Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1859-07-26
..soING. GOING! GONE.-AT SIXTEEN
HUNDRED AND FIFTY!o

m
the Susquehsnna river-that is to saw MANY
years ago, for both have long since been Hss
ibered in, as the old sexton hath it, They
used 10 pilot arks loaded with -four and grain
from the head wsters of the West Branch to the
Chesapeake tide during the spring and fall
foods for in those days there were neither
cspals nor railroads, and this was the cheapest
sndmost expeditions mode Of ofgetting to market.
Sam and the General were sworn friends
They used to 50 shape things that they could 10
down in company, and return on foot the sam a
way-their only sure mode Of conveyance. The
only stopping place Of Importance was Harris.
burg-then comparatively q viIlage-neyerthe-
less abundantly supplied with city customs.
There the arkmen used TO stop for what in them
spree, and Sam and the General never failed
to drop some Of their hard-earned wages In Har.
risburg on a regular bout
On one occasion Sam and the General started
early in the spring with o feet of arks ..for
tide" They passed all the dangerous places
safely, and even went triumphantIy over Cana
wsga Falls and soon wended their way back
with pockets full Of coin. Ofcourse they could
not pass Harrisburg, and there, falling In with
her pilots, scene of old fashioned debauc hery
followed, which was kept up vigorously for q
week.
One day, while passing the Union Canal Lot.
teTy Office, IA legal institution of the State the
Ehim seized Gam to buy ticket. The General
alittls more prudent even in his cups, objected.
but his objections were oyerruled by Sam. who
fairly dragged him in, and joint investment
81 ten dollars was made in lottery ticket
Little more was thought of the circumstances
until next morning, when they both arose, and
while paying their morning devOtions to the
bottle. Sam discovered the almost forgotten
ticket in his vest pocket. He shaped his course
directly for the office, leaving the General In
the bar-roOm. will not say what occurred at
the Office, but in less than twenty minutes the
General was surprised to see Sam enter and
dsnce about the bar-room, singing, shouting,
csPering, and acting like one entirely bereft Of
reason In vain the General tried to hold
him.
In Gods name, SAM" said the almost de-
'Pairing General, "are you crszy2'
Crazy, HI" said Sam. 'sSlick. We have
drawn thirty thousand dollars,-I say thirfv
thOusand-with our ticket. Anything crazy
about THAR
1t was even so: the ticket had drawn the
highest prize, and by means of heavy discount
they had the money in their pocke before noon.
The General now persuaded Sam to start for
home, which they reached in due time, and the
news of their luck soon spread abroad, the
amount drawn being of course exaggerated, as
usual in such cases
The General bought farm, and made a pre-
cent of it TO his oldest dsughtsr This was a
wise forethought; for after all, there is nothing
Ike laying up for rainy day. Not 50 with
ssm he nad money enough to last him. There
was no possibility Of running through his for.
tune. Farm be blowed, He was gentleman,
and was resolved TO live like one-beeinning
o. purchasing race horse, q pack of hounds,
gig and VARIOUS other gentlemanly crucibles,
wherein money is melted, evaporated, and dis
solved into thin air. He attended all gather
ihgs- let them be of whatever nature they
MAJ sfr.D at
FOR all who would or could be induced to drink.
and there were not many then who refused
Oae day man who kept a tavern at GROSS
road took II into his head to move to Ohio-then
the Tar West. To this end he advertised all bis
ELECTS at public sale on a certain day. A ven-
due then was an event. and never failed to at
trccs large crowd, both rich and poor When
Inc day came, and the people from the sur
rounding country had gathered on the porch of
the tavern awaiting the hour to begin, Head
man drove up in a sulky, and with a loud
WhOop" that would have done credit to
Seminole, alighied, and invited the entire
crowd to drink" !"
While thus engaged, another party drove
uP-two young fellows named Howard. Of
the prodigal son, they had come into their
PltIimony, and were engaged in letting things
mp miscellaneously. In other words, they
were running couple Of farms down their
toroats. beside some ready cash earned by
years Of unceasing toll on the part of their
frugal and economical Scotch-Irish parents
Between them and sam Headman hatred had
sprung up-a sort of bitter feud-bssed no doubt
upon the fact that Sam had usurped some of
,he attention usually bestowed upon them since
ne mad become q rich man.
As soon as the Howards entered the bar-room
ana how things stood, they treated ~ and
@ unen I, was was treat about" until the countrvmen
Te larry drenched with .'old rye At
lens.h the audience became impatient for the
s1 ne 10 oegin, when 10, the discovery was mad Q
a, 'ne erler, or auctiOneer, was sick. and
Souid not be on hand. The crowd could i'll v
plpoh such disappointment, and there were
Wrnurings At this juncture well known
Aee un-peddler drove up. All. here was
,he man for the criss-iust the man. The
landlord soon struck a bargain with the Yankee
Ieddler to do the auctioneering for which he
va 10 receive one cent on each dollars worth
eolu1he landlord assuming that the scale
"oald ioot up some FIVE hundred dollars
me conditions of the sale were read, and the
SouotVu' voice OF the Yankee was soon heard
Hnng down horse-collars, tubs, buckets,
grindstones, pot hook. and yokes AT ga darn.d
sight less than half their cost
Inc sale thus progressed, and when the
snades OF evening drew nigh, every thing was
sdusisctorlly disposed Of except an old iron
pot lying in the yard. :
1enuemen, said the auetionAer GO yeres
the last artikil shall offer yeou, an elegant
iron pot, cracked a little might, but il has seen
the day when is wus jess ss good an iron pot as
anyb3dy's iron pot. How much is offered for
it?-hOw much ?'' .|I-77
IN give you fifty cents just to finish of, -
said Headman
III give dollar. :" said Malcolm Howard
before the Yankee had time to repeat the bid !.
''DOlls ,-dolla .-dolla ,-goine-r'
Two dollars said Headman
Five I" shouted Howard
'Pive-s-fye-a-f a-fve-goingr sr.-
g Ten ~ said Headman. F r
Twenty" said young Howard
Even hundred and be id to you,'' said
HeadmaD, gritting his teeth in rage
The excitement now became general, and
the spectators soon took sides. 7
" Hundred and fifty :" said Howard, with
The air Of q man who cannot be bluffed off
Two hundred and fifty, if that's Your
game, said Sam ... 1870 a.
IWo-hun-f n-ffy-going :" .-
rive hundred, eveni" said Howard, eoolly.
thousand, even :" shouted Headman, who
element - 0--~''7 ~ = !
haeh Vi the glsdistors in this new and novel
r.art, ornament, or tilt at reckless monetary su-