The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1851-05-10
A SUPPLY or COOKED HATS.

la new work entitled 4 Ioyage 10 he
BEnrdi,p and Bdct, just published in Lon
don, wo fad the following capital story, FROM
which It is apparent that the ChAthAm-s,rect
auction system, oven il indigenous, is not Pc
culiar to New York. The subject of the joke
Was an Indian officer at the Cape, on leave
OF absence, and an inmate OF the boarding
liou.c where the writer was living
The most singular character which Cape
Town presented wa. Major Holder, of the
Bombay Army. In dress he was entirely un-
iluc. lie wore invariably short rcd she'll
Jacket thrown open, with white waistcoat
and short but large white trousers cotton
stockings ard shoes on his head cooked
hat, with an upright red and white feather
Che whotc surmountrd by green silk uni-
hrclla, held painfully Alon to clear the fcath-
cr' 70 this may be added a shirt collar which
acted almost as pair OF binders on either
side. la prraon he was anPlri but somewhat
shapelcss; and he had vast oblong face,
which neither laughed nor showed any sign
OF animation whatever The history ct the
Majors cooked hat was ~ follows. Strollng
ii,ts Aa- auutioH WYNN ~ I35msay &c was iltt.
or taken with the reasonable price ola cock
cd hat which the fppant auctionccr WAS rec
onmeudng with all his ingenuity. Going
for six rupees must be sold to pay the cred
itors. No advance upon six Shall we say
siccas 2 la an evil hour the Major bid for
+t-l- ,tlrettrnetl- iri-
quarters, the happy posscssor of bargain
Seated at breakfast the next morning. pro-
ccssion is observed coming towards the house;
four men carrying large packing-case slung
20 pole, and headed by halfcastc, with n
small paper in his hand.
Major Holder sar, brought your cooked
hats sir all sound and good, snr; wish live
long 10 wear out, sar, lloro iosi' bill, which
feel oblecgc you pay, sar,' Whereupon he
puts into the hands of the astounded comman-
der a document, headed Major Thomas Hol-
der, of II. T.. l. C,s--Regt., DR. to estate of
and Co., bankrupts, for seventy-to cooked
hats, purchased at auction Sc, sc.
at was in vain that the Major remonstrat-
ed after hc understood tho prcdicamcnt in
which he-was plssed Ia vain he appealed To-
was too good a Joke, aud they would have
given it against him under almost any cir
cumstances.
"Major Holder was.a rigid economist he
had almost mind which admitted but one
idea at atime, and, indeed, NOT very often
e that lie was possessed Of six dozen Of cock
cd hats, and they nHst DO worn out. Being
mostly in command Of his own regiment, he
had unlimited choice as TO his own head dress
- he commenced the task at once. From
thcnCstorth all other hats or caps were to
linn matters Of history. At the economical
rate oFtNo hats year, he might safely cal
c,tlatc upon being much advanced in life be-
fore tho case was, eahnnstctl True, there
we're drawbacks ho was much consulted
nbont auctions by bis friends many inqui-
rics matte of HIM on that point; bills OF auc-
ton, and especially any. thing relating to
cooked hats, forwarded to- him by the kind at
fruton OF acquaintance; and a question We
~ currently putt him by the onsigns was
Tom, how are YOU on for hats 2
---9llln -intereSt taken ia4-the Majors hats
was Tar from dying, even after the lapse of
years Tho less likely to do So indeed, from
the CIRCUMSTANCE Of their forming cpochs in
his,oryS.Rs. such a ONE got leave in Toms
ipurllt hat; or, I-hlPe 70 lie on before Tom
changes his hat ! or, 4ll make You a bet that
.ftR' inarrictl bctorr another hats gonc.'-
When this Individual sFEiyed at tha Cape he
-vt7 tutirr-yruu-t 10 tc ia his iisecnth hat: bnt
t!,srr occurred sene confusion IN The Majors
c,rWo'ogy; ttr it was uuderStoost that, owv
i,srle thc practical jokes nkAyc, there, No
.heHSan thr,7 bll, were cyrsuitd 'ddri,..