Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-02-18
"TAKE MY HAT.n


A handsome young lady pu, upon her head
a gents ha. for which he enforced the pen
atty of kiss, and another swain, eager to
inflict the same punishment, said to the fair
one stake my hat;'' whether she did or not
is now the question, but this did no originate
the saying; nor did it, as some suppose, ORR
ginate from the fact that a frolicing blade
who had too many tricks in his beaver, in-'
sisted most earnestly ,ha. the town pump
should stake his hat ;''-but as near as we
can ascertain, and Il is a matter Of history,
the saying is as follows:
About nineteen years ago, fine looking
old gentleman, from Western Virginia, en-
tered store in Nashville, Tennessee. Said
store was owned by bluff. honest old ,ra-
der, who knew a great deal more about the
quality of the liquor sold at the back end
of the counter than he did about the fneness
OF the fabrics at the other, nevertheless, be-
tween the two extremities Of the shelf, he
contrlved to make both ends meet the ne
cess,Ies Of the case. The old Virginian
cas-. his eyes around the shelves, ard final
ly remarked
swell, neighbor, you, see. hev got hats"
"a slight sprinkle" was the answer, and
then followed the query, "War are you
from :"
"Old Virginia - was the response.
"Righs Smart old Sta,e," replied the Ten
nessean, "but getting rather two old to keep
her har on.''
"Wha. do you mean ~ inquired the yir-
ginian.
"Well just what say, uncle, it cam. keep
her har on-for instance, now, J should
think you hev been righ, healthy child Of
the Old Dominion, but she has shed you
a. last, and like Sampson of old, that's jes,
The way she is Iosin' all The bes, har off her
venerable head,'
The Old Virginian looked around the
store rather bothered with the liberty this
Tennessean WAS taking with his mother
State, and finally remarked.
81 came here to talk abou, bats, stranger,
and not har.''
DWELL, well, uncle, don't git wralhy now,
| was only ven,uring political opinion a.
bout population in gineral, and on that head
we don't quarrel bu. 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 IL
quor was imbibed, and mex. followed the
hats. The merchant tossed down four or
five wool hats of various sizes, and invited
the old gentleman to selec. one which would
fl, him. He looked at them, examined the
sizes, said they would do, and requested
the storekeeper to hand him down few
more.
"Them's all right" said the old Virginian-
turning them around; and the stout old store;
keeper, blowing with exer,ion, descended
from his perch, where he was s,radling from
from shelf to counter. As soon as he reach
ed the floor, the old Virginian remarked that
he had not got enough yet.
"Oh, you want 'em Cor your Diggers :"
says the storekeeper !; "well, why did'n. you
say so when | was up," and he again pro-
ceeded to perch himself up," like mercan-
tile colossus. When he had bowed himself
into his former position, the old man quietly
remarked:
"Why, stranger, wsrn't talking any,
thing about niggers." The fac. is The old
man was rather enjoying the extra trouble
he had put The Tennessean to.
"Well, what do you want with SO many
hats % inquired the latter.
81 wan. 'em for my sons," said the old
man.
The s,orekeeper began to count those on
the coun.er-"Eigh" said he,''a pretty big
spread Of bows already, I'll swear, bu. here
goes" and he added one and then another
and We, fourth, and he picked off The fifth
and finally seeing that the old man stood
mmoveable, earnestly counting the hats, he
tossed down three more and was about ,o
descend himself, when the old man told him
to hold on and throw down tep more.
ooh come uncle" said he, "you are jok.
ing;" but to please him he threw down
twenty.
"Ths,s jest one too many" said the old
man with much gravity.
"What you don't mean to say you have
nineteen sons Z"
"Yes do mean to cay so," was the old
mans answer.
"And ,char in the name Of the Sssle Of
Tennessee are they -
"WelI, they are in Tennessee" said the
man, sright yeer, in this ci.y-up at tina.
hotel.''
"Strsnger," said the storekeeper, his in
creduI,y making him sputter and s,utler as
he said it, "if you ken show nineteen boys
of our make, ,har's the hats"
"Hold on them" said the old man, and
off he started. In abou. ten minutes. down
stree, he came, heading line of nineteen
boys marching single file, each bearing
good gun, and followed by their venerable
mother. They entered The merchants store
and ranged along the coun,er-,he store
keeper run his eye along the line with as
tonlshment.
"And you say he inquired, "lha. these
boys are all yours -