Mineral Point tribune. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1854-1858, 1854-09-20
VOL. VINO. 45.
LOG BOILING.

An EnglisLman who was travelling on
the Mississippi river, told some rather
tough stories about London thieves A
Cincinnati chap. named Case, heard these
narratives, with silent but expressive
humps aud then remarked that be
thought the Western thieves beat the
London operators all hollow
. How so 2' inquired the Englishman.
with surprise. Pray, sir, have you lived
much in the West 2"
:. Not a great deal undertook to set
up business at the Desmoines Ranids q
while ago. but the rascaliy people stole
everything | had, and finally a Welch mi
ner ran off with my wife,
:. Good Ged p said the Englisl..nau;
" and you never found her ?'
:" Never to this day. But that was not
the worst of II
Worst! Why, what can be worse than
stealing mans wife 2"
Stealing his children, L should say"
said the implaeable Case.
Children p'
Yes, nigger woman, who hadn't any
of her own, abducted my younger daugh-
ter and sloped and joined the Ineens ln
Great Heavens did you see her do
It 2"
''See her Yes she hadn't ten rods the
start of me, but she plunged into the lake
and swan Ike duck, and there wasn't
canoe to follow her with "
The Englishman laid back in his chair
and called for another mug of "a ff and aft,
while Case smoked his cigar aud eyed his
credusous friend, at the same time, most
reuaorseless1y
II ,han't go any further West. I
think" at length observed tie excited
John Bull
Il should not advise any one to 60"
said Case quietly. " Ny brother once
lived out there, but he had to leave, al
though his business was the best in the
country"
9 " hat business was he in 2'
"Lum bering-had a saw mill"
. And they stole his lumber 2"
" Yes, and his saw-logs, too
" Saw logs 2"
- Yes Whole dozens of fine black wal
nut logs were carried off in a single night.
True upon my honor, sir lie tried every
way to prevent it hired men to watch his
logs: but il was all no use. They'd whip
EN- away as if there had been no one there
They'd steal EN- out of the river, out Of
the cove. and even out Of the mill ways"
Good gracious !"
- just 10 give you al idea how they can
steal ont there" continued Case, sending
a sly wink to the listening company just
to give you au idea-jid you ever work in
a saw mill ~
q" Never"
q Wen. my brother. one day, bought an
alfred fine black walnut log--four feet
three at the butt. and not knot in it
IL was determined to keep that log. any
hcw and lie hired two Scotohmen to watch
i all night Wei, they took small dem-
John of whiskey with them, snaked the
log up the side-hill above the mill, and
then sat down on the log to play keerds.
just to keep awake, you see. Twas a
monstrous big log-bark two inches thick
Well, as / was saying, they played kee-ds
and drank whiskey all highland as it
began to grow light they went to sleep a
straddle the log About a minute after
daylight my brother went over to the mill
to see how they got on, and the log was
gene -
:: And they sitting en- it 7'
4" Sitting on the bark The thieves had
drove an iron wedge into the butt end
which pointed down hill, and hitched a
yoke of oxen on, and it pulled it right out
leaving the shell and Scotchers setting "a
straddle of 1t, fast asleep"
The Englishman here rose, dropped his
cigar stump into the spittoon, and looking
at bis watch, said he thought he would go
river before morning.