The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-12-27
ABOUT ABA oMETERa

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ABOUT BARo RoMETER.
| 1t was near eight O'Clock in the evening when
! the overseer OF plantation in the interior OF this
State was aroused from half kind OF stupor, caused
by the combined influences OF the heat of the wealth
er and the odor of some genuine Havana Leaf. by
the shrill cry of''house! Haint there no bodyt 10
hum here?" .e, 4
"Jm," shouted the overseer, looking towards
the negro quarters, ego to the gate and see what
on earth all that bawling for"
Obeying the order. jim hastily unbarred the gate,
and there drove up one of those nondescript yehi-
| cles known yankee pedars wagon. There
emerged from tie vehicle aforesaid a curious spe-
cimen of natures handiwork. He was tall, slim
man. with pair of small, twinkling grey eyes; u
nose whose only occupation seemed to be 10 snuff
and twitch whenever It's ownerspoke The mouth
| of the individual ornamented with slight
| pucker, and his whole appearance denoted thathe
wished to place himself in the smallest space pos
sibe. In proof Of this, his bellcrowned hat stuck
directly on the top of his head his coat and vest
had evidently belonged to younger brother, aud
his pantaloons fitted him like India rubber. Yes,
in one thing he was profuse, and that was what no
termed 'hi5 har." 1t was beautiful hair7rin color
a ''decate ginger" or maybe what the urchins
would call ''ayalar tatfy color" II was combed
behind his ears and fell in graceful negligence on
the back of his coat In fact to take him for ''sn
! in alp at first sight one would be impressed with
the idea that nature had made Joel Spry, for such
his name, at the very lowest terms, of the most
ordinary material, aud on the very cheapest scale.
| "Ws-al," SAID he, after surveying Mr. Simmons.
the overseer, for second or two, ''your name
be'ant Hodson-no, not Hodson, Tomlins; no,
darn the name! And arter studying that book on
nimmotichny, (mnemotechDy) too, that tells alters
what atpeope forgit. only think that can't think Of
i Oh, now go it! Your name be e'ant "a Jenk--I
say, mister, what mought be your name"
| "Siinmons," answered the overseer.
.'Well," said Simmons, .'what have you got
to sell!" .,s So,
! "SeI! 7" said Joel, with look Of wonder, "what
! have got III sell! Why, Mister Simmons, got
all on alrth that kin be sold Cacues, potash, cut
| lery, calome, broadco,h, buttons, yarn, nutmegs,
allspice, clocks thermometers, barometers-"
! And as il a sudden thought struck him, he look :
ed appealingly in the overseers face, and n voice
CT the utmost solcitude, said, "Noew, Mister Sim
mons, du you want fust rate barometer! You
! don't know how much you could save It'll Tell
| you when it's a'gon tu rain and when it's a'goin
tu shne-when III plant, and when tu lioe-whep ,
tu-"
"Oh," said Simmons, cutting Mr.. Spry very
short, "Ill bet you fifty dollars against all you
have in your wagon, that have an old blind mig
ger who can tell the changes of the weather with
more precision than the best of your barometers!'
| II swow!' chuckled Mr.. Joel Spry to himself,
| eff here be ant chance tu make the pewter, then
I'm darned! Simmons, I'm your man; down with
the dollars and IN unload the wagon" ~.
Suiting the action to the word, the bet was speed
! lily arranged. Mr.. Joel SpIy with great took
out two large boxes, one marked "dry goods. and
the other "fancy articles" and had them carefully
| deposited in the overseers room. r.
"Noew," said he, after taking stiff glass of Mo-
| nongahela, "ll's agittin' late, and want tn com
mence Bring forth the Niger thatf match that
| barometer" .H.. Ie .t+
y,k ~ ha, vIa1 ha nil
there hobbled from the negro quarters an old Ethi
opian, three shades darker than charcoal as blind
as bat, and iour times ugly. aft., 10
| "Har, massa, har am old Jake"
"Jake, what kind OF weather are we going to :
have to-morrow:" ttsL
"Cloudy wedder, massa, cloudy wedder, Ole
Jakes big toe feel like de debbil tonight
"Wa.al, il that don't beat all that ever hearn
tell on, wish ! may be darned," said Mr.. Spry,
with horse-lau gb. "0nIy tu think, blind mig
ger teliu' the state Of the weather by his toes
Oh, Jehosaphat"'
"Well, sir. and what the baromenter'" said SIM.
mons. -as qe-4s
"says' Why it says clear, hight winds, aud not
drop of rain" tl''s
"We'll see,' said the overseer "Jim, fodder
his horse, and put the wagon under the shed. Mr..
Spry this is your room, Good might, sir. -
"Good night, Mister Simmons But wait awhile,
noew, du take care Of them boxes. cot nearly
the cutlery gifts damp, or the caiicoes get siled,
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 porlended
long fall of rain: Ek
"Wa-al, now, the quicksilver IN my 6a,romsterl
must a been damp. But say, now, friend Sim
MONS you II let me have another trial You wont
take all that poor feer's got airth. jist on ac-
count of the quicksilver's bein' damp5" it! s@s
"Oh, no." said the good-natured Simmons.T
:" you may try every day for 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" r. .-.t
! Nr. Joel Spry concluded the bargain with some
apparent hesitation, but seemed resolved to make
the best of bad case. Every night Spry's baroz-
eter was pited against old blind Jake's toes, and
regularly every morning the toes came of victori-
Gus Spry, who ate all the while like horse, and
actually commenced getting fat, declared on every
successive morning that she should be ruined past
redemption" He tore his hair clenched bis hands.
cursed old Jake for ahobgobln, and swore that had
he been born in Salem, he would havebeen hung
for wizard. At last the seventh day came. Il
had ra:ned for six days previous without intermis-
sion, aud now, as old Jake. through his scienee In
theology. had predicted the night previous, in ap-
position to the indications Of Sprys baromster, The