.
Thus, out of an intended FOOLS Day hoax. by
the nscrutable caprice of Fortune, frolic led its
dupe to wealth. This anecdote may be depended
or as true, nothing in the story but the names
adopted, to conceal the real actors in the drama,
being fctitious.-.4theneuni.
see7e91s-
A writer in the United States Gazette speaks
of wonderful and ingenious piece of mechanism
aud discovery in the construction of clock in
Philadelphia. 1t possesses the power of winding
itself up by the mere change of the atmosphere,
and is calculated to go as long as the materials
of which it is composed last. 1t makes beau
tiful piece of furniture for parlor, and so sim
pie in its nature. that child may handle it
without causing any arrangement Of its opera
tons. 1t has been going upwards of twelve
months, and the owner states he will set it in
competition respecting keeping time, with any
patent lever watch Or clock in the world. The
discoverer of it is plain New England farmer,