Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1845-11-06
o A BAROMETER.

cry OF House house Hain't there nobody
at hum here %
jim " shouted the oversecr, looking to-
wards the negro quarters, go To the gate and
sec what on earth all that Rawlings for"
obeylng the order, Jim hastily unbarred the
gate, and there drove up one ol these nondcs-
crypt vehicles known as a Yankee pUdlar's
wagon. There emerged FROM the vehicle
aforesaid a curious specimen of natures ham
dlwork. lie was a TALL. slim man, witha pair
oil small, twinkling grey eyes; Il nose whose
Only occupation scented to b. TO snuff and
twlich whenever It's owncrspoke. The mouth
ot the individual was ornamcntcd with "a
slight quicker, and his whole Appearance de-
noted that he wished TO place himself i'm the
smallest space possible. In proof of this, his
bell-crowned hat stuck directly on the top of
ms head; his coat and vest had evidently be-
ionged toa Younger brother, and his pantaloons
httcd him like India rubber. Yes, in one
thlnS he was proiuse, and that was what he
termed his hur.' 1t was beautiful hair-in
colora delicate ginger" or may be what tie
urChlns would call "a WALLER tafty COLOR 1t
was combed behind his ears, and fell i'm grace
I'll negligence ON the back of his coat. I'm
Tact, To take him for ''ail in all' ut first sight.
one would be impressed with the idea that
Nature had made Joel Spry, for such was his
name,a at the very lowest terms. OF the most
ordinary material, and ON the very cheapest
scale.
Veal" said he, after surveying Mr.. Sim
mons, The o%verseer, Tor a second or two, ''your
name bent Hodson,- no, not Hodson, Temp
hlns, no. darn the name! And AFTER studying
that book on nimmotichny (mnemotcheny9
too, that tells alters what people forgit, ONLY
III THINK that l can't think of il. Oh, now /
Sotlt! Your name be'ant a-a-Jenk-I say
mister, what mought be your name?
simmons" answered the overseer.
veal, now, only 10 think. | thought OF
that name all the while, and yet / couldn't cit
~ out. Why, mister, the man that keeps the
plantation admin you'm told me that you
was almighty clever, and said as how he
thought moughtdu a little tradin with YOU. -
Well SAID Simmons, "what have yot got
10 sell" o
'Sell!" said Joel, with a look of wonder,
"what hain'tl got tn sell? Why, MisterSim-
mons, got all on airth that kin be sold.
Cdiicoes, potash, cutlery, calomel, broadcloth,
buttons, yarn, nutmegs, clocks, thermometers,
barometers-'
And as liza sudden thought struck him, he
looked appealingly in the overseer's face, and
M voice oil tmost solicitude, said: Meow,
Mister Simmons, du you want q fust rate ba-
rometer! You don't know how much you
could save. It'll tell you when it's a'goin Ia
rain and when it's a'goin tn shine-wRen I'm
plant and when tn hoe-when tu-'
"Oh," said Simmons, cutting Mr.. Spry
very short, '.lll bet you fifty dollars against
an you nave III your wagon, that i have an old
DIN Niger who can tell the changes of the
weather with more precision than the best Of
your barometers! -
81 swow" checked Mr.. Joel Spry to him
sell, I'll here be'ant a chance III make the
pewter. wish | may be darned! Simmons,
l IN your man; down with your dollars, and
I'll unload the wagon"
Suiting the action TO the word. the bet was
speedily arranged. Mr.. Joel Spry with great
care took out two large boxes, one marked
dry goods" and the other fancy articles"
and had them carefully deposited in the over
saer's room.
"Noew," said he, after taking a stiff glass
OF Monongahela. tits gittn' late, and | want
tn commence. Bring forth the Niger thatll
match this Ld-rometer.'
"Here Jake!' bawlcd his overseer. Forth
with there hobbled from the negro quarters
AN old Ethiopian, three shades darker than
charcoal, as blind as bat, and four times as
ugly.
liar massa, har am old Jake"
Jake, what kind OF weather arc we going
TO have Tomorrow" =
"Cloudy weddcr, massa cloudy wedder.
Ole Jake's biz toe feel like de debbil to
night"
Veal, if that don't beat all that ! ever
hear tell on, | wish may be darned.' said Mr..
Spry, with a horse laugh. "Only to think, a
blind Niger tellen' the state of the weather
by his toes! Oh. Jehosaphat!'
well, sir, and what says the barometer
said Simmons.
Says Why it says clear, light winds
and nota drop of rain
" Wen see said the overseer. "Jim.
fodder this horse, and put the wagon under
the shed: Mr.. Spry, this is our room. Good
night, sir
Good night, Mr.. Simmons. But wait a..
whlic-noew, du take care of them boxes.
l got nearly four hundred dollars worth of
goods lnem, and if the cutlery gets demp, or
the callcors get SLED, l shall be ruined"
with this injunction the parties retired TO
rest. The next morning when they awoke,
the sky was overcast, and the aspect of nature
portended a long fall of rain.
AHA! what did old Jake tell you, Mr..
Spry!" was the first remark of the ovcrsecr.
"We-al, how, the puicksilverin my barom-
eter must a been damp But i say. how
Trend Simmons, you'll let me have another tri-
al. You won't take.aII that a poor;feller's got on
alrth, Just on account of the quicksilver's be-
ing damp"
"oh, no" said the good natured Simmons,
you may Try every day fora week;your board
and your horses feed shall cost YOU nothing,
but at the end of that time | must either have
your goods or you my fifty dollars"
MIR. Joel Spry concluded the bargain with
some apparent hesitation, but-scemed ~resolv.
ed to make the best of d bad case. Every
night Spry,s barometer was pitted against old
blind Jakc's toes and regularly every morn
ingthe toes came of victorious. Spry who ate
all the while like d horse, and actually COM
menced getting fat, declared Oh every success
sivc morning that che should be ruined past
retention" lie tore his hair, clonched his
hands, cursed old Joel for a h~obgoblin. and
swore that had he had been bofn'in Salem.
he would have been hung for awizard. At
last The seventh day camr, 1T had r5ined for
six days previous without intermission. and
now, as old Jake, through his science of toeol-
oey, had predicted the night previous, in op-
position to the indications of Spry's baromc-
ter, the sun shoue bright and beautiful. Spry
took his marc from the stable and harnessod
her in bis wagon. With tears i'm his ewes