Fremont weekly freeman. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1850-1853, 1850-11-02
THE THREEJOLLY CAPTAINS.
d story of OSsiaa E. Dodge, soko bought the

: "a story OF OSStd7e ~. Doa9e, eoho 6oxgbt IN
s625 Jenny Ltad ticket at Boston
Dodge is an extremely funny fellow, an
can take of the Yankee as natural as life. Th
Spirit of the Times has good story abor
; Dodge's travels on the Mississippi river H
one day went on board steamboat boun
down to New Orleans, dressed in Yankee cos
tune The captain of the boat was muc
amused at the confident assurance of th
green yankee, as he supposed his passenge
to be. Itso happened that there was then o.
board the boat three other captains of as ma
my different steamers which had been laid uI
in low water. These jolly captains were guests
of our captain to whom the green yankee nov
introduced himself
4 .Heow d'yr dew p said Dodge, squeezing
the captains hand, as he reached over the
office window for the fare wall, I've cum
aboard, and you look as though you was al
right here, Ell? I 'spose you'll take keer oi
my fiddle (handing the trunk into the cap
tain's window be sure and not let nobody
itch it. for love the old fiddle better than all
the gals you could skeer up round here"
Certainly, sir replied the captain, chuck
ling to himself, as he thought of the fun ahead
which he and his friends would be able to get
out of this queer yankee passenger.
AS the evening advanced, the steamboat
captains quizzed the green yankee to their
hearts content He took all their Jokes in
good part and with the best relish imaginable
Indeed, the more they talked to him the
squashier he appeared in their eyes. Having
treated the yankee to several punches, one of
the party proposed cards He declared he
knew nothing about keerds and it was agin
his principles to gamble Well, then, the
captains would play little together, and he
might look on and see how he liked it." The
game proposed was changing jack and the
captains, with a wink, went on with the game,
the green yankee looking over their playing.
After short time, he got excited, and, ad-
dressing a methodistical looking man, who
understood what the jolly captains were after,
he said
1 say, yeou! look here; I don't know moth
IN about keerds but Pm willin' to risk heap
of money on that ere game, Just for a benevo-
lent purpose for that amt gambling, is it?'
oh, no, certainly not replied the man,
who could now hardly keep from roaring with
laughing, on Witnessing how easily the Yam
kee was to be caught
Very well-I'm with you stranger ex-
claimed one Of the captains, swapping his fin
gers IN deyil-may care sort of manner;
there's plenty more money where this came
from, and I'm willing to risk all I've gdt in the
world, that can change the Jack of Spades
while under your hand, into the jack of clubs, |
and that you can't tell by the sense of feeling.
when the spade takes its departue Dealing
the cards briskly he soon turned up the Jack
ofspades.
You see that is the Jack of spades said
be- turning to Dodge
Is :hat ere spot genewine? y said Dodge,
'Eetting his finger and touching the spade at
he head of the Jack
YoE ind it SO, don't you 2 pressing it close
With his thumb to prevent it from moving
Wal, yeas, 1t pears to be-so now go on
With the show, for I want tew make some mo-
ley alfred bad" said Dodge, taking hold
With both hands of what appeared TO be the
eg of the Jack of spades.
Very we'll them said the captain, turning
he pack over, now pull the card, and keep
t bottom side upward"
Dodge pulled the apparent Jack of spades
,ut on the table, holding his left hand ouer it,
while with the other be took off his bellcrown-
ID hat, and sweeping the card off between the
balm of both hands, had the appearance of
,lacing the drawn card into the top of the old
,eaver, but, in fact, had it only into the folds
If the old bandana, upon which he placed his
louble fist, remarking at the time
BY ginger eff yeo kin git that air Jack O.
pades eout of that air hat hope may be ;
tuffed to death with billed unyunsp
In order that the reader can understand
low the Yankee fixed this card. it should be
.nown that he had watched the game with {
he expectation of the result that followed !
nd he had cautiously taken Jack of spades
rom another pack of cards lying at the bar
nd concealed it in the topsof his hat. He
new this trick ike book, and he also knew i
hat the card he took from the captains pack I
7as ingeniously changed before he took it. i
While, therefore, the whole party were '
aughing at the yerdancy of the victim, Dodge /
ook from his pocket large jack k-knife, and S
pening it with his teeth, held it over the hat, c
nd taking out the bandana, which held the 6
ard he had drawn from the pack, he jabbed q
be blade of the knife clear through the other '
ard and crown of the hat into the table, ex- g
laiming-- /
Dang my buttons, eff keer for the hat c
II jab her anyhow cause, If I make hull '
1t of money, even if it's for beneYerlents, | 9
in buy new hat
The yankee was now bolding on the knife, /
NJ lOoAlnS SS II nc eAp6cleu every minute
nat the hat would take wings when the af- I
lir got wind, and crowd of passengers, ?
7aoking something extraordinary rich, gath c
red around the party, and revealed by their e
nxious faces, that every one aboard had now v
ecome deeply Interested in the result of the S
Professional skiRning. 2
Now, then says our captain, looking the u
ctim sharply in the eyes, and holding up bis t
ght arm, while he repeated in slow and ii
leasured tones, as solemn as High Sheriff n
public execution-now then, my friend n
repare for the miracle: t,
sNow look out for tricks that's strange S
Hocus, Pocus, presto-change"
"I'll be ker-walloped 10 death with cabba- n
es, old feneri if that air keerd is changed h
lyhow says Dodge. +
"I'll go thousand dollars that it did ? says e
lie captain-'and that the card that your ii
life is now sticking through, is the Jack of "
lubs!'' a
Wal, coined eout West here for to buy a f
,nsiderable of farm, and eff I kin make h