Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-02-13

I'm agin, and II took me nigh upon 10
minits to git right, and ! expected every
mint | would have to git my ax and
split hickory spell in the bargain.--
Now, says ] Gineral, you are the only
man on earth I'D look at a mint, and
let him say so to me got dust in my
eyes, says : not know what is gon
on in doors and ou! Of doors' why says
how you talk.
/ Now, says !, you jist set still mint
and I'll show you something says l.,
worth looking into; and l went into a
room where Mr.. Van Buren, and Amos,
and some more OF our folks git together
every once and while, to manage and
talk over matters, and l've seen SO much
Of the games played there, and bein nat
urally curious in most matters, / can
, play some on em nigh upon as slick as
MIR. Van Buren, himself; but he is u
master hand at it. The game they had
been playin most at latterly, was about
managin the public money among the
new Deposit Banks, and shown how to
use the "trans(sr checks," and "contin-
gent drajls," SO as to puzzle folks in
time and need. 1t was done with par
Gel of cups and balls, and little strips of
paper, and it tickled me amazingly; and
for spell puzzled me too, and so tho't
I'D jst show the Gineral, and sec if it
wouldn't tickle and puzzle him too.
And | thought Id let the Gineral see if
there warnt leetle dust IN his eyes too.
And SO l brought in hull arm full of
this machinery. And as soon as the
Gineral saw me, why says he, Major,
what on earth have you got there?-
Why, says l, it's trifc, and Pll tell
you all about it to-rights. And so
placed the cups bottom up, all along in
row on the table, and then gin the
Gineral hand full Of small balls.
| Now, says / Pm goin to show you a
bout as cute thing as you've seen in
many day-them cups we'll call banks,
and them balls is the mony we took from
Squire Biddlc's Bank, the next thing is
to show you how things are goin to work
now that we've got our mony from one
pocket, where we always know'd where
to find it, and divided it round among
twenty pockets, where may be you may
or maybe you may not flnd nothin al all
on't-and here says are some leetle
pieces of paper that I'm goin to make
use on to throw dust with-now says
Gineral look sharp or you're gone hook
and line, says |. Its q plagy cunning
game, and l don't know sartin that | car
j play it as well as Mr.. Van Buren, and
/ Amos and some more of them are folks,
and especially the Treasury folks, to'
5 they have been at il now off and on evel
, since Pve been here-and MIR. Van Blu
$ rem tell'd 'em unless they could play thi
game well, there was no use in takin a
: way the deposites. Now, says J., Cine
) raj, Ill begin-you are sartin, says ]
l there is a ball under evry cup-O yes
says the Gineral, for | Jest put 'em there
, and then began slidin the cups by eacl
other, and mixen on 'em, and kept talkiI
: about Glory and Reform, and the 9th O
! January, and the Proclamation, and We
: to, and Notification, and some folks be
\ in like old Romans born to command ant
e others to obey, and so on-and jest a
4 the Gineral took his eye off the cups an'
look'd at me, and was goin to say some
' thin, slap'd some cups together and cal
3 led out hocus pocus, allicam pain, pres
0 to, e pluribus unum, sine qua none, ski
l ry factions, says There says ], Cine
Q raj, that's the een'd ont. We'll, say
the Gineral, l don't see much in tha
: Major-didn't you says l : then SO muc
t the better for the game. suppose the
8 says l, you think the balls are under tn
r cups Jest as you put them. To be sure
i do, says the Gineral, suspected wh0
e you was arter Major, and l kept my ey
c on the cups, and no balls ever get fror
c under 'em without my seein 'em, ID stak
d my life ont, says the Gineral; and what
e more, I'll stake the fastest horse in m
stable, that ev'ry one Of the cups has &C
@ ball under 'em.
It Well, says l, Gineral, il wouldn't b
j. fare bettin, and so do yougo to work an
3, look. And the Gineral, he lifted up on
% cup, and there warn't nothin under il b,
q piece of paper. The Gineral, he wa
], stump'd: he look'd at me and gin his fac
1t twist, and then he look'd in the GU
&c and shook it. Well, says he, Majo
10 that is plagy odd, what has become
e that ball? Well, saws !, guess the IA
y, per will tell YOU and the Gineral TOOK
| that, and rub'd his specs & read "Iran
: fer DRAFT No. 1Ol." Well then, ] SUI
u pose, said the Gineral, its all righi-l'
t he list began to take the notion of I'll
IS game and instead Of one ball IN 'l
ir next cup there is two balls I'm N
:. sartin, says I, and you better look Ar
10 so the Gineral lifted the next cup-ar
o. there warn't no balls there nothcr-or
lie another piece Of paper. The Ginor