Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1834-02-20

7
kIver'd up with flyers, so you could not see a BIZ
Of w hite' on the paper-the Gineral he blink q
al II spell: and says he. Major, what does this
mean-well, says 1, Gnerai. | don't exactly
know myself, but suppose its all right, for see
mere on one corner Amos Kindle'-'o very well
says the Gineral, if that paper has past under the
eye OF honest Amos'-ny life ont its all right.
but, MAJOR, where is the ball put under tina.
cup, says the Gineral- amt il under one Of these
cups! Not as knows on, says land with that
the 0lneral he turned TO agin, hftin the cups and
| shakin on en- and lookin into EN-. and there
warnt pail under any on em-only pieces OF
paper all full Of fgerin, and some on EN- marked
| Transfer Checks and 'Contingen Drafts and
/ Treasury Warrants, the Gineral hustled EN-
about to see If he could find any of them balls
among cm-and examined all the cups agin, and
4 he looked under the tables--so TO rights saws he
Major, I'm stumpd-I mock under-l'm clean
! beat, says the Gineral; and now, says he, where
/ are the balls-and with that put my hand in my
! pocket, and took EN- out-well, saws the Cine
raj, that beats all the rest. Now, says the Cine
raj, what game is this, amt this nick romancy9
Wen, says |, Gineral, my notion is its pretty
nigh that, but Mr.. Van Buren, saws there amt a
bit OF nicromancY IN tits ony 6nancery, but
| suppose its lcetle Of both on em--Well, SAYS
the Gineral, its plagy cunnin game, Major,
amt it q, says i, its nothin as play il here
You should see Van Buren, at eena of table
and honest Amos at tother, and some Of the folks
from y ork State with the Safety Fund cups too,
strung around the table, aud all under
standing the game nigh upon as well as Mr.. Van
Buren-and then they bring in the party cup,
too and such movin and hocus pocus work, |
never see aforc ia my born days-in lookin some
times wouldn't bet had head on my shout
dcrs--it beats all natur, says |.
Now Major says the Gin'l. suppose you try il
again, and so as got my head in, played il
over or times leetlc better, and the Cine
raj couldn't see the trick no way--for when I'D
find him watchin pagy close, I'D spread the cups
as far as ! could reach, aud talk about Glory
like all rath and tell about the peoples bcginnn
TO think that some folks was out within the Cine
raj, and that Congress wouldn't go home afore
they git all the public counts sifted and the pco-
pies money back agin under their CONTROL aud as
the Gineral couldn't no way keep his eye on all
. the cups at once, I'D hocus pocus agin. The
Gineral couldn't see into it, and he rnb'd his
specks more than twenty times, but that didn'i
git the dust out of his ewes, and then turn'd "a
and explained all ] know'd about it to the Cine
raj, and he tried il, and after good many slips
pretty much as Major Barry did when he tried
IL - he got along pretty WELL considering. Now,
Major, says the Gineral, suppose we try it with
one cup, and put all the balls under it, and see
how the game works that way.
think, says the Gineral, il you can out wit
me then, Imay as well quit. Well, says |, Gin
cral that was jest my notion too; and telPd our
folks, and ofer'd 10 bet any on em they couldn't
! git single ball out, or git piece OF paper in
| the place ont, without my seeing II II they ony
US ID one cup, and not on 'em would take me
up-and I've tried it, but it won't work with one
cup-you must have good string on 'em. Some
OF our folks said they could fix cup to play
the game with it-but they could'nt with plain
single cup--aud seein that | stump'd 'em about
the single cup, they are all at work now in all
parts OF the country inventln a cup with springs,
and screws and slides, and holes inside ONT.
Well, Major, says the Gineral, ! don't like TO
have dust throw'd in my eyes, and never did
Ike this kind of hocus p0clts work, never I'M
derstand it; and don't like this kind Of nickre-
NANCY or tnancy, and II amt to my fancy at
any rate Major, and ii shan't be, that Pm deter
mined upon-and jist then in come hull raft Of
our folks from Congress, 10 tell the Gineral what
was goin on there; and as had this letter to
write TO you | went into the next room, and
whilst was writin il, I'd hear the Gineral once
and while stormin away about that plagy game
of 'fnGncy and 'Rickremancy.' There won't
BE- dollar left, says the Gineral, to pay the old
sogers their pensions, il d3nt put stop 10
this game, and then they all got 10 blusterin,
'and ice must, and we mus nj dc this and that
Ohio, thinks ], when folks talk of IRE its time for
me TO take hand; and jist was goin TO start,
| heard the Gineral out for me, and not
KNOWN what was comm jist grabd my AK and
was alongside of him in flash; and would you
think? there was more than fifty fellows Of our
folks and some on from Congress too, all
standin round in ring, brow beaiin the Cine
raj, and teIlin him not TO do this, and not TO do
that and by no means not to break their cups, for
il seems the Gineral had jist threatened to smash
'em; and sure cnnf, as soon as he saw me he let
drive at 'em with his hickory, and he sent the
cups and balls into more than thousand bits.
stand by Major, says the Gineral-never
Won fear me Gineral, says but afore had time
10 spit in my hands, the Ginera finished the war;
there warnt critter left And ever since, the
Gineral has bin blowing off steam; and be hant
said a word to me about having dust in my eyes,
and begin to think the Gineral finds he has had
as much in his'n as most folks, aud so that's all
for the present; ony I'll jist tell you its no use
for any one to attempt now TO deceive the Cine
raj with new plans, and new bank-we'll have
the one we've got, made little bigger, pritty
much arter Mr. Webster's fashion, and that
meets my notion, becase the country is bigger
than il was 20 years ago, and there mustn't be
no nickremancy about it. The Gineral says there
must be ony plain cup, and all the balls In II;
shen there will be no hocus pocus without seem
the trick out. So no more at present,
From your friend,
J. DOWNING, Major,
Doxvningyille Militia I'd Brigade