The Perrysburg journal. [volume] (Perrysburg, Ohio) 1853-1861, 1858-02-11
ssi tr s4 -si' - From this Golden Prize.
An Awful Night; or. The Devil in
the Grocery. sf
BY HAZEL GREEN, ESQ.
CHAPTER /


CAPTAIN Spluggs a real Jolly old customer,
staftline Ave feet three in his boots, aud weigh
ing some three hundred pounds resided in Hi.
nuis, and kept "grocery" up at the head OF
Possum Creek, at q place called Crackers Neck
that is to say, he sold molasses, whiskey, and
such like in little log cabin up there. The
captain had a goodly number OF patrons, espe'
,cially for the whiskey, and rumor says he was
not bad customer himsef-in fact, some even
went so Gar us to hint that he drank more whls-
KEY than any other three men on the creek and
I will not attempt to refute the charge, for |
know from some cause or other, the old fellow
was exceedingly fond of the business.
Captain Spluggs had son, who like his dad,
was q true lover OF the "good critter,' but the
old man refused to let him drink it. He had
enough of the Young America about him,
however, to be capable of shifting for himself
ESQ when old Spluggs was in bed snoring away In
regular asaw-mill style, the young Spiuggs was
Wretty ssare to come " bobbing around F" for the
purpose OF stealing the key from the pocket OF
his dads trowsers as they hung on "a chair.--
This accomplished, he would collect lot OF
his young dren6s together at the grocery, and
have what they called, a jolly time of it.
Captain Spluggs' grocery soon got to be an
intolerable nuisance to the neighbors. All day
long the old gentleman and his friends drank
and caroused, and ali night long the young gen.
plan laid down by the older one. 1t was too
much for the patience of any people. Even the
Crackers Neckans could not endure it, and SO
they called meeting, and appointed commit
tee whose duty it was to visit the old captain,
and request him to keep better order of things
in the future. The committee men performed
their Office, at which the captain laughed hearth
ly. Finding that he was inclined TO make sport
OF them, they resorted TO threats, and assured
ha lao cit
would take the matter into lheir own hands
still he laughed. Their visit made no impres,
sion--,hings went on as before. -
Some nigats after this, Spiuggs, junior, having
possessed himself of the key, repaired to the
grocery as usual to have his spree. 1t was about
the hour of eleven, and one of his participants
was already in waiting.
- Arch," said he, addressing the young Mr.
Spluggs, "Pll be dinged ef don't think tha's
someihin' in this are grocery, for hear some
kind of trompin' round in thar =
Guess it's only the rats, for tha's lots and
gobs of them about" replied Arch.
"Hark hear it again y exclaimed the first
speaker.
f"It does sound little queer returned Arch
seLet's 90 aud set down on the door step and
listen awhile afore we go i'll
They proceeded to put this plan into execu'
sion, but ere they had scarcely touched the step
Snlcn was iarSe, nat StoHe, they oouHueu Ut
with a suddenness that would have had locker
on to suppose it was red hot.
What in the nations this we've sot down
in7" asked Arch.
"Tar, or molasses, or somethin' as live y re
piled the other.
"Molasses, as sure as shootin'," continued
Arch, after short investigation.
2" Yes. molasses and whiskey, by blixim y put
in his friend, who had just carried the work o
IL. .lNr
doubtful compound in proximity with his nasa
organ.
i"That's so, and it's runnin' out from under
the door in perfect sluce~ - said Arch.
Just then their ears were greeted with most
inhuman sounding groan from within, and ther
the "trompin' round" commenced again. Thi:
was too much for the unstrung nerves of ou
young heroes, and so they cut dirt for oheI
quarters.