Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1851-05-03

when he likes, and always alone, or will
his own countrymen-keeps a pointer O
setter, double barreled gun, and enjoy
field sports when he pleaSes. A grea
many are scattered over the country, bu
do not readily assimia,e with the people
and continue to prefer brandy to corr
whiskey-in which / think they show
good taste.
The Scotchman here is always a good
citizen, and man of property-steady
thrifty and law-abidng. The German aud
the Jew do the fiidleing and the hucfster-
ing, the gardening, wood-sawing, cooking,
and large part of the thinking. The
only men l have seen drunk here were
Germans, and yet they are good citizens.
The Swecds and Norwegians are steady.
hard-working fellows, and give nobody
any trouble. The HooSier is a sort of
cross between the Southerner aud the bear.
with all its qualtics-mental moral and
physical, just about equally divided be-
tween the two raccs--with a touch of the
wandering Arab. He is wandering ami
NAL, and his home and house are where
ever his wagon happens 10 be-near some
timber or fence or Erewood-and where
there is water enough for colIee-whiskey
he takes raw-and washing is 10 him and
his work Of supererogation.
The young Sucker, the rising generation
of all these heterogeneous materials, is the
devil just as nearly as he is anything-un-
lettered, ignorant, uncivilized, seli-depend-
ent, free, lawleSs, unpoished, resolutc,
careless, confident, tobaCco-chewng whis-
key-drinking, suspicious Of good clothes or
good manners in others, and finally, 10 use
his own expression, ''don't care 'shucks'
for law, gospel or the devil" One general
Characteristic of the animal is that he is
always anticipating somebody TO 'feel big
which he considers his duty to resent be-
fore it happens.
The way the young Sucker volunteer
fought in Mexico, may give you some idea
of his characteristics. He was there per-
iectly desperate in a fight. One of the
officers related to me a little scene which
occurred at Buena Vista. II was in the
very crisis Of the fight, when the Indiana
troops broke and retreated, and left the
whole brunt of the Mexican advance to be
born by the Illinois regiment. 1t seemed
as though they would be annihila,ed by
superiority OF numbers, and there were
some signs Of wavering, when young
Sucker drew his rifle deliberately and
dropped Mexican. Set up the pins,' he
shouted, and the whole regiment took up
the word, and at every fire would shout
like demons, and with as much drolery
| n nd nm ! Al Ipr
when charge was ordered, one of the Of
icerS could not think Of the word, and he
shouted "Let 'er rip.'-when the whole
line burst out with a yell-'Let Ter rip
| and dashed in amongst the MeXicans,
laughing and shouting this new battle cry.
| OF course there are many honorable eXcep-
| tons, but the characteristics of the Sucker
are mainly as l have represented. The
reasons are obvious. The State itself is
yet but little over twenty-one years Of
age and was settled all in heap. Pow
crty piled in the settlers very unccrlmoni-
ously, aud they had TO struggle with all
sorts of hardships and (iiculties-sicknesS,
privatlonS and bereavements, and even
dangers. So the youth were conceived,
nuFsed and brought up in mixture OF all
sorts Of eXigencies, which makes them
what they are.
Many curious and laughable scenes are
of daily occurrence in the courts of justice.
| will relate one which occurred in Kane
county, in the circuit court few years
ago, when Governor Ford was the pre-
siding Judge-which will serve as speci-
men.
An old miner and land contractor of
considerable wealth was summoned as one
of the grand jury. He came 10 the court
gloriousy drunk and rather late--in fact,
not until the court was organised and was
engaged in trying a case. He came stag
! gering in, dressed in buckskin, and making
his way TO the bar, addressed the court
and the people with the 'How are We all,
d-yc,' at the top of his voice.
The judge put on decorous frown and
said
"Mr. Clerk, enter fine Of five dollars
against Mr.. -
"WaI, Judge, guess you think this old
hoss haint got the money, but you're mis-
taken, old ieller.'
JUDGE-Mr. Clerk, enter a fine OF ten
dolarS.'
'Wal, old feller, can fork up, and he
he threw down the gold TO pay the fine.
JUDGE-'Mr. Clerk, enter fine oftwen-
ty dollars.'
'Wal, Judge, here's my pewter, but if
only we two are going to play this game,
put up your money if you take down the
pile.'
JupGE-'Mr. Clerk, enter fine of fifty
dollars.'
Hold on Jude, that's TO big an ante
This old hoss's got the lead, but l wont
play if you don't put down the stakes
| draw the bets.' -..
BY this time the Judge was savage,
while the whole crowd was vastly ANU
sed.
JUDGE-'Mr. Sheriff, commit this man
to Jail for contempt of court.'
'Hold on, Judge, you're are too fast oT
l be-and / guess it's me. / bid oil the
| jail-yard, Jail and all, for the taxes-and
guess own that are public institution
and you won't imprison a man in his own
| house + reckon,