Spirit of the age. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1849-1865, 1852-03-03
NUMBER 26.
DIAMOND CUT DIAMOND.


Il was only few evenings ago that I
happened 70 be sitting at a side table in
rs eating saloon, in this place, indulg.
ing 10 a lew fried before going 10 bed.
The oysters were particularly fusi snd
should have engroSsed all my attention,
but visions Of doctors and dyspepsia
would Intrude themselves upon me. The
opening Of the door disturbed nv OF very
pleasant reveries, and when | raised my
head my eyes fell upon rather strange
locking specimen OF humauity-he ev-
identity belonged to that class of persons
called Yankees-not genuine YANKEES,
SUCH as come from Vermont State, and
ra7 noterfeus Tor their wooden nutmeg
proPensities no4rthat kind; here ne sp-
ply the fern Yankee fothose inditid-
Hals who come down the river semf-an.
nually With lumber. Well, as soon an
he entered, he walked, or rather touhged
up to the counter, behind which r. vas
standing, and after watching his motions
10! moment or two, broke out,
1 say. CaPting they look plump, 'spose
you open Us lsw Yaao.'
A plate was put before him, and R.
commenced serving them out pretty RI.
Pidly, as thought, but not fast enough
tor the impatient river man the oyster
hardly touched the plate before the Yam
kee would hook it up with his fork, and
Euip II down with Cne swallow, and then
he would flourish his fork before RS
face, and cry hurry up the cakes Wake
up, old man. Sc, until R. who had ale
ways prided himself on his dexterity in
uncasing the 'sea-toads, became quite
excited. At last, in reply TO some cut
ting joke of the Yankee, r. said in no
gentle tone
Look here, friend, you seem To pride
yourself on being fast eater. Now; I'll
bet you $50 | can open oysters faster
than you can pick them up and swallow
them, and not half try
| don't like to be bluffed off in that
way, but you're leetle ahead of my pile.
Spose you make it SO. and swan if I
don't take you, aad give you Eve for q
starter
This was agreed TO- and both parties
pulled out their money and deposited it
in my hands.
After all was fixed, K. deliberately
ope ned the FIVE he was to start with,
and then rolling his sleeves up to his ell
bows. called cdt TO the Yankee, who Was
foGS An baud aazieaslg slzsls.
The words had hardly left his moutAsbe-
fore he had added another to the plate,
and third, followed each other i'm, quick
succession. The Yankee was not idle
all this time. but had been slowing them
| away at a rate that threatened soon to
empty the plate before him: r. was be-
ginning to look blank, and ] was Just
thinking that he was going TO give up
and acknowledge the corn,' when, sud-
denly by dexterous twitch, he threw
one cut on the bar counter. Yankee
stopped moment to cry foul but see-
ing that one had been gained on him by
his hesitation, swallowed it, dust and
counter on the floor, and The next, and
the next. The Yankee evidently began
10 see the game, for instead Of losing
time exPostuIatiug, went sctambllng
over the floor after the oysters, which
! now few to all corners Of the room only
waiting TO give them a wipe on the
sleeve of his coat before engulphing
them. Thus we were kept in doubt
which would beat, until R. capped the
climax, by making one aIight, acciden-
tally, of course. right in the spit-box.-
| The astonished man gazed for moment
at the oyster, as il lay half embedded in
the dirty saw-dust, and then dropping
his fork, made a straight coat tail out Of
side door.
| As the door closed upon him, all hands
Joined in hearty laugh at The EXPENSE
of the vanquished hero, in which rs
voice was the most CONSPICUOUS; bat
woful change came over his countenanes
as he examined the stakes which / had
Just han ded him. You may judge how
the laugh turned when he'exclaimed, in
voice not unlike the rumbling Of thun-
der, counterfeit, by the hokies!'
Fritz.