Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1858-07-16

The First Ice Cream.
The following article appeared few wears apo in
The Daguerreotype," periodical of shortlived exs
tence conducted by the Rev. DR.. Freeman, who died a
few days since, Bishop of Arkansas and Texas.
!" we knew to whom, or to what, to give credit for
the following hit, we would certainly do it. 1t comes
to us without any inmation of its origin and we give
it place udcrousy characteristic 1t purports to be
An account of Ethan Spikes First and Last Visit to
Portland -
Portland is the alLfredst place ever seed was
down there in 49, to see little about my goin to the
Legislator, and such time as had you never heer'd
tell on Did ever tell you about the ice cream scrape
had?
We answered in the negative, and he resumed:
Wall, I'd bin down thar two or three days, pokin'
in every hole an tho I'd seed every thing thar was to
be seen. But one day towars sun down was goin by
shop In Middle street that looked wonderfully slick
there was all manner of candy an peppermnts an what
nots at the windows An then thar war signs with
goold letters on to them hangn round the door, ten'
how they sold Soda, Mead an Ice Cream thar says
to myself have heern good deal about this ERE ice
cream an now if don't see what theys made of. So
puts my hands into my pockets, an walked in kinder
careless an says to chap standn behind the counter
DO you keep any ice creams here?
Yes sir, says he, how much II haveY
considered mint says la pint, SIR
The young feler's face sweled out, an he liked to
have laughed right out, but arter while be asked
Did you say pint, srr
Sartin,' says l. but p'raps you don't retail, so /
don't mind taIin' quart
WAL don't you think the feller snorted right out
Tell yer what it made me feel sort psun, an l gave
him look that made him look sober in about mint
an when cnched my fist and looked so at him (here
Mr.. Spike favored with most diabolcal eXpresSOn)
he hauled in his horns about the quickest an handed
me pint O. the stuff perlite as could be- Wall, /
tasted mouthfu of it, an found it cool as the north
side O. Bethel hill in January. I'd half mind to spit
it out but jest then seed the conectoner chap grimm
in behind the door, which riz my spunk. Gall smash
it ALL thinks l. I'll not let that whiteliverd monkey
think I'm afeared-I eat the plaguey stuff if it freezes
my inards. tell yer what I'd rather skinnd bear or
whippd wild cat, but went it. l eat the whole in
about mint.
kinder grpy here continued Ethan pointing to the low
er parts of his stomach, an kept on feen no better
fast, till at last it seemed though I'd got steam in
gen sawin' shingles in me. sot down cheer, and
bent myself up like nutcracker thinkn' I'd grin and
bear it but couldn't set still twisted and squirmed
about like angle worm hook till at last the chap
gin the cream who had ben lookn on snickering,
says he tn me,
Mister, says he, what ais yer?'
'As me! says I, that stuff of yourn is freezn'
up my dayights,' says l.
You eat too much, says he.
| L tell yer | didn't screamed /; Il know what's
nuf and what's too much, without askn' you, and if
YOU don't leave off snickerin I'll spe yer face
He cottened right down. and said he didn't mean any
hurt, and asked me if hadn't better take some GIN
told him would So took purity good horn, and
left the shop.
Arter got out, continued Ethan felt better for
mint so but hadn't gone fur afore the grpes took
me agn so l went into another shop and took some
more gin; then sot down on the State House steps,
and there sot and sot but didn't feel mite better
l begun to think goin' to kick the bucket and
then thought of father and mother and of old Spank
er-that's fathers hoss-and when / thought that /
should never see em again, 1 fairly bubbered. But
then happened to look up, and dozen boys grin
min and larn' at me- tell yer what, it rz my dander
that had got down below ner0rite up agin Isprung
at em like wild cat hollern out I'd shake their tarnal
gzzards out and the way the little devils scampered
caution to nobody. But after the citement ov the
race over felt agn and couldn't help groan-
in and schreechin' as | went along.
At last | thought I'd 20 to the theatre, but aore !
got there the grpes got strong that had to go be-
hind meetin house and lay down and hoer. Arter
while got up and went into shop and eat half dol
lars wuth of billed listers with four picked cowcum-
bers, and wound up with glass of brandy. Then l
went into the theatre and seed the plays, but felt
that couldn't see any fun in en- for don't think the
listers and the cowcumbers done me any good. | set
down, laid down. and stood up, but still it went
gripe, gripe. groand all the tme and in while
obliged to screech kinder easy Everybody stared
at me- and somebody called out, turn him out ! once
or twice. But at last just the niger Orthello was
going to put the per his wfes face to smother her,
there sich twinge through me, that l really
thought was burstn up, and yelled out Oh, dear
oh, ScisorS' so loud that the old theatre rung again.
OUCH d row YOU STU pll-
ler and Deuteronomy-or what you call her there-his
wife, jumped off the bed and run, while everybody in
the theatre was all up in muss some larin', some
swearin The upshot Of it was the perlice carried
out of the theatre and told to make myself
Wall, as | didn't feel any better, went into a shop
close by and called for two glasses of brandy arer
swallern it, | went hum to the tavern. sat down by
the winder and tried think felt better but twas
90 that blessed old ingne still walerin away in
side so went out and eat quarters worth Of listers
and piece o. mince pie. Then | went back and told
the tavern keeper felt kinder sick, and thought I'd
take some Castor ile mouthiul OF cold meat, and q
strong glass of whisky punch and then go to bed He
got the fixins which took and went to bed
But tell yer what, had rather poor night Some
times was awake groanin', and when ! was asleep I'd
better bin awake, for had such powerful Dreams
Sometimes | thought l skinnn bear, and then
by some hocuspocus twoud all change tother side TO-
and the tarnal critter would be skinnin' me-
Then, again. I'd dream that | was rolling logs with
the boys and Jest I'd be shCutin' out now then
here she goes every thing would get reversed agn
was log, and the boys pryin me up with theiI
handspikes. Then I'd wake up and screech and roar
then off to sleep againto dream that Spanker had
away with me- or that father whipping me- or some
other plaguey thing, till mornn'.
When got up, | hadn't any appetite for breakfast
and the tavern keeper told me that if l gon' Il
carry on screamn and groanin had the night afOrt
my room was better than my company.
han't' said Mr. Spike, IN conclusion, haint biz
to Portland since but if live to be old Methusa
lem shall never forget that ALFRED Ice Cream"
Sales OF Lands in Minnesota.
0 ,,raeont below q statement of of nUf,