Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-06-26
DOwniMg's Correspondence,
To the Editor of the Portland Courier, away down
East, in the State Of Maine.
Washington City, June 9th, 1884.

Washington City, June 9th, 1884.
My DEAR OLD FRIEND We have a
bout concluded here, its best for Con-
gress to break up and 60 home, and all
hands begin anew. They aint like to do
any thing here, if they stay and jaw a
bout it all summer, so they've pretty
much made up their minds TO adjourn a.
bout the last of this month.
think likely as not l shall adjourn
before that time. So | want you to be
looking round and getting ready little,
agin get there, to see on what lay you
can print a paper for me, if we should
think it best to start one, or how much
you would sell out pretty considerable
patch Of your paper TO me for, or wheth-
er you'll let me come right in and be an
editor long with you, and so 60 snacks.
| want you to think these things over fast
as you can, for as like as not you will
see me there in less than week. And
when | do come, you will see me with
my coat of, and my sleeves rolled up,
and all ready to 60 to work.
I'll tell you what tits, my old friend,
we've got something to do this summer
yet, if we mean to keep the old ship from
sinking. We must 60 to smoking out
the rats, 'er they'll not only eat up all
the cargo, but nav so many holes in the
bottom, that we couldn't keep her up il
we should keep all the pumps going day
and night.
I There's a real nest ofrats jest been
dug up out of the Post flee, and dom,
think they've found 'em all yet. Bu
them that they have found are as fat as
butter; they look as if they had beer
living like pigs in clover. Folks have
been thinking a good while, there was q
pesky snarl Of rats round the Post o flee
and so the Senate appointed committee
to 60 and take hunt and see if they
couldn't dig 'em out.
| The committee has made their rcpor
to-day, and it looks ratiy enough. They
have found out that the rats have no
only eat'n up all the victuals there was
that belonged to the Post Office, but the
folks in tho Kitchen that have beer
eding of 'em, have run in debt more
than eight hundred thousand dollars be-
sides, for victuals to stuff 'em with.
1 How all this could be done, and thu
Gineral not find it out before now, il
amazing to me; for the Gineral aint
man that neglects his Kitchen; he's il
and out almost every day. But | be
lieve he has some plagy sly fellow
there, that cheat him most confoundedly
The worst Of it all is, that Congr ess ha
! got to pay this eight hundred thousan,
dollars, and will have to get the none,
out of the pockets Of the people to do
{ with.
This is plagy hard; for the rats are n
use at all to the people; although the
are ever so well fatted, nobody wants t
eat 'em, and make what use you will Q
'em, the upshot of the matter is, the
cost great deal more than they com
to.
! To show you one instance, how thes
, folks in the Kitchen have been cheat
ing all along, you will remember tina
!, they told the last Congress that the Pos
Office had money enough to buy all tn
+ victuals they needed, and had consider
: able spare change besides. Now tn
committee has found out by overhaul
ing the books, that at the time they tol
this story to Congress. they owed sever;
hundred thousand dollars.
d l think there ought to bo a gener;
] rat-hunt all over the country. But q,
: in hurry and can't write any more tc
= day. Your loving friend,
g J. DOWNING, Major.
e Downingpille Militia, Cd Brigade.