Raftsman's journal. [volume] (Clearfield, Pa.) 1854-1948, 1859-02-02
TOUGH STORIES.


Mississippi river, told rather tough stories a.
bout London thieves. A Cincinnati chap,
named Case, heard these narratives with ST.
lent but expressive humph and then remark
ed that the Western thieves beat the London
operatives all hollow.
ssHow so 2'' inquired the Englishman, with
surprise. s'Pray, sir, have you lived much in
the West ?''
ssNot a great deol. 1 undertook to set mp
in business in Des Moines Rapids, while ago,
but the rascally people stole nearly everything
had, and at last Welsh miner ran off with
my wife,
"Good gracious." exclaimed the English
man, ssand have you never found her2"
"Never, to this day. But that was not the
worst of it.''
"Worse! Why what could be worse than
stealing mans wife ?''
ssStealing his children, should say" said
the implacabe Case.
sChildren 20
eyes, a negro woman, who hadn't any of
her own, abducted my yougest daughter, and
sloped and Joined the Indians.''
ssDid you see her ~
'.See her. yes and she hadu't ten rods the
start Of me but she plunged into the lake and
swan off like duck, and there wasn't canoe
to follow her with.''
The Englishman leaned back in his chair
and called for another mug of &c 'alf and 'alf,"
while Case smoked his cigar and eyed his
crednlous friend at the same time most re-
morselessly.
ell shan't go any farther West, think, )"
at last observed the excited John Bull.
81 should not advise any one to co." said
Case quietly. ssMy brother once lived there,
but he had to leave, although his business was
the best in the country.
ssWhat business was he in ?''
'sThe lumber business. He had saw-mill.'
''And they stole the lumber 30
eyes, and saw-logs, too"
'sSaw-logs ?''
s'Yes, whole dozens of tho black walnut logs
were carried away in single night
SIS it possible i''
s.True, upon my honor, sir. He tried every
way to prevent it, had hired men to watch his
logs, but il all of use. They would
take them all away as easy as if there had been
no one there. They would steal them out of
the cove and even out of the mill-house.''
'sGood gracious!'
ssJust to give you an idea of how they can
steal out there" sending a sly wink at the lis
tening company, s.jnst to give you an idea
did you ever work in a saw-mill2'
ssNever.''
swell, one day my brother bought an all
fred fine black walnut-four feet three at the
butt, and not knot in it. He was determin-
ed to keep that log anyhow, and hired two
Scotchmen to watch it all night. Well, they
took small demijohn of whiskey with them,
snaked the log up the hill above the mill built
q fire and then sat down on the log to play
cards just to keep awake, you see. twas a
monstrous big log, bark two inches thick.
Well, as was saying, they played cards and
drank whiskey all night, and when it began to
grow light went to sleep astraddle of the log.
About minute after daylight brother George
went over to the mill to see how they were
getting on, and the log was gone"
"What were the Scotchmen doing 7''
ssSitfing on the bark /, The thieves had driv-
en- an iron wedge into the butt end, which
PORTED down the hill, and hitched yoke of
oxen on and pulled it right ont of the shell,
leaving the Scotcbmen there astraddle of it,
fast asleep. Fact