The Port Gibson herald, and correspondent., 1850-10-18
Wonderful Thieves.

An Englishman who was lately travelling on
the Mississippi river told some rather tough
stories about London thieves. Cincinnati
chap, named Case, heard these narratives with
silent and impressive humphi and then remarked
that the Western thieves beat the London oper~
alors all hollow.
"How so7. inquired the Ehglishman with
surprise! "Pray, sir, have you lived much in
the West?"
mot great deal. l undertook to set up
business at the Desmoins rapids awhile ago,
but the rascally people took nearly every thing
had; and finally Welchman run away with
my wife"
"Good God!" said the Englishman and YOU
never have found her."
"Never to this day. But that was not the
worst of it."
"WoTst why, what could be worse than steal
ing mans wife?'
Stealing bis chlden, | should say" eaid the
implacable Case.
"Chhdreni"
"Yes; a niger woman who hadn't any of her
own abducted my youngest daughter, and slop-
ed and jined the Enjns."
"'Great heaven! And did you not see her do
it?"
"See her? Yer, and she hadn't ten rods the
stare of me, but she sprung into the lake, and
swan off like duck, and there wasn't canoe
to follow her with"
The Englishman laid back in his chair and
called for another glass of 'alf and a while Case
smoking his cigar and his credulous friend at the
same time, most remorseessly.
81 shan't go any further Vest think"
observed the excited John Bull.
IL should not advise any one to &c" said Case,
qdietly. My brother once lived there, but he
had to leave; although his business was the best
in the country"
tWhat business was he in?''
Lumbering-had saw mill >
sand they stole his lumber?'
"Yesi and bis saw logs, too."
"Saw logs"
"Yes. Whole dozens Of fine black walnut
logs"
sis it pcssible"
"Frue, upon my honor, sir. He tried every
way to prevent; had men hired to watch his logs,
but it vas all of no use They would whip 'em
away as if there had been nobody there. They
would steal them out Of the river; out of the cove
and even out of the mill ways"
"Good gracious!"
"Just to give you an idea how they can steal
out there" continued Gaze, sending sly wink
at the listening company, "just to give you an
idea-did you ever work in saw mill?"
"Never'
swell, my brother, one day, bought an all fired
fine black walnut l0g-four feet and three at
the butt and not knot In it. He was determin-
ed to keep that log. any how, and hired two
Scotchmen to watch it all night, Well, they
took small demIohn of whiskey with them,
snaked the log up the side of the hill above the
mill, and built fire, and then set down on
the log to play keerds, just to keep awake you
see. Twas monstrous big log-bark two in-
cbes thck.-Wel, as was sayin,' they played
keerds and drank whiskey all night, and as it
began to grow light went to sleep straddle of the
log. Abouta minut afterday light, George went
over to the mill to see how they were getting on,
and the log was gone"
sand they setting on it7"
"Setting on the bark. The thieves had drove
wedge into the butt end, which was pinted
down the hill, and bitched yoke of oxen on,
and pulled it right out leaving the shell and The
ScotchmeD sitting siraddle of it fast asleep!"
The Englishman here rose, dropped his cigar
stump into the spi!toon, and looked at bis watch,
thought he would go on deck and see how far
we'd be down the river before morning.