Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1836-10-13
MdSCELE L. Y.
OILY JONES,
Or, TIE PROGRESS Of LnDrore,

One OF the most difficult things in the
world Is to run before the wind and bv
Judiciously observing the changes of
weather TO avoid being thrown out
faShlon Is so unsteady, and improve
menlS are so rapid, that the man whose
vocation yields him an abundant harvest
now, may, in few years, if he has not
Keen eye, and plastic versatility,
md that his skill and his business are
both useless. Many were the poor bar
oers shiPwrecked by the tax upon hair
powder, and numerous were the leather
breeches makers who were DESTROYED bv
the triumph of woolIens. Their skill
was doubtless very great, but it would
not avail IN contest against the usages
OF the world; and unless they had the
capacity to strike out new course. they
all shared the fate Of their commodities
and retired to the dark cellars of ponu.
lar estimation. Every day shows US the
same example of change at work. and no
one has more reason to reflect and mourn
about 1t than one Oily Jones Of this
city. Oily is not perhaps precisely
the man who would BE chronicled by the
memoir writers Of the time, or have a
monument erected to him it he were no
more: but Oily is d man of useful,
though humble vocation, and no one can
saw hickory with more classic elegance.
or sit upon the curbstone ard tax e his
dinner with more picturesque effect.
Yet. as has been limited above, our
hero has his sorrows, particularly at
night. alter hard days work, when his
animal spirits have been exhausted by
reducing gum logs to the proper mea-
sure. In the morning he is full OF life
and energy, feeling as if he could saw a
cord OF shot-towerS, and snap the pillars
OF the bank across his knee like pipe
stems. In the full flush of confidence
at that time of day, reflection batters
against him in vain but as the nigh;
draws on, Oily becomes respondent, and
has unhapPiy recourse to three cent
iinctures, which, in his case, only adds a
keener edge 10 thought.
One night billy was going home ra-
ther late and rather swipey and his de-
spondent reflections were uttered aloud
so complete was his abstraction.
Saving woods going all to smash, &"
said he, "aud that's where every thing
goes what specuates in. This here
coal is doing us up. Ever since these
black stones was brought to town, the
wood sawyers and pliers, and them
soap-fat and hickory ashes-mcn, been
going down; and, for my part, can't
say as how see what's to be the end of
all their new-fangled contraptions. But
it's always so; I'm always crawling out
Of the little end Of the horn. began
lie IN comfortable sort Of way selling
oysters out of a wheelbarrow, all clear
grit, and didn't owe no body nothing.
Oysters went down slick enough for a
while, but at last cellars were invented
and darn the oyster, no matter how nice
it Sas picked, could poor Dill sell; so
l had TO eat up capital and profits my
self. Then the 'pepree pot smoking"
was sot up, and went ahead pretty con
siderably for time but parcel of fell
Iers come into it, said my cats wasn't as
good as their'n, when ] knowed they
was as fresh as any cats in the market
and Pepree pot was no go. Bean soup
was just as bad ; people said kittens
wasn't good done in that way, and the
"'NiC hOIiCieu5 tHt more tuC customers
wouldn't come, and them what did,
wanted tick. Along with the boys and
their pewter fps, them what got trust
and didn't pay, and the abusing of my
goods, was soon fetched up in the vic
tualing line-and busted for the bene-
ut of my creditors. But genus ris. |
made a raise OF horse and saw, after
being wood pliers prentice for a while,
and working till was free, and now
here comes the coal 10 knock this bust
ncse an fhp head Nv rsoDI.,e J,co-t