Monmouth weekly herald. [volume] (Freehold, N.J.) 1854-1860, 1859-01-27
TOUGH.

An Englishman, who was travelling on
the Mississippi River, told rather tough
stories about London thieves. A Cincin-
natl chap, named Case, heard these mar
ratives with silent but expressive humph
and then remarked that the Western
thieves beat the London operators all hol-
low.
4" How so ~ inquired the Englishman
with surprise. Pray sir, have you lived
much in the West ~
Not great deal. undertook to set
up in business at Des Moines Rapids, a
while ago, but the rascally people stole
nearly everything l had, and at last a
Welsh miner ran off with my wife,"
Good gracious = exclaimed the Eng
| lishman, " and have you never found her?'
Never, to this day. But that was net
the worst of it."
Worse? Why what could be worse
than stealing mans wife 2"
Stealing his children, l should say"
said the implacable Case.
Children !"
Yes, negro woman, who hadn't any
of her own, abducted my youngest daugh'
ter and sloped and joined the Indians"
Did you see her 2"
! See her yes and she hadn't ten
rods the start of me but she plunged
into the lake and swan off like duck
and there wasn't a canoe to follow hel
with"
The Englishman leaned back in hi:
chair and called for another mug o.
'alf and all" while Case smoked his CT.
gar and eyed his cre2ulous friend at the
same time most remorselessly.
I'll shan't go any further West,
Think at last observed the excited Johr
Bull.
I should not advise any one to go,
said Case quietly. my brother once
lived there. but he had to leave, although
his business was the best in the country.
What business was he in ?"
The lumber business. He had saw
MILL
And they stole the lumber ?"
Yes, and saw logs too."
Saw-logs :"
es, whole dozens of the black wal
nut logs were carried away in a single
night"
Is it possible Z"
True, upon my honor, sir. He trieC
every way to prevent it, had hired mer
to watch his logs, but it was all of ne
use. They would take them all away al
easy as if there had been no one there
They would steal them out of the COW
and even out of the mill house."
GOOD gracious !"
"Just to give you an idea how the,
can steal out there" sending a SLY winl
at the listening company, Just to Civ
you an idea-did you ever work in a sa :
mill 2"
"Never."
"Well, one day my brother bought a
all fired fine black valuations fee
three at the butt, and not knot in it,
He was determined to keep that log any
how, and hired two Scotchmen to waite
it all night. Well they took small dem
John Of whiskey with them, snaked tn
log up the hill above the mill, built fir
and then sat down on, the log to pla
cards just to keep awake yon see. Twa
a monstrons big log, bark two ipYehe
thick. Well, asf was saying, they playe'
49, 49, I'd drank whiskey all night, AM
when 1T besan TO gre.,,r Goht went aslee
astraddle of the log. Abouv a saG.aut
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 ?"
" Sitting on the bark! The thieves hac
driven an iron wedge into the butt end
which pointed down hill, and hitehed a
yoke of oxen on and pulled it right oul
of the SHE'LL leaving the Scotchmen there
astraddle of the bark, fast asleep"