Kenosha tribune & telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1856-1859, 1857-07-09
For the Tribune Telegraph.
a Scrap from Counter Jumpers Port Folio.
By TIMoN, n. d.


Forstraight so fair form did upward start.
[Coleridge
Twas on the second morning of my employ
as clerk in the snug little store of DIR. J. Bal
win, in a small but thriving village in Ohio, that
first saw Benjamin Briggs. He entered the
store just as l had finished regulating it for the
day, and after greeting me with a cordial 'good
morning" much TO my surprise, seated himself
on the counter. His next move was to produce
from his capacious pocket a formidable jack
knife, with which much to my annoyance and
Indignation he commenced littering the clearly
swept floor with WRITINGS.
Let me describe the mamie was of medium
height-very feshy with jovial happy counte-
nance fond of jokes and withal an inveterate
loafer-on the whole good companion to while
away time, either in practising his indoor games,
or relating his travels in foreign lands and start
ling adventures that existed only in his imagi-
nation He had never been three score miles
from his birth place, but he was great reader,
which was of great value to him in fashioning
his wonderful stories.
Well, we left Ben whiting "a soft pine stick"
time when three or four of his companions
came in l concluded they were his friends
as they all seated themselves and commenced
the highly interesting and instructive game
of mumble-the peg, which consists in launch
ing jack knife in such manner as to
strike the ground in a desired POSITION
Ben took the lead and came off victorious nearly
every time. Those parts of the unfortunate
counter on which this game was played, had be-
come woefully cut up, 1t was completely COW
cred with ndentations.
This was my first introduction to this COM
pany of loafers and l must confess the first i'm
preston was decidedly uufavorable. There
were plenty of chairs and other convenient seats
in the room, more fitting to lounge upon than
the counter, and was often much embarrassed
when customers came in, especially if they
were ladies', and decided, If possible to Gust
these rowdies from their comfortable quarter on
the counter The DIR. was seldom in the store
during the day, being much away en- profession
al business, therefore he kne. little of the life
| led.
BY stealing time when no one was in bet my
self, l managed to construct an apparatus sSel
as ] will here describe. I obtained six long
needles. placed them with points towards the
zenith in gimlet holes that pierced the counter
in direct line and about IL inches asundcr. l
made springs Of strips of tin and attached one
of these TO the head of es oh needle-then
placed ten foot pole dir, sctly under the
needles and fastened string TO one end OF II
and then carried the string upw ard through the
counter TO the desk where stood the operator, q
G. myself) A slight jerk ON tn. string would
cause all the needles to spring hea venward thro
the counhf-and as quickly fly ba elk when tht
string was l6oscned In two or three days
finished this apparatus and found : worked tC
charm. 1t was exquisite pleasm e to me td
think of Ben, two hundred pouIn man per
forming gymnastics on this counter at my bid
ding.
On the following morning Ben ente. ed the
the store minus coat and vest, it being il that
warmest of summer months, August. 4 tter
the usual salutation he took his accustomed Sc al
and commenced whiting. In short time on.
of his boon companions entered and for won
der took his seat on a chair l went mp to the
desk and seemed much engaged IN writng-soon
our hero commenced thrilling story OF an ad-
venture he once had with a bear, when on the
Rocky mountains-and when he was in the
most exciting part of his story, deemed the de-
cisive moment had arrived to try my apparatus,
gave the string jerk:-
When upward leaped that giant form sublime
Resemblance OF the rockets swift ascent
As if some hidden magic underlined,
Had all its quick ming powers unbidden lent
Ben leared from the counter and commenced
an investigation of his inexpressibles-he soon
withdrew his hand and in a suppressed voice
said by George, boys that bee must have been
a whopper" lie and his companion were too
much interested in finding the Bee to notice my
emotions but if any one had been near the desk
at that moment they might have witnessed q
kind Of suppressed Notification, and though
was not feshy, still think picked up half
dozen buttons, that had suddenly refused their
Office and fallen to the ground.
In a short time Ben re-seated himself on the
counter and went on with the story that had
been so unceremoniously inter- upted, he had
scarcely finished telling his exploits on that oc-
casion when his companion WIS called away and
our hero and myself were left alone. / soon
gave another jerk to the str ing Ben dislanced
his former leap some inchas, then rushed fran
ticaly behind pile of goods in the back part of
the store-what occurred there "the deponent
saith net" but Ben soon came up to where
stood, and demanded in loud and pleasant
voice, what in thunder are you laughing att "
ments for want of breath; for simultaneously
with Bens last leap, there fell another shower
of buttons, also. was heard the ominous sound
of rending cashmere, which was afterwards ac-
counted for by sundry rips and rents discovered
in my inexpressibles. That days frolic drew
could we'll afford.
l had seen enough of Ben to know he could
take, as well as give joke and So l thought
best to disclose TO him the ''bee' and rely on
his secretiveness. Taking him behind the coun-
ter I showed him the whole apparatr.s-he VOW
ed it was "good joke also thaa he would
have a leather cushion to protect him from the
merciless needles, and after that he would sit
for hours with the utmost sang frsid and wit
ness his companions, perform 'grarsd and lofty
tumblings"
The loafers suddenly abandoned their favorite
seats on the eornter and seemed to be very par
tisl TO chairs and could never be induced by
Ben's example to take the old seat.
\ CAPITAL SUGGEsTIoN.-Fillib
Walker complains OF Capt. Davis for
.rescuing him from hisperilous condition
The New York Times proposes the fol-