Arkansas intelligencer., 1849-09-22

LITTLE Rock, ARKs., Sept. 18th. lS49.
ABR. DO you bite your thumb at us, SIR?
SAM. No SIR; do not bile my thumb at you,
sir; but I bite my thumb, sir.
Dear Sir:-If could WELD the keen, witty, ad-
mrabe pen of our friend Heroic Age" most
gladly would send you some sketches from this
distant but not entirely forgotten reg ion. One
might have supposed, that, placed as we are, on
the border of civilization, almost merged with the
redman of the prairies, that the echoes of the
Washington war-whoop would have mellowed off
in the thin air, long before they could have
reached us here. Arkansas, true to her politics
for many years. having through veal and wo stuck
to her faith with generous fidelity, might by a
bare possibility have escaped the prescription axe,
and thus been left 'aone in her glory Arkansas,
on whose frontiers the "second Washington" him.
self spent many years; with many Of whose citi-
zens he shared the hosptaties, and the welcome,
and the courtesies, of private life-Arkansas, un-
der these considerations, well as from her poll
tical insi gnifcance, might have presented to a
ma unanimous mind fair field for the exercise of
pre-elective pledges and whg generosity. But the
result is known, and the Democracy only little
dsgusted-are yet unterrifed. AS is usual in
the desperate and convulsive crush for offices thus
Unexpectedly opened to the astonished no-party
men, some sad, and some amusing incidents have
occurred, one of the latter | about to relate,
for the truth of which do not vouch, O merely
say this is what heard) 1t happened to one of
your milk and water sop -cidor, whig (but not
ultra -whig) kind of man. who has been and now
is mail contractor in this State. lie has soft,
smooth, oily woy of talking, whatever else they
say about him. know him 10 be an ardent ad-
mirer of the fair sex. But to my tale. On the
advent of whig glory and power, our contractor
| hastens TO Washington at once to pay his devors.
and 10 bask in the sunny beams of Collamer pa
| tronage. Who tell the important consultations
a. Lot,,
| contracting parties Who tell Of the blan-
dishing air with which our debonair mail contrac-
| tor, met the encouraging smiles of his Post Mas
ter l1Shness-the intimacy rlpened, the saluta.
| lions were warm and frequent, and our friend by
the easy and unconstrained manner with which
he approached, and parted from the new minister
gave out the idea that he certainly one of the
Elect" if not TO "grace," at least 10 the glory
of snug appointment of some $4,000 in amount.
AT last the crowd thickened and pressed around
the new official, that tme began to be very pre-
cious, and our friend, the mail contractor, came
to make his final call. With the best look he
could muster, (and he can look imposing) with
one of the most fragran, Habanos in his mouth,
and another for his most intimate friend, Coamer
he presented himself, one sunny morning in April
bowing, and smiling. and putting, the very per-
sonlficalion of satisfied contentment. The inter-
view was unusually interesting that morning.
The fragrant smoke curled upward and around
their heads in graceful circles. On the mouth of
the Post Master General might be smile,
which to our friend appeared the smile of generous
friendship. "A cool observer, however, would not
fail to notice slight, very slight compression
| at the corners of the mouth, with peculiar nd
sinister glance from the eye-of course, totally
| unobserved by the Little Rock contractor. 1t IS
difficult 10 narrate all that passed that morning
between the solicitor and the solicited; but the
door opened. some anxious expectants outside
" ia bla ndr st
Oh most certainly, Cafornia-Eight dollars per
day-Prospects of immense speculation-and as
the salutator's hands withdrawn, oh, rap
ture there glisened on tho little finger Of the right
hand of our smiling applicant splendid seal ring,
the token and evidence cf official sanction
the pledge of undisputed success, of triumphant
victory. AS our hero walked up Penns Y Iva MIA
Avenue that morning, he trod the ground with the
air of Nabob: his eyes were perpetually upon
the ring--deu rer 10 him than any trist that ever
lovers gave; and he lay down to rest that ght
he fell asleep with floating visions of California,
Mail Agencies, Gold Dust, and countless wealth,
floatng on his Imagination.
To hurry home Immediately, to rush TO the
Post Office, and to say, .Mr. Pope is nv app:
that is-is there anything here for me?' "No-
nothing for you Colonel So "Ah well, next
mail, sure" and the ring-one look revived, con-
vinced him. But the next mail-and the next
and many another mail came, but the "app-''
CutIle not. WI nat cOulQ the matter be. Is the
ring not on my finger? All yes-the ring is on
your finger. Let look at t-et us examine
II a little while. 1t looks like there was some.
thing inside this seal part-a spring confines this
hd-li flies open-astonshmen Dev! Oh
no, not the Devil-but the image of a little sly
face, with an upturned hand, the smallest digital
of which is gently resting on the nose, while the
rest make most provoking curve downwards
All, Mr.. Collamer, how could you Joke your friends
so--like tho boys in the fable who were pelting
the frogs-it might be fun to you, but it is dea,h
to us. 1t is needless to add that the daguerreotype
OF the little sucker inside the ring, quickly disap.
peared-and when any of the b'hoys of this city,
are disposed to be witty with the Colonel. they
have only to elevate their hand gently, and, long
before 1t reaches the eliminating point the nose,
the Colonel with muttered execration between
his lips, and sort of biting of his thumb, kcs
tracks, and evaporates. DUNCAN.
California Ertraragance.-The correspondent
of the Baptist Recorder, at San Francisco, saws
son the day of our arrival u man paid 500 for
on hot loo of oho /,La