The weekly Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1854-1861, 1856-12-18
A Tale.

Sis OF many spirited bon mot, the best "
ever saw having been penned by the la
Major North. But the peculiar iIlegibiIiI
Of Mr., Chonte's handwriting will be seen
the following incident.
On the occasion Of the meeting it becan
necessary that the letter of declination shouI
be publicly read, and the chairman W.
called upon to fulfill the Office. Chairma
accordingly rose in his seat and thrust h
left pocket to find the letter. Letter WASH
there. Chairman tried the fight--no CO.
Tried the coat.tail pockets--no success
Letter turned up missing. Chairman stare
at Secretary, and Secretary in turn scrutin
lied the countenance Of the Vice President
no Choate manuscript to be found. Tn
next step was for the person to whom it wa
addressed to 60 to his hotel, Colonel Rich
ard B Jones', in Lock street, and hlnt tn
letter. Colonel Jones was as busy, whel
his guest entered as a musk.rat at high wa
ter, engaged in giving n Dutch carpenter di
rections for making an ornamental cornice
"What's the matter, sir!" he asked as tn,
fat gent rushed into the saloon, putting ikt
a Porpoise; "what's your hurry!"
"Why, Colonel, I'm as mad as thunder
I've lost Rufus Choate's letter to the Demo
cratic meeting, and they're waiting to heal
it read.' .
"Ah, indeed! that's a pity" remarked
the Colonel, with his usual sympathy
"Where did you leave it lastl" ....
"Well, the factis, don't know; but I'm
pretty sure l left it in my room"
"Have you looked there!"
"Tes; but can't find it,"
"Why, that's very strange; nobody has
entered your room since you left. Suppose
you 90 ard take another leok!'
The fat gentleman acquiesced, and they
ascended the stairs together, when fat gent
e'Picd paper lying on the floor, which he
declared to be the missing document. This
he seized, and hurried up to the State House,
where the meeting ~us in session. He en-
tered, and as the audience were on the eli.
macteric of expectancy to know what Mr..
Choate's sympathies were, fat gents ap-
pearance, red as lobster in a new suit of
Termillion, with paper in his hand, pro-
duced round Of applause. Fat gentlemen
subsidized into chnr, and wiped his face with
a square yard OF cOmbfic, while Secretary
arose, adjusted his spectucles and neck tie,
pulled up his shirt collar precisely three
quarters of an inch higher, and then unfold
ed the document. When he did so he blush
ed scarlet red, returned paper to fat gent
and sat down. Audience began to hiss,
while fat gent soon saw that instead of the
Choate letter, he had brought with him, bv
mistake, an architectural design. The hous-
then went into an uproar. As it was too
late to read the letter, and while the Secrc.
larry stated the facts of The case, our fat
'riend returned to Colonel Jones to enlist
MS sympathy While the Colone was thus
listening to his chubby friends narrative, in
comes Dutch carpenter with planed board
,nder his arm, sawed in angles innumera-
Die. Dutchy looked irate, and, as a matter
'f course, his employer wished to know
Why.
"Why. Chones, Shust give up dis chob,
nd has nothing NOR to do nit it-dat is
H."
"Why not!" was the surprised rejoinder.
eyes, why not" added fat gent, quite in
crested in the mans manner.
"WelI, because it takes too much stutf,
nd too much work; and lose money on
| bcsdes.''
"Why,you get all you ask, don't youp'
inquired the Colonel
eyes; but you tell me dat de diagram was
lain, and you send me one wha, is different
very ten foot, and as hard to make ss ter
,yfel."
"Wby, that's odd!' said the Colonel.-
Let's look at it,"
"Dere, by tonder!" said Dutchy, produ.
ing the paper aud spreading 1t on the table.
"Shoost tell me how you dinks I make
at for six tollars!"
"The deuce!" exclaimed the Colonel, with
mphasis.
"Goodness eracious!' said the fat gentle
ian, "he's been making coraice BIZ that
>hoate letter."
Such was the case. The aFpenter--a
Aeipseiger-had by some mis-.
Ike got hold o: The fat gentleman's treas
re, and supposng it to be the gentleman's
raft of "tam Yankee cornice," had faith.
lily endeavored to saw out pattern. 1t
as most unexampled case of persever.
ace under extreme difficulties, as Colonel
hoate's manuscript looks very much whstt
Virginia worm fence must appear to gen
eman upon hard spree.
An kbStFasc Calculation.
Mr.. O'Flaherty undertook to tell how
any were at the party. The two Crogans
as one myself wos fw0 nTikp Fin u,,s {