The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1853-06-09
a New Machine.

team ana several over
1t is not many years since that n number OF
Wild blades college students ''river bend,
were carrying on general crusade OF frolc IN
New York. One evening, after turn around
the city and having pretty thoroughly exhaust
ed the amusement resources of the village, they
assembled in a we'll known saloon where any
quantity of people like themselves were gather
ed. Everybody appeared to be busy except one
plainly dressed, quiet looking individual, who
sat alone and appeared to be Illuminating on the
vanity of human affairs. Our youngsters, at
the instance of their leader, instantly surround
ed the stranger and commenced to quiz him.
He listened quietly to their jokes, entering into
the spirit of the entertainment heartily, and ap-
peared to be what his tormentors took him for,
innocent, unsuspicious person from the coun-
try.
Presently, as they stood at the counter taking
some refreshment not wholly approved Of by
Father Matthew, the country gentleman, loosen
ing his tongue under the influence of ''whiskey
straight" began to communicate his private af-
fairs and objects in visiting the city.
''YOu nlin't none 0 you heern tell of my sis
ter Sally's sweetheart, hev you?'
''No!' shouted they all.
'Ramsey's his name. He's in the naval YES
sels, he is, He takes keare of their rocks, you
know. Vale, he's sister Sallys sweetheart and
mine is Sue Nobbins. :"
esGentlemen, Miss Nobbinssf health %
s'Thank you kindly. Pll-take mine whiskey
straight and spring water Well, Sue and wants
laint got no tin. Old dad Nobbins, he says tin
and matrimony works together like mashed tur-
nips, and says, 'Zebediah'-that's my name
Gentlemen, Rev. Mr.. Zebediah's health ~
''Thank you kindly. I'll take whiskey straight
and spring water. 'Zebediah, says he, you
aint got no tin you can't have Sue. When you
git purity smart lot O. tin, you can get Sue'''
Gentlemen, old Mr.. Nobbins' health !''
'Thank You kindly. Same as before, Mr..
Barkeeper. Vale, set my wits to work, and
lnnr a1,1 foofc Cd
and worked, and thought and l got an idee at
last Its mighty hard work this thinking aint
it. 1t don't hurt you any, gents? No! Vale
I thought so. So just come down here with
my machine to show it to sister SAILS sweetheart
Ramsey, who is in the naval Ships you know
and calkilate he'll sell it for me right away
''What is it? machine to make psalms ?''
s!No, it aint, nor hines neither. I don't mind
telling you; you are such simple looking chaps,
you would'n hurt fly, you wouldn't, would
you? No, thought SO; Vale, you see, I've
got up machine to make bank notes out of the
fuz you see growing on rail fences and I've got
another machine to travel by ITSELF in and out
bewriggling along the fence, you know and it
just picks off the fuz and packs it away as clean
as q seraped shoat.'
Gentlemen, the fuz picking machine and the
fuZ bank notes i''
'SThank you kindly Straight this time. if
you please. If you chaps II call at my stoppin'
place tomorrow FL show you the machine, and
'em, why maybe I'll bargain for 'em There's
my keerd Good night, gents; Pm bound to
turn IN. Don't forget. If you see sister SAILS
sweetheart Ramsey, who is is in the naval ships
you know, just tell him I'm come, will you? ?''
Amid a chorus of laughter and noisy saluta-
tions, the inventor of the fuz-bank note and rail-
fence picking machines departed.
'tWhere's his card? Let's see it!" said the
crowd gathering eagerly around their leader
"Sold, by the Gods!' he exclaimed, holding
the card up.
1t was passed around The crowd broke up
instanter, looking remarkably down in the
mouth.
The words the card were:
"Purser Ramsey, u. S. MN. o. Picayune
AYOuthfuI Cuvier.
We have, for some time past been much in
terested IN young man, native of this city,
named w. III. b. Thomas. There is nothing pre-
possessing in his appearance on the contrary,
excepting good eye-he carries an external
that might tempt one de jxre to indict dame ma
ture for libel Meeting him, perhaps amonp
the brilliant throng Fourth street, with an
outre gait, verdant physiognomy in a partial
eclipse from an incipient beard, a slouched hat
drawn close over the forehead the pockets of
his seedy coat distended by score of botanical
presentations, fossil ferns and geological speci-
mems, the sombre hue of his linen advertising
the death of his washerwoman; he would most
likely be taken for country lad from the hoop
hole region, who had ventured trip on the ca
nal IN search OF the terra apcogRitn Estown.'' We
nrst knew Thomas as newspaper carrier in
AZ, his unusal knowledge of Botany. Geology.
and Zoology was then the remark of all Soon
after this he obtained employment as an assis-
tant teacher in one of our schools at salary
that barely sufhced to buy meal and Goals for
his aged mother.
Wemet him again in the spring of 81. at the
Cincinnati meeting of the American Association
Tor the advancement of Science in the proceed-
ings of this body he took an interest that sur-
prlsed all whose observation was drawn by his
eager listening and his large collections of min
erals, plants and fossils. Here he attracted the at
tentlon OF Prof Beard and Prof. Henry of the
Smithsonian institute. We afterwards met
him on Mound street in this CITY, in the shop of
MIR. Mckinley, another humble but entbusi
astlc devotee of science, of whom the world will
yet take note, who had just finished with his own
hands and rude tools powerful telescope that
Thomas was critieising.
For some months past we had seldom met with
our eccentric friend but we encountered him
late last evening, at the Little Miami Railroad
Depot-a huge blank book labelled "Notes on
fosstt InfuSorad," under one arm; a shirt and
pair of socks under the other He had inst ar
rived from Washington, and had in his pocket
MS Commission as Naturalist TO the Kane Arctic
EzpIorfng Enpedition, which sails from New York
next week He had applied to Professor Henry
Ior some opportunity to pursue his favorite
stuales, and to place his name among those of
nistinguished and scientific discoveries Mr. II
ieaVes TINS evening for New York where he ioins
MS snip. We heartily wish him what he emi-
nently deserves-the highest success.-C;nn
Commercial "''