Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1834-05-29
MAJOR JACK DOWNING's COR
RESPONDENCE.
SENATE CHAMBER, WAsHINGroN,
May 10th, 1884.

May 10th, 1884.
To my old friend Mr.. Dwight, of the New-York
Daily Advertiser.
You may look out for me, nigh upon
as soon as you get this letter, for guess
you must begin to think belong 10 the
Post-Oihce Committee, or some other
Committee in Congress, that don't like to
make no report, seeing that you haint
heard nothing from me ever since writ
TO you about the Gineral's Cd Protest,
and tclled you that are story about "Od
S,ie," and the rest On 'em down East
there, at o!d Miss Crape's Tavern, when
they t,fed an Experiment IN wiping out
the chalk marks agin 'sm. But, my good
old friend, hain't been idle since that
time, but l have been nockin about here
every day, pretty much arter the old
fashion all day; and then at night talk
ing over all matters with Mr.. Clay, who
has treated me SO kind ever since have
been at his house, that some folks begin
to think that he is pStiin up with Inc, in
stead Of my puiiin up with him.
When the Gineral come TO hear where
was, and what was busy at, he has
been in a pesky worryment, and almost
every day ] would git some kind of a
coaxin hint, from some of his friends here
in Congress, that he would like to have
Inc back agin with hlm. And Mr. Clay
has telled me over and over that need mt
make no bones ont, but as soon as |
thought l would be better off with the
Gineral, could pack up and 60 back
agin, and he would't think bit hard
ont.
But am determined 20 let the Cine
raj see that hain't got as good an opn-
ion Of the folks about him as he has, and
] would sooner hoe potaters all day than
submit agin to mix up with such set of
chaps, as he has all the while about the
Government; and the last time the Gin
eral sent me message, and asked me
the reason why l wouldn't quit the Sc
nate and Mr.. Clay, and go back to the
White- House, ! set down and wrote to
him every word of that are story about
old Deacon WhittIesy's two sons and the
flock of sheep. You remember when
the old Deacon died, about year afore
the Embargo, he left two sons, Ezra and
lchabod, and telled 'em in his will they
might have all his property equally te-
twixt 'em. Ezra was pretty sly, cute
critter, and Ichabod warn't quite so much
SO, but was good natured, and some folks
thought he never would cut his eyc-teeth,
tho always thought in the long run, he
had pretty considerable share of moth
er wit, but took his own way in shown
ont. Well, when they came to divide
off the sheep, (for the Deacon had one
of the biggest flock of sheep, in all them
parts,) Ezra thought he'd try and git the
best Of the bargain, and he got up early
one mornin and put all the fine healthy
and clean sheep in one pen, and all the
scabby and shuttle noses and tag locks
in another pen, and then he put old Billy
along with 'em. Old Billy you know
was pet ram, and Ichabod loved him
almost as much as he did any thing in
the world, for he had taken care of him
ever since he was lamb. So Ezra
thought that Ichabod would take that
share, seein that Old Billy was among
them. Well, arter breakfast they went
out, and says Ezra, here, says he, Icha-
bod, the sheep are all divided of, and
seein it's you, and don't want to take
no advantage on you, you may take your
choice of pens. Ichabod ne got on The .
fence, and he look at one flock and then
agin he looked at another, and as soon
as Old Billy see him, he began to ba-ba-
ba right out arter him as he always use
to do when ever he see lchabod, and
Ichabod he looked agin, and to rights he
took up the tail Of his coat and wiped his
eyes, for he was an amazin tender heart
ed crtter,) and says hs-my ord friend
Billy, its plagy hard for me to part with
you, tell you; like you, says he, nigh
upon as we'll as ever did, but you are
surrounded by such raft of shuttle nose,
scabby set OF tag tails, that can't have
nothin more to do with you. And with
that Ichabod teled Ezra he'd take 10th
or flock, and so Ezra got the worst ont
arter all his pains. He got old Billy to
be sure, but then he got an everlastln set
Of scabby scamps along with him. And
all the neighbors about, say to this day,
that upon the hull, tho Ezra is pretty
sharp fellow, they some how think lch-
abod got the best Of that bargain. II
] have hearn tell, but won't say sar-
tin its true) for l won't say nothin is true
now-a-days, unless see it,) that when
the Gineral got my letter, containln this
story, he read il over two or three times,
and couldn't somehow git the notion ont.
lie said he was sartin there was some
thin int, important to the Government"
for he never knew the Major to take the
trouble to write about a story without
there bein somethin int Of that nature,