Clarksville chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1857-1865, 1859-10-14
A Landlord Outwitted.

A Correspondent of the Pbiladelphi;
Press relates the following amusing anec
dote of one of the citizens of Lock Ha
ven, Pennsylvania Ben w. Morrison i,
the person spoken Of and is said to be one
of those free and easy, good hearted, hu
morous fellows, that are always ready to
crack joke or perpetrate "sell."
Some fifteen years ago Ben was travell
ing in Butler county on professional bus.
mess. The roads were intolerably bad
worst of all, stage drivers and the land
lord at certain hotel where they stopped
for dinner had an understanding some
thing like this, the passengers were taken
into dinner and when cleverly seated, the
coach would furiously dash up to the door
and the driver would call for his passen-
gers stating that he could not delay min
ute on account of making his time. They
would rush out, leaving their meals hall
finished, for fear of being left. For the
half finished meal they were charged hall
dollar. The victuals were kept for the
next load of passengers, when the skin
ming process was repeated
! Ben had heard of this place, and when
they arrived at the hotel he sat his wits to
work to see if he could not get the full
value of his money. The bell rang for
dinner, and the crowd rushed in. They
had scarcely got comfortably seated when
the coach reined up at the door, and the
driver vociferously shouted:
"Passengers all aJoard-cant wait but
five minutes"
| A general rush was made, but Ben sat
still, and ate his dinner very composedly
The stage drove of and left him, but he
seemed to care very little about It.
Having disposed of his dinner, he was en-
joying the luxury of a long nine in the
side room, when the landlord approaching
him, said:
"I beg your pardon, sir; but did you
see set of silver afssoons on the table
when you were in to dinner.
"I did SIR. aH
"Well they are missing be found
"Ay, yes" replied Ben, "one of the
passengers gathered them up-I saw him
do it..
Would you know him again?" gasped
the landlord.
"Certainly would" replied Ben with
great coolness.
"Will you point him out to me if hitch
up my horse and buggy and overtake the
stage?''
Certainly will"
Boniface was ready in a few minutes
and getting Ben in with him, drove like
Jehu for seven miles, till he overlook the
coach. He drove up alongside and hail,
ed the driver. The coach stopped, the
driver looked frightened, and everybody
wondered to see the landlord covered with
mud and his horse foaming with sweat.
Ben jumped out of the buggy and got
into the stage, when the driver, thinking
that he had hired the land ord to bring
him after, was on the point of driving off
when the latter yelled out:
sis that passenger in there?"
eyes" replied Ben.
care you sure ?"
Yes Stree, shouted our bachelor friend
(Which one is it2"
Its me, replied Ben with grin.
you? thundered Boniface lchat III,
deua did you do ,oith them spoons ?''
81 pat them IN the coffee pot, may i
please your honor; you will find them al
safe, replied Ben with curious twinkl,
in his eye.
".S0Id, by gingo, by that darned Yam
kee /" yelled the landlord, while the pass
engers roared with laughter, and putin,
the whip to his horse drove back resolv
ing to give passengers ever afterward am
, pie time for dinner.