St. Charles City Republican intelligencer. [volume] (St. Charles City [Charles City], Iowa) 1857-1861, 1857-11-26
Humorous sksttb.
" SLEEPY DAVID"
The Story Of the Tin Peddler.

The following story, extracted from
the work, a Yankee among the Null
lifiers,' purports to be told to another
by South Carolinian
Yankees, as l said before, are
apt to be too cute for us i'll every
thing but horse flesh, and even some
times in that. 1t was this day three
years ago, and on this very spot, that
| entered my horse Southern for a
purse of two thousand dollars. He
had won like sum the year before
with all ease. In short, he was the
best horse at that time in South Caro-
lima. There were, to be sure, two
other horses, and very fine ones too,
entered against him, but they We're
no touch to Southern" and | was as
sure of winning as | am sitting here
this moment, when who should come
along but Yankee with a tin cart !!
He had the shabbiest, worst looking
horse | ever put my eyes on. He was
lean, slab-sided, crooked-legged,
rough-haircd "critter" as ever went
on four legs. He stood all the time
as if he was asleep; in fact, his owner
called him Sleepy David" In short,
sir, he was such horse as would not
have brought twenty dollars.
1t was near the hour of starting,
when the peddler, whose exterior cor
responded marvelously with that of
his horse, and who said his name was
Zadock Barber, to the astonishment
of all, intimated wish to enter his
horse with the rest.
Your horse !" exclaimed I, "what
that sleepy looking devil there? You
had better enter him for the turkey,
buzzards."
Not as you knows on, Mister" re.
sumed the Yankee, with some show
of spirit. "To be sure the crittel
looks little sleepy as he stands, and
on that account | call him Sleepy
David;' but he's jo-fir'd smart hoss
for all that. He's like singed cat, a
darnation sight better nor he looks
| should like tarnation well to try him
against some of your South Carolina
hosscs. To be sure | don't come al
the way from home for that purpose
but as was coming out this way OF
load of tin and other notions,
thought l might time it so as to xii
two birds with one stone; for, thinks
l to myself, if can win the purse
and peddle off my notions at the same
time, | shall make plaguey goot
spec. But | had to hurry on like thu
nation to get here in time, and that:
che reason my hoss looks so shabby
and out of fix this morning. But fo
all that he'll perform mighty goo,
days work, tell YOU"
Supposing he had no idea of run
ming his horse, and that all he salt
was merely TO crafty his propensit,
fer talking, | bade him begone, AM
not trouble us with his Yankee pala
YER.
"Why, mister said he, i" this is
free country, and a man has a righ
to talk or let it alone, .jist as he Ca
afford. Now, I've taken great dea
of pains to git here this morning. i
order to run Sleepy David agin som
of your Southern hosses. aint jol
ing, sir, I'm in airnest. understan
there is a purse of two thousand do
lars, and l should like amazing topic
it up.'
"Iou talk of picking up two tho'
sand dollars with that bit of carrie
of yours! Away with you, and don
trouble us any further"
/ "Wel, If can't run, | suppose
can't; but its darned hard ahyho'
for a man to take so much pains as
!. have to come up to the races, an
then can't run arter all.
: "I It's too late now. BY the rules Q
III. course tbc horse should have beel