The Massachusetts spy, and Worcester County advertiser. [volume] ([Worcester, Mass.]) 1825-1831, 1831-07-13
JACK DowNING's ACCOUNT OF THE
TROUBLES AT WASHINGTON.
From the Portland Courier.

| WAsHINeToE CRY, June 81, 1881.
To the Portland Courier again, away dow
there in the State Of Maine, to be sent to I'm.
Gle Joshua Downing up Interchangeable, or
else to Cousin Nabby, it is mt much matter
which, being that some of it is about the la.
| dies
Dear Uncle Josh:
It's pretty trying times here. They carry
on SO like the old smoker, don't hardly know
what to make of it. If hadn't said would mt
leave Washington till got an Office, don't
know but should come back to DowningvilIe
| and go to planting potatoes. Them are Hun.
( tonites and Jacksonites down there in Maine
! last winter were pretty clever sort of folks to
what these chaps are here. Cause down there
if they got ever so mad, they did mt do nothing
but talk and jaw one another but here if any
body does MT do to suit EN-, fact they'll up and
| shoot him in a minute. | did MT think getting
an Office was such dangerous kind of business,
or l don't know as l should have tried it,
HowsomeVer, its meek or nothing with me now,
ana must do something to try to get some
money here, for I.about as Iieves die as to under
take to foot it away back again clear TO the
State of Maine. And as the folks have to go
armed here, want you to put my old fowling
piece into the stage and send it on here as quick
as possible. hope you'll be as quick as you
can about it, for ifI get an office shant dare
to take 1t till get my gun. They come pretty
near having shooting scrape yesterday. The
Telegraph paper said something about Mr. Eat
ons WIFE 1t was nothing that should think
they need to make such fuss about it oniy
said that some of the ladies here refused to Wis.
II her. But some how or other it made Mr..
Eaton as mad as a march HAIR He declared
he'd fight somebody, he did MT care who
The first man he happened to come at was
So ho
fight. Not to box, as they do sometimes up in
Downingyle, but to stand and shoot at each
other. But Mr.. Ingham would MT touch to, and
told him he was crazy. That made Mr.. Eaton
ten times more mad :han he was before and
he declared he'd fog him any how, whether he
was willing or not. So he got gang of gen.
tlemen yesterday to go with him 10 the Treasu-
ry office where Mr. Ingham does his writing,
and waited there and in grog shop close by as
much as two hours for chance to catch him
and give it TO him. Mr.. Ingham was out a Wis
ting in the city, and when he got home his
folks told him what was going on, and begged
him not TO 60 to the Office for he would certain
ly be killed. Poh, says he, do you think I'm
afraid of them are clustering chaps? There's
more smoke than FIRE there l can tell We: give
me my pistols, it is time for me to go to the
office. Some of the ladies' cried, and some al.
most tainted away. But he pacified 'em as well
as he could, and then set out for the office, and
three or four men went with him, and l guess
they carried something under their arms that
would make day light shine through a fellow
pretty quick And guess the gang of gentle
men waiting for him began to smell the rat, for
they cleared out pretty soon and never touched
him. Bat their courage came again in the
evening, and this same gang of gentlemen turn
ed out and marched up to Mr.. Ingham's house,
and threatened to burst the doors open and drag
him out by the hair of the head and skin him
alive. thought this was carrying the joke
rather too far, SO thought I'd put in my oar !;
for when | see any body run upon too hard
cant help taking their part.
So stepped up on TO Mr.. Ingham's front door
steps and threw my hat down, and rolled up my
sleeves, and spit on my hands; and by that time
the chaps began to stare at me little And
now, says |, Major Eaton, this is quite too bad.
mans house is his castle. Here's Mr.. Ing
ham in his house as peaceable as lamb; he is
MT a meddling with nobody, and you need MT
think to drag MIN out here to night, can tell
We. Nyou really want to take bit Of box,
just throw away your powder and ball, and
here's the boy for you. III take fist or two
with you and glad of the chance. You impH
dent scoundrsl. says he, who are you what
business is it to you what dones Clear out,
ago. Well, then, you'll send me into some
good Office, says /, for there's where ought to
have been more than two years ago. Well,
says he, clear out, and up he come clustering
along towards the steps. But just put my
foot down, and doubled up my fist, and now,
says |, Major Eaton, it won't be healthy for you
to come on to these steps to night.
Says he, I'm going through that door wheth-
er or no. Says |, you don't go throug h that
door TO night, without you pass over the dead
body of jack Do,oning of the State of Maine.
My stars, when they heard that they dropt
their heads as quick as though they had been
cut off, for they did mt know who was before.
Major Eaton and the whole gang Of gentlemen
with him turned right about and marched away
as still as a pack Of whipped puppies. They
were afraid should have EN- all up before the
President to day, and have 'em turned out of
Office; for it's got whispered round the city
that the President sets a great deal by me and
that have good deal of influence with him.
This morning Mr.. Ingham started for Phila-
delpha Before he left, he thanked me thou
sand times for defending his house so well last
night, and he wrote letter to the President,
telling him all about the scrape. lwent piece
with him to see him safe out of the city on the
great road towards Baltimore.
About my prospects for an Office, cant tell
yet how | shall come out. I've been in to see
the President a number of times, and he talks
very favorable. l have some chance to get in
to oe Secretary of War, if old Judge White
don't take it; and if | don't get that the Presi-
dent says he'll do the best he can for me.
never had to be so strict republican before
in my life as have had to be since I've been
here in order to get the right side ofthe Pres.
dent. I'll tell you something about it in my
next and about my visits to the President, and
good many other famous things here.
T. S-Be sure to send the old gun as quick
as possible. Your loving nefi'u,
JACK DowNISG.
LIBERTY AND EeuALITY. The Duke ofSaxe
Welmar, when in Philadelphia, drove out
to visit the Schuylkill Falls. The next morn
ing, standing at the door of the hotel, he was
accosted by the coachman in the following upos.
trophe -" Are you the man that drove in the
coach yesterday because am the gentleman
who drove you, and have come to be paid !"
WHITE WASHING. One of the cheapest and
has oF IL IL. "a. A.