The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1851-01-15
Z" Pesping Tom and the Great Chowder
Coalition at Hull.

Coalition at Hull.
Hull, MASS, Jan. 3, 1851.
Mn. EDITOR: Nothing ID talked of in this
place-so famous for talking about every thing
but the great Caoioder Coalition which has Just
been cooked up between two or three great parties
IN Hull, and such a smoky mess as they have made
oft! But first, let Inc tell you the story.
The Squids, you know, have generally ruled the
roost here, and when the annual "Chowderaton'
took place, at which the united wisdom" of Hull
assembled under the Goldfish, they commonly had
the chowderpot all to themselves But this year
they got into squalls and fell TO lceward. The
Pckerels. their sold line" antagonists, trumped
up coalition with the Mud. Squirmers, and both
parties together outnumbered the Squids Here is
crook in the lot of Hull potics altogether new
Skipper Tarbox says he never knew the like be-
fore, in all his going fishing. Instead of plain
sailing as IN old horse mac kerel times, we
in sort Of triangular hurry skurry, with the wind
blowing from three points Of the compass at once.
You may guees how we dance round the pinnacle.
These Mud-Squirmers, by the way are queer
fish, To hear them talk little while ago. you
would have thought butter would not melt in their
mouths, nor pork fat neither OF all things under
the sun, they could not abide chowder--ior why?
There was black pepper in IT, No true Mud
Squiriner, whose stomach 'bowcd 10 the ascend
ancy of moral truth" could stand this. Ask
Mud Squirmer to go near chowder- pot. Tongues
and Soundsl what ssserara Of coquencc he would
let hy at you through tin trumpet! Rot the
chowder! he would not touch il with shod shovel
much less with a clam shell spoon. 1t pro-
YePpery, and you need not think To pull oakum
ms eyes with pro-pepper argument. lie went
higher up the rigging than any kink OF that sort,
by three degrees and a setting pole. He was for
"free squirining and soft slush, but none of your
pro- peppery kickshaws! Such his palaver.
Fore and aft, there not man who carried
such stiff upper-lip a genuine Mud Squirmer.
The mere insinuation that ne could endure so much
as the smell OF chowder made him angry that
he would almost crook his elbo and stake some
thing''
But it 80 happened, the other day, these immacu-
w ere w me
appetite for chowder Then the wind of their elo-
quence chopped round in jify. Why should not
they go to chowder as well as other folks? 1t had
been banyan- day long enough with them, and why
should they not take spell at the chowder pot and
warm their insdes with something comfortable? To
make long story short, they proposed to hob mob
with the Pickerels, and get the chowder-pot away
from Squids
But this was strain of the hawser that some
mems tmbers could not stand. Parson Jack, who
used to be ''some cupns" among the Mud Squir-
mers, felt such terrible wanbling in Mis- stomach,
when he heard of the coalition. that he strighway
clapped his fist topaper, and did the following "pii
vatc and confidential scratch which imme-
dlately posted up at the town pump:
CAT HEADS, January, 1850.
To the Mud Sguirmers Of Hull.
DEARLY BELOVED THE MUp: Don't put your
noses in the ehowderpot. II s pro-peppery, and
will set you all a sneezing. Keep your fingers out
of that mess. Pitch will stick; putty will grease;
and sharks have bit mans toes of before IL
all be coched with a sockdo!oger sure my
name s JACK.
This scratch made good many peoples eyes
stick out like Holsters The Mud .sq1uirmers felt
awfully "streaked" But the smell of the hot chow
der had got into their noses, and the "ascendancy
of moral truth oozed right out at their elbows.
They determined w pitch into the chowder, how
ever scay. The difficulty how to divide the
contents of the pot, which contained fish Of all
So they got together and held "chor" under the
lee Of tar barrel; and the Pickerels held another
single and passed il round with their conditions.
After several chora, and playing bo peep with a
shingle round the tar barrel, they came to terms
and divided the fish in the chowder- pot thus
The Pickeres TO have the Big Cod, the Tomcod,
the Treasury Clam, five Cunners, and the short Eel
The Mud Squrmers to take the Horn, pout, the
Founder, four Cunners, the Sinc!t, and the Long
Eel. You must know, by the way, that this last is
thought great fish by the Mud Squirmers, he be-
half a fathom. The Mud Squirners have always
set their heart upon having the long un, being full
of the notion that if once they could get the Long
Eel by the tail it would be "kngdom come to
them.
But it 30 happens that the catching OF this Long
Eel ia not easily accomplished. The Mud
Squirmers have made two or three grabs at him,
and once they got hold of his TAIL but he mana gcd
to slip through their fngers. Two or three extra
chors have been held on the subject, and the Mud
Squirmers call upon the Pickerels to lend them
every fork in the party to stick the Long Eel. The
chowder is growing hotter and hotter every mo-
ment; and several Of the Old Liners show disin-
clination to blister their knuckes by dabbing in
it. However, this is the greatest chowderation
that ever was known in Hull.
Yours, PEEPISG TOW.