Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1834-01-17
MAJOR DowNINGs CORRESPONDENCE
To my old friend Mr.. Daoightsof the Nea0 fo'8
Daily Advertiser 100,

TO anu old friend Mr.. Daoight'of Ae-NeW TOT"
Daiiy Advertiser zoo,
w.su,NeroN. 10th January, 1884.
,pho ,;l,I a;va the Ca bnet and the rest OF the
r,ararnnant here ON the 9th OF last month, Is
;ist beunjn to operate, and don't thlnK some on
~, uT want any more fisk for good spell 10
come Some of our folks make plagey ugly Id
ces at me. but tell EN- that's sure sign they
,ynnt fisk. and they'll feel better to rights. IL
wsS wellI stop'd list where did in that CaDl-
net paper, for my dander was jist llftn, anu II
had gone on ony ten minits longer ia ut Soi'io
IN EN- so hard they wouldn't SVEN.
But that amt whatI want to write you aDou'
now. Iwant to thank them folks up IN Cdrtiiase,
in York state for the AK they made Tor me, anu
which thew sent to you to send to me. nave
list uot il. and it has tcked me eny most 10
death. | never got such present a1ore In my
horn DAYS. started right up chamber Win II
TO the Ginera and bolted strait into the CaDi-
net room with my ak on my snouiuei :. III
neral was there with pretty mucn all our ioiAe
overhauling the Post once accounts, @nT M
To ont them strait, which is plagy tut JoD-out
no matter-in / smash'd but afore couio sr
ont one word never see such scamperln,
turned to head some on en- JlSt 10 ten e.i "ti NC,
was arter; but ii seemed the more tleu' lLe
more they tried to streak it, and IN less IMAM one
mint there warnt Twin crlter LETT out anu Tue
Gineral-and the Gineral some how got NO.
tion in his head. and would gone too, II there
warnt no pluck in him. He was standln up WITH
his back aoin the mantle tree, ana MS niChoiy
in his hand, and look'd for all the world as tho
he was jst expectin fight
Why says |, Ginera what on eartn IS aii allls
scamnerin for? Well, says he. reckon you
can fell better than | can; and with that, ne
blink'd at me most plagily-and says he. what
is the news now? Why, says l. there anu NJ
thin new but this ere ak, and Drought II u
show you-its present To me, says u nom on
Starks e. Co., away up in York State, on tle
BLACK River. The Gneral changed tace IN
mimi and it was list like the SUN risin. He stepd
nm TO me and took the ak, and walkd 10 MS
chair and sat down, and throw'd his head back
and ha haw'd right out. 1t does me gooo, III
these times to see the Gineral tlckled at any
thing As soon as the Gineral could say any
thing.-says he, Major, call back fancy and
Rarrv and Amos. and haw haw, haw, says the
Gineral--and jst then, | got the notion why
they all scampered off so--and sot down rlgnt
i'm front of the Ginera and we haw hawd tell
YOU for more than half an hour.
And SO to rights, we got talkln agin, ana tue
Gineral he wiped his eye, and blew his nose Jlst
for all the world as tho he had been cryin-and
SAYS he, Major, it amt strange they was leetie
afeared of YOU. for do you know jiSt as you
come in, some on EN- was sayln about the pldgy
Post Office accounts, if they didn't git EN- strait
pretty soon, you would git at EN- and chop EN-
all up into mince meat-and Jlst then sure enut
Gineral, agin. Well, says he, Major, Pm glad
that people about are begnnin to look at you
pretty much as do. / knew, says ne, the time
would come when they would say knew what
was what when got you TO be with me; and
now says he Major let's look at this ak, and
the Gineral he rubbed his specs-well says be,
this is splitter Amt it-why, says he, If man
got athered he could shave himself without
barber for this ak is as bright d looking glass
and sharp as a razor; and here Is the makers
name too: Starks Il Co., Carthage New
Yorb.n | do wonder now, says the Glneral, ii
that amt the same &C Stark" who hck'd the BIi-
fish at Bennington a spell ago?n 81 ant ceriin,"
says l. Well, nor nother," says the Clneral,
for do you know Major have been in so many
wars myself that some times mix EN- up, and
/ have now got so much TO attend TO here, that
am bothered about names and places and times
most pldgily. Now there is our little district at
torney our folks telled me when | appointed
him Bank Director that he was jist the kind
ofman We wanted " to ride Bidde" and upset
him-and when they teIId of" ridin," upset
TIM" and mentioned his name, got notion in
my head that can't get out yet that he may De
the same man Pve heard tell on, who took a
ride once and then wrote a long account ont In
poetry. WE'LL says |, Pm not certin OF mat no
ther-but Pye got notion that the man you
mean was John Gipin. That's the same man,
Amt it," says the Gneral. No, says |, guess
it amt for he lived i'm London. 80, that makes
no Odds" says the Gineral for they used TO
call Philadelphia the London of America
Well, says |, then it must be the same-and II
he's GOT ON the squire to ride him, guess it will
turn out pretty much such another ride-for,
saws |, the squire is pretty good horse for
tight pull-but don't think he'd stand easy un-
der a saddle--it amt the natur of that breed.
Well Major, says the Gineral, we must thank
thoss, folks for the ak any how, and as soon as
the Senate pass upon that message we sent EN-
tother day about other presents, you can have
the AK Very well, says l. Gineral, and If Con-
gress don't pass upon something else, says |, so
as 70 Git things leetle better in the money
way. Pll want that ak, for we shall all come to
chopin agin for hvln."
want you to send printed copy of this let
ter to the makers of that ak, and when you git
all my letters to you printed in book, send EN-
one of the books with my thank, for the AK
Your Friend J. DOWNING, Major,
Downingville Milita-2d brigade.