The Ripley advertiser., 1845-01-04


Harea Courier.
EccENTRIc1TIEs OF A MADMAN.-Mr.- a
lawyer IN Vermont, dong good business, at
once became insane, and took it into hls head
to abandon the practice Of law, ard engage in
basket making. He was at first very awk.
ward hand at this employment, but by dint OF
perseverance he soon became very sklful, and
could weave a basket as well as he had former
Iy woven an argument at the bar. lie followed
this business about six months, when, taking
new notion into his head, he abandoned 1t ior
that of chair bottoming.
f'he matefIaT useu fntiIrs pusfress was bsrsTt
which is stripped from the trees in summer
when it peels most easily. Having come home
one day covered from head to foot with mud,
he was asked where he had been, that he had
got Thoroughly bedaubed. He answered that
he had been in neighoorlng swamp after elm
bark, of which he exhibited strip about forty
feet long.
"Do you remark this!" said he, trumphanty.
ayes; but how does this account for your
being SO muddy? 1t isn't usual TO fad mud on
the top ofa tree.
mo; but you may sometimes find 1t at the
bottom though III tell you how found 1t.
cut the bark near the root OF the tree, and then
Istripped it upwards, expecting 1t to come to an
end and break of, and run itself out after al
while, but il hung on like a suit IN chancery-I
and stripped, and stripped until 1t ran up forty
feet, and as strong as ever. Thinks to myself,
there is nc use in pursuing the thing any lon.
ger, and so I'll enter nolle sproSeqm But not
/ At a., &C hat had 1Onp--fhat
was the point to be decided wished at least
to save costs. But pshaw; l forgot, m not a
lawyer now. We'll, as was saying, looked
at the subject to see how ! could secure me
bark 1t was too strong for me to break OH
At anv rate, thought |, there's more ways than
one to skin cat; If cannot break oil 'ns park
| can climb up by it. No sooner thought than
done. | seized hold of the strip, aud placing
nv feet against the trunk of the tree, ran up
hand over hand. BY this method OF climbing,
YOU will perceive that my back must have been
downward. and nearly in horizontal POSITION
nv fee, being braced against the tree, and my
head standing from it at an angle OF nearly 9o
degrees. Having arrived at the proper height,
was then in quandary how to get my kn'le
out of my pocket, and how to get II open when
l. was out. If let 90 with one hand. was
fearful the other would not hold me. However
saws saws + It's neck or nothing. III try the eSpe-
rment i'm at any rate, so grpped powerfully win
mw r,Ie left hand, while took out my knife with
my my roht, and opening it with my teeth whip
nod off the bark as clean as the law wond docN
an entail. And what do you think was the re-
sut!" -, a., ., ro,r
back, of course"
Alright gentlemen of the jnrv-a very cor
roc, verdict indeed. came down fiat ID ihe
mud Never was client laid fatter on his
hack than I, and never was one so completely
hedaubed with filth and mud. But, thanks to
tho welding nature Of the soil, saved my bones
and only brought away the mischief on my
coat. Iganed my cause too, which IS more
tbanI can say Of all my undertakings"
/ The company laughed heartily at the ex.
,.wver,s account of bis exploit, while the latter
hanginv his coat up in the sun, said that ihe
mud would easily rub off, when 1t was dry.
He continued awhile longer to follow ms oc'
cpna,ion Of chair bottoming. when suddenly De-,
comiur sane again, he resumed the practice, OF
mo law. and has ever since preferred laying his
onnonents on their backs in legal way, to be-
;pg laid ON his own in go ludlcrous manner
| s.l.. uhoyo reiotpd