Nebraska advertiser. [volume] (Brownville, Nemaha County, N.T. [Neb.]) 1856-1882, 1859-12-01
Miscellaneous.
'GOlng! Going! GOnel-At Sixteen
Hundred and Fiftyw

Dam h6aQmaH ana Oe0. SilCk were
pilots on the Susqdehanna river-that is
TO say many years ago. for both have
long since been gathered in" as the cid
sexton hath il. They used to pilot barks
loaded with -four and grain from the head
waters of the Western Branch to the
Chesapeake tide during the spring and
fall floods, for In these days there were
neither canals nor railroads, and this was
the cheapest and most expeditions mode
of getting to market.
Sam and the General were sworn
friends. They used 70 SO shape things
that they could go down in company, am
return on foot the same way-their only
sure mode of conveyance. The only
stopping point of importance was Harris
burg-then comparatively village-ne-
vertheless abundantly supplied with city
customs. There the arkmen used TO stop
for what in them days was denominated
''frolic," now called a ''spree," and
Sam and the General never failed to drop
some of their hard-earDed wages in Har-
risburg on a regular bout"
On one occasion Sam and the General
started early in the spring with fleet of
arks "for tide" They passed all the
dangerous places safely, and even went
triumpLantIy over Canawaga Falls, and
soon wended their way back with pockets
full of coin. OF course they could Tot
pass Harrisburg, and there, falling in
with other pilots, a scene of old-fashioned
debauchery followed, which was kept up
vigorously for week.
One day, while passing the Union Ca
nal Lottery Office Ga legal institution of
the State, J the whim seized Sam to buy
ticket. The General, little more pru-
dent even in his cups, objected, but his
objections were overruled by Sam, who
fairly dragged him in, and joint invest
menu was made in lottery ticket. Little
more was thought of the circumstances
until next morning, when they both arose
and while paying their morning deVo-
tions to the bottle, Sam discovered the
almost forgotten ticket in his vest pocket.
He shaped his course directly for the Of
fee, leaving the Generalin the bar-room.
| will not say what occurred a;the office,
but in less than twenty minutes the Cen
eral was surprised TO see Sam enter and
dance about the bar-room, singing, shout
ing. capering, and acting entirely like one
entirely bereft' Of reason. In vain the
General tried to hold him.
tIn Gods name, SAM" said the al
most despairing General, 'are you
crazy?"
CRAZY h-lr' said Sam. "Slick,
we have drawn thirty thousand dollars
| say thirty thousand-with our ticket
Anything crazy about that Z"
Ii was even so; the ticket had drawn
the highest prize, and by means of a
heavy discount they had the money in
their pocket 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 exag-
gerated, as usual in such cases.
The General bought farm, and made
a present of to his oldest daughter
This was wise forethought, for after all,
there is nothing likelaying up for rainy
day. Not so with Sam. He had money
enough to last him. There was no pos
sibility of running through his fortune.
Farm be blowed He was a gentleman,
aud was resolved TO live like one-begin-
uing by purchasing a race horse, a pack
of hounds, gig and various others gen.
llemanly crucibles, wherein money Is
melted, evaporated, and dissolved into the
air. He attended all gatherings, let them
be of whatever nature they might, and his
purse strings were always open for all
who would or could be induced to drink,
and there were not many then who re-
fused. ~
One day man who kept tavern at a
cross road, took it into his head to move
L, OhioLthen the far West. To this end
he advertised all his effects at public sale
on certain day. A vendue then was an
event, and never failed to attract large
crowd, both rich and poor. When the
day came, and the people from the sur
rounding country had gathered on the
porch ofthe tavern awaiting the hour to
begin, Headman drove up in sulky, and
with loud "whoop," that would have
done credit to a Seminole, alighted, and
invited the entire crowd to "drink."
When thus engaged, another party
drove up-two young fellows named
Howard. Of them it is necessary TO say
but little. Like the prodigal son, they
had come into their patrimony, and were
engaged in letting things Grip mIseella-
ueously. In other words, they were run
ming a couple of farms down their throats
beside some ready cash earned by years
of unceasing toll on the part Of their fru-
gal and economical Scotch-Irish parents.
Between them and Sam Headman hat
red had sprung up-a sort of bitter feud
based no doubt upon the fact that Sam
had usurped some of the attention usually
bestowed upon them. since he had become
a rich man.
AS soon as the Howards entered the
bar-room and saw how things stood, they
treated" :" andthen it was "treat about
until the countrymen we're fairly drenched
with "old rye.' AT length the audience
became inpatient for the sale to begin
when 10 the discovery was made that the
crier. or auctioneer,, was sick, and could
moi be on. hand. The crowd could lily
brook such disappointment, and there