The Sumter banner. [volume] (Sumterville, S.C.) 1846-1855, 1849-08-22

A'' o'ifSS VI VIC capture or Stlll-
dry drums or 'sheephrad' of UNUSUAL
dimensions, would Bob bcguile the cas.
ua' companion of his sporting hours, as
seated in his skiif he would arrange his
tackel, of which article he had large
mahogany box full, which he had doubt
less cost him from time to time, the
price of at least grand piano. And
Notwithstanding the doubtful looks of
an occasional sceptic, Bob was blessed
III the belief that his fish tales were
generally regarded rs being, in the
main, strictly true.
Having thus presented your readers
with short preliminary account of
Bob's peculiarities, I shall proceed to
give them the details of that particular
occasion, Gas Bob was wont to term it }
on which he captured the Mermaid
alluded to in our heading.
" was in the latter portion of the
summer of '37, in the very height of
the real Estate bubble, when every
rod of land, whether dry and arabic,
or, as IN many instances, entirely GOV.
cred with water, within fifty miles of
New York, was made the subject of
blind speculation; and single farms. or
'linarily valued at $4,000 or there
abouts, wero sold to the speculative
gentry at prices varying from so to
$4,000, and immediately converted
into magnificent lithographic cities! Con
the map,D with churches, theatres,
squares and rarks, with an occasional
fountain or two, located almost inyari.
bly, in spots innocent Of water from time
immcmorlal the whole cxpcnsiyely
and claborately surveyed and laid out in
streets and avenues pompously desig.
mated in imitation of the parent city. as
broadway, Pearl street, Water street
Bond street, Wall street, &c. &C., and
walled in by a lcng line of heavy solid
stone wharves, sufficiently extensive for
the ample accommodation of the whole
United States navy, giving Con papcr,)
to the whole singularly imposing ap-
pearancc, and Frequently inducing the
admlring bcholdcr to forget the triliny
drawback, that within these magnificent
marine havcns 10 vessel of more than a
hundred tons could ever, by any posi-
blity, find entrance, from the simple,
overlooked fact, that the river channel
was too shallow to admit q larger
When at every other steamboat
landing Of the adjacent rivers and Kills
as they arc termed, a gaudy, shiny
looking gilt sign, proclaimed to the pas
scn"cr that the little ten foot square
building to which it was attached was 4
Land Office of the tenant of which.
splendid and eligible lots miyht be pur
chased at prices varying, in accordance
with their proximity to the apocryplal
squares, parks, and public buildings
aforesaid, from one hundred to n thou.
sand dollars: and assurances were pivcu
the puzzled inquirer, to whom it was
clearly and certainly demonstrated that
by such an Investment of his surplus
fund handsome profit must almost i'm
mcdiatcly accrue. A constant appeal
to the map and eloquent descriptions
OF the intensity Of the public anxiety
to obtain scverally for themselves
a chance in this 'the most promising
opportunity for investment occurrin"
i'll modern times too often success.
fully excited the cupidty of the
unwary and caused them to alix
to certain documents their signatures,
eventually depriving themselves of the
use and benefit of hundreds and thou
sands of hard-carncd dollars.
~ was during this exciting period
that Bob, availing himself of his custo-
mary summer holiday, wcaricd with the
dust and din Of city life and somewhat
tired of the daily routine of salt fish
transactions, freightiny his skifr with the
necessary equippage and implements
Tor the exercise of his dcstructivcncss,
wcndcd his way to that peaceful por-
ton Of the shores of New Jersey which
is washed by the waters of the Kill
Van kull, Immediately opposite to the
northern shore Of Staten Cor as he IA
cctlously termed it, Satan's) Island.
THIS was tavoritc spot with Bob, as in
addition to its being in the vicinity Of
certain celebrated drum grounds, it
possessed the additional charm ofbcing
the home oiscveral rosy-chcckcd Dutch
girls in whose good graccs Bob had,
during the previous season, made con-
siderable advance. Here, then, Bob
pitched his tent, having issued, to one,
whom we shall cognominatc Ned, an in
v'tation to spend in his amphibious socic-
ty, awhole fortnight, and to whom he had
presumptnously promised any amount