The Nevada journal., 1857-03-13
CHOATE,S MSS

CdOAIE . MSS.
Rufus Choate's renowned "hand-
write" has given rise to numberless good
yarns, and among them the following is
not the worst:
On the occasion of meeting it be-
came necessary that letter of declina-
ton should be publicly read, and the
chairman was called upon to fulfill the
office. Chairman accordingly rose in
his seat, and thrust his hand into his
left hand pocket to find the letter.
Letter wasn't there. Chairman tried
the right-no go. Tried the coat tail
pockets-no success. Letter turned up
missing. Chairman stared at Secreta-
ry, and Secretary, in turn, scrutinized
the countenance of the Vice President /:
no Choate manuscript to be found. The
next step was for the person to whom it
was addressed to go to his hotel, (Col.
Richard b. Jones', in Dock street,) and
hunt the letter. Col. Jones was as bu-
sy, when his guest entered, as musk
rat at high water, engaged in giving
Dutch carpenter directions for making
an ornamental cornice.
whats the matter, sir?' he asked,
as the fat gent rushed into the saloon,
putting like a porpoise; what's your
hurry 2
why, Colonel, I'm as mad as thun-
der; I've lost Rufus Choates letter to
the democratic meeting, and they're
waiting to hear it read
'Ah, indeed! That's pity, remark
ed the Colonel, with his usual sympathy.
Where did you leave it last 2
We'll, the fact is, doa't know but
I'm pretty sure | left it in my ROOM
Have you looked there 2
Yes; but | can't find it,
why, that's very strange. Nobody
has been in your room since you left.
Suppose you so up and take another
look 2
The fat gentleman acquiesced, and
they ascended the stairs together, when
fat gent espied paper lying on the
floor, which he declared to be the mis-
sing document This he seized, and
hurried up to the State House, where
the meeting was in session. He enter
cd and as the audience were on the
climacctric of expectancy TO know what
Mr.. Choate's sympathies were, fat gents
appearance, red as lobster in a new
suit of vermillion, with paper in his
hand, produced round of applause.
Fat gentleman subsidized into chair
and wiped his face with square yard
of cambric, while Secretary arose, ad-
iusted his spectacles and neck tie, pull
ed up his shirt collar precisely three
quarters of an inch higher, and then un-
folded the document. When he did so
he blushed scarlet, returned paper to fat
gent, and sat down. Audience began
/ to hiss, while fat gent soon saw that, in
stead of the Choate letter, he had bro't
with him, by mistake, an architectural
design. The house then went into an
uproar.
AS it was too late to read the letter,
while the Secretary stated the facts of
the case, our fat friend returned to Col.
Jones, to enlist his sympathy While
the Colonel was thus listening to his
chubby friends narrative, in comes a
Dutch carpenter, with planed board
under his arm, sawed in angles innumer-
able Dutchy looked irate, and as a
matter of course, his employer wished TO
know why.
why, Chones, I shust give up dis
chob, and has nothing more to do NIT it
dat ish all =
why not?' was the surprised rejoin-
der
Yes, why not?' added fat gent, quite
interested in the mans manner.
Well, because It takes too much
shtuff, and too much work: und loosh
money on it pc sides
'Why,yo get all you ask, don't youP
inquired the Colonel.
Yes; but you tell me dat de diagram
was plain, and you sends me one what
is different every ten foot, und ash hard
10 make S ter tuyfel ?
why, that's oddp says the Colonel.
Let's look at it.
'Dere, by tonder = said Dutchey, pro-
ducing the paper and spreading it on
the table. 'Shoost tell me how you
dinks l make dat for six dollars =
The deuce!' exclaimed the Colonel.
with emphasis.
e Good gracious = said the fat gentle
man, he's been making q cornlce Of that
Choate letterP
Such was the case. The carpenter,
"a newly arrived Leipsiger) had, by
some mistake, got hold of the fat gentle
mans treasure, AID supposing it to be
the Colonel's draft of a tam Yankee
cornice,' had faithfully endeavored to
saw out pattern. 1t was most unex-
ampled case of perseverance under ex-
treme difficulties, as Col Choate's man.
uscript looks very much like Virginia
worm fence must appear to a gentle
man on a hard spree.