The organ of the temperance reform. (Cincinnati, O. [Ohio]) 1852-1853, 1852-03-19
qrAKR ~ HAT.r

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Some have supposed that "laks my hai, . 4 .
saying which Originated 10 this wise A hand
some young lady put upon her head z gents
hat, for which he enforced the penalty Of kias,
and another swain, eager 70 infhct the same
punishment said to the fair one take my hat; /"
whether she did or not, isnOt now the question
bot this did not originate the saYing; nor didit,
as some suppose, originate from the TACT that q
lrolioking blade who had too many brickS in bis
beaver, insisted most earnestly that the town
pump should take his hal" but as near as We
can ascertain. aud Il IL q matter Of history, the
saying ia Is follows - 4f1arf ha3
About nineteen years ago fine docking old
gentleman, iiom Western Virginia, entered 9
store in Nashville Tennessee Said store was
owned BY bluff, honest old trudeF, who knew q
great deal more about the quality Of the liquor
sold at the back end Of the counter that he did
about the finehsss Of the fabrics at the other;
nevertheless between the two extremities Of that
shelf, be contrived 10 make both ends very eom-
fortably meet the necessitiss Of the case. The
old VirgiAian cast his eyes around the shelves
and finally remarked: a l
"Well, neighbOr, yOu, ] zee, have got hats"
"a Slight sprinkle" was the answer, aud then
followed the query. "WhsF are you 'FRONT.'
"Old Virginial' was the response.
Fright smart old Stats, replied the Tennes-
sean 'ihut getting rather too old to keep her har
on" G t83sg & o. hfgeF
"What do you msani" snquirsd the Virgin
ian.
"Well, Just what l say, uncle, it can't keep
her har on--for instance, now, should think
you heV been q right healthy child Of the Old
Dominion, butsh has shed you at last, and like
Sampson Of old, that's Just the way she is losin'
ali the best har off her venerable head.
The old Virgiuian looked around the store
rather bothered with the liberty this Tennessean
was taking with his mother State, and finally re-
marked
a came here to talk about hats, stranger, and
not har."
"Well we'll, uncle, don't get Wrathy now, l
was only venturing political opinion about
population in general, and on that hand we
won't quarrel, but before we look at the hats,
as they are intimately connected with heads,
s'pOse we take mite Of bald face.
The proposition was agreed tO-the liquor
was imbibed, and next followed was the hats
The merchant tossed down four or five wool hats
Of various sizes, and invited the old gentleman
to one which would fit him. He looked at them,
examined the sizes, said they would do, and re-
quested the store keeper to hand him down
few more.
That's all the sizes I've got, said he, "but
here's few more if you think you'd like ,em
better, and SO saying he tossed down three
more.
Them all right, said the old Virginiau, turn.
ing them around; aud the stout old store keeper,
blowing with exertion, descending from his
perch, where he was straddling from shelf to
counter As soon as he reached the floor, the
old Virginian remarked that he had not got
enough ct.
ooh, you want en- for your niggerSq" says
the storekeeper; "well why didn't you say so
when | was up, and be again proceeded to
perch himself up, like q mercantile colossus
When he had blowed himself into his former
position, the old man quietly remarked;
why, stranger, warn t thinking anything
about niggers." The fact is, the old man was
rather enjoying the extra trouble he had put the
Tennessean to.
"Wsll what do you want with so msuy.hatSi"
inquired the halter.
IL want EN- for my sons,' said the old Vir'
ginian.
The storekeeper began to count those on the
cOuuter-'Eight said he, "a pretty big spread
Of boys already, I'll swear but here goes" and
he added one and then another, and yet u fourth,
and he p cked off the fifth, and finally, seeing
that the old man stood immOyable, earnestly
counting the hats, he tossed down three more
and was about to descend himself, when the old
man told him to hold on aud throw down few
more.
"Oh, come uncle" said he, lyon are joking;"
but to please him he threw down twenty.
''That'sjust one too many, said the old man
with much gravity. .-.......
"What lyon don't mean to say you have
nineteen sonsq"
"Yes dOmean to say so. !" was the old mans
answer.
"And whar in the aams Of the State Of Ten
nessee are they"
"Well they are in Tennessee" said the man,
right yeer, in this eity-up at the hotel. >"
Stranger" said the storekeeper, his incredul.
ity making him sputter and stutter as he said it,
''if you ken show me nineteen boys Of your
make thsrs the hats.
"Hold ON then, said the old man, and off be
started. In about ten minutes, down street he
came, headinga line Of nineteen boys, march
ing single file, each bearings good gun, and fol-
lowed by their venerable mother, They entered
the merchants store and ranged along the conn
ter-the StOrekeeper ran his eye along the line
with astonishment.
sand you say" be inquired, "thst these boys
are all yours"
"Ask their mother" said the old man; "shs
says they are."
"Do you say SO, madam" be inquired.
"Yes, do, was the rep y, "and / ought to
know"
"Well, you ought, II II swear" said the store
keeper. "Old friend" headed, 81 ain 7 got a
word to say, jest take nay hatsP'
D- A tree grows in Japan, the roots Of which
partake Of the quality Of soap, and is used for