Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Wayne County, Ind.) 1831-1837, 1833-02-23
JACK DOWNING'S LAST.
WASHINGTON Gty. Jan. l.. lS3.

Washington City. Jan. Il, 1888.
To the editor of the Portland Courier.
in the Mariners Church Building,
second story eastern end, Fore 81.
away down east In the state of
Maine.
Ny kind and dear old friend: The
Presidents Message 10 Congress
makes cracking work here. Mr. Cal
houn shows his tet tn like a hon. Mr..
McDuffie is as cool as cucumber.
though they say he's got a terrible
tempest inside Of him that he'll let
out before long. For my part ! think
the Presidents Messages about right.
was sitting with the President in the
east room last night, and the Presi-
dent says he, Major Downing, have
you read my message that sent to
Congress to-day. told him had
Well says he, should like to have
YOU read it and give me your opinion
upon it. SO he hanIed it TO me and
| sot down and read it through.
And when | got through. now says
| Giheral, Ill tell you just what | think
of this ere business. When | WIS a
yOungster some Of US Downingville
BOYS used to go down to Sebago Pond
every spring and hire out month or
two rafting logs across the pond. At
one time and cousin Ephraim, and
Joel, and Bill Johnson, aud two or
three more of US had each whap-'
ping great log to carry across the
pond. 1t was rather a windy day.
and the waves kept the logs bobbing'
up and down pretty considerably bad,
SO we agreed to bring 'em long side
and side, and lash 'em together and
drive some thole-pins in the outerInOst
logs and row 'em owe, together. We
went along two or three miles pretty
well. But by and by Bill Johnson be-
gun TO complain. lie was always an
uneasy harum scarum sort of IA chap.
Always thought every body else had
an easier time than he had, and when
ne was a boy always used to be COM
planning that the other boys had more
butter Oh their bread than he had.
We'll, Bill was rowing on the leeward
side, and he begun to fret and said
his side went the hardest, and he
wouldn't give Us any peace till one of
US changed sides with him.
Well, Bill hadn't rowed out a little
ways on tie windward side before he
begun to fret again, and declared lnat
>ide went harder than tother, and he
would nt touch to 70" on that SIDE IL
ny longer. We told him he had his
choice, and he shouldn't keep CHANG
lng so.-But he only fretted the more
aud began to get mad. At last ne
declared, that it we dldnt cnanSc
with hun in five minutes, he'd cut the
lasnlngs, and taAc MS log a"d paddle
of alone. And before we had hardly
time to turn round, ne declared the nve
were out, and up Ratchet and
cut the hastings, aud away went Bill
on his ow.. log, DoDbing and rolling
about, and dancing like a monkey to
Keep the upper side. The rest OF Us
scrubbed to as well as we could, and
fastened our logs together again, tho
we had tough match for it, the wind
blew SO hard. Dill hadn't got but al
little ways before his log began tol
roll more and more, and by and by mi
he went, splash. head and ears. He
came up putting and blowing,
and got hold OF the log, and tried toI
climb up OH it, but the more he tried,
the more the log rolled; and finding it
would be gone goose with him pretty
soon, if he stald there, he began to
sing out like loon for US to come and
take hin. We asked him which side
he would row, if we would take his
log into the raft again. Oh, says Bill.
III row on either side, OF both sides
if Oh want me to, if you'll only come
and help me before l sink.
But. said the President, l hope you
didn't help the foolish rascal out till he
got a pretty good soaking. He got
soaked enough before we got to him,
says !, for he was jest ready to sink for
the last time and our logs came pesky
near getting scattered, and they had
we should all gone to the bottom
now Gineral this Isl
lest what l think; if you let South
Carolina cut the iashings, you'll see
such a log rolling in this country as you
never see vet. The old Gineral star
ted up and marched across the floor
l;i-o , boySays bo rn,tor f}ovnIno