Boon's Lick times. [volume] (Fayette, Mo.) 1840-1848, 1841-03-13
LETTER FROM MAJ. DOWNING.
PnILADELrY, 9th Feb. A. D. 1871.

! '''''o
GENTlEMEN-I suppose you will be con-
siderable wonderated to know what on arth
led me from the track-to Washington with
the old Hero of the North Bend Cabin, and
brung me here-well, III tell you.
] and the Gincral was drifting along
down from the west, and bowling and sba-
king off the everlasting crowd Of folks all
the way from Ohio, till we struck along the
edge of old PennSglcaHY, when we heard
folks begin to talk about hard money and
paper money, and resumption and suspension
and things of that natur, when says /, Gin
eral, you may depend there is trouble brew
ing somewheres along here, and if you say
so, says |, "l'll jist quit you for a spell and
take turn down to Philadelfy. and look
into the matter a little, and line YOU at
Washington" "Well," says he, major,
seeing how folks begin to thicken amazingly
around us, my caikalaton is you won't be
much mist, but see that you git TO Washing
ton as soon as possible, and in the mean
time let me know all you meet with worth
hearing, SO quit, and as the Gincr-
al never wants to know nothing more than
the people know Themselves, send you this
letter to print, and you will please send
copy ont to the Gineral, so that he will
know as much as other folks do about it.
| got here last evening iist artcr lamp
lighting, and took a run refund to most all
the banks to see if could find any on 'em
open. but ! found EN- all locked up and
bright lamps burning atorc the doors. and
good strong broad-s'louidered watchmen
standing at their posts, with clubs and rat
ties jist for all the weird as tho the banks
was in full specie PaymcRis as ever, and not
mite of difference.
| stopt and had leetle talk with one of
these watchmen, and SAYS /, stranger. is
there no gitten in here to see folks" Not
to night" says he, "all the Banks are shct
up" "How you talk" says |, and so |
streakd it round to Squire Bidde's premi-
ses, for had notion if / could only Git
fair talk with the Squire. would iarn
pretty much all about the matter.
l found the Squire to hum, and he was
amazln glad to see me; and he and went
right up into room alone, where | found
good ,carm Lehigh coal fire burning, and a
table kivered with papers; and he tuck one
cheer, and another, and we went it
straight off. $50 says esquire, you are
all suspended agin, larn." YES SAYS he.
"MaJor, the folks who wanted hard HlOncy
have got all the Banks had to give them
and as the Banks can't coin hard money.
and can only get it from the folks who owe
them, it turns out that, as the Banks have
not got the same power by the law to make
folks pay them as fast as other folks want
it, the pond must run dry for a spell"
But" says l, Squire, how on arth is it
that things work so that one set of folks
keep drawing out Of the spiggot faster than
other folks pour into the bung hole? This
warn't SO in Mr.. Adams time" says /
"Now, how is it," This set the Squire
scratching his head and thinking-and to
give him time to answer, took the pokcy
and began polling up his Lehi~h coil fire,
to see if there was any bIa:c in it; and to
rights says he, major, what are you poking
that fire for! Do you expect to make it
burn brighter! IF you will take my ad-
vice. says he, ''you will let it alone. Amt
the room warm. enuf!" yes" says |, "it's
warm enun, but a little poking won't do
any harm, will it,"
well" says he, you go on poEing, and
you will see"-and sure enuf. the more |
poked, the darker the fire and coal got; and
pIiAI-DH IL al "cllt Out' w eli, says L,
Squire, this is pagy odd kind of fire
of yourn,' says /. YES" says he, dts
Peansyicany coal-it won't stand o0kiag,
Major; if you let It alone. It will burn sluv.I
Iy and surely, and give out u comfurttreI
heat-but if folks go to poking at it, it turns
and looks black at them, aud gives them a
cold SILVER"
"Well," says Squire, want you to
answer and explain to me how about this
matter. How is it" says |, that all your
Banks have suspended specie payment-all
broke, all gone to everlasting and eternal
smash! Now, how has all this come about"
says |.
We'll says he, "Major, I'll tell you.--
In the first place, when you first entered
this room, didn't you find warm and COM
Portable and good fire burnin! didn't you
take up that poker and begin to poke with
it! didn't | give you a civil hint to let it
aonei didn't you continue poking and POI
king, till at last the fire went out! and amt
this room now cold and dark, compared to
what it was? Now come here" and he
took candle and went up to the fire place,
says he, There is the coal vet and amt
BURNT UP-thc fire has only gone out; !
can put a little kindling under ii, and clap
on the blower, and in little while you will
see as bright and warm fire as before
but where is the use of kindling up again.
unless folks will see the folly of poking at
it, 1t is just so in banking matters tried
it, and for sixteen years and over, and no
people in creation ever saw warmer and
better fire than kept up; it warmed all
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