The Council Bluffs nonpareil. [volume] (Council Bluffs [Iowa]) 1857-1867, 1860-05-26
HIRING An ovERSEgR--A SOUTHERN
STORY.

1
Ia neighhcring State lives enc Celonc
g., who is famed far and Wide for his iras
eibility Of temper and eccensricisy OF char
ao.er, and these peeaiisri.ies are the caas
Of many prank being played OF at tA,
eoloners expense. and mueh to has annoy
anee. A great war, who knew the eolans
well. was riding along. few years age.
few miles from shc plantation Of S.
when he met = rather verdans specimen q
humanity, who checked his horse. as the,
came near together, with the following
query:
. Stranger, yer don't know ANYBODY q,
wants to hire an oyerseer, de yer -
Are yea looking for situation OF tia,
scr; ~ Qaeriei the wag.
"Yes. sir--i am Just about as anxieu.
for berth as you ever saw feller.s'
Cur wa- eent:nued to interregate the
candidate for an ayerseership, and elected
from him that he ksd been ia the hasSnes,
about Eve years, and While acting in ,ha,
capacity, kad made pradisious " craps y
and performed wonders as Gllcr os the
soil.
"Well,' said the wag, /" I'll take sna on
trial fer few days, ard If you sail, We s.a
soon strike bargaia.n
He then gave him minute directions rs to
the road Leading to the residences Of Colonel
S.. and added;
al have crazy brother fria. win me !:
yon viii fnd him there, bat do not fear hsql.
he is perfectly harmless. He has fancy
that the plantation belongs 10 him, aud
strongly insists that 1t is SO; bat pay no
attention to him, or anything he may say.
You viii find large TN horn hung up ru
the piazza: take il, and blow for the negroes
to come up, when you can see my force,
learn their names. etc.; aud max G them put
your horse M, and tell the cook TO get you
d good dinnor. lwiI be back before night
and We can talk further about the NATTER"
On went the oyerseer, and soon he rode
up before the colonel's residence, dis.n ount-
ed, and walked IN. After walking up to the
wa.er-pail and drinking, he took down the
aforesaid horn and blew q blast loud and
long, which reverberated far aud wide, over
hill and valley. The colonel, who was tax.
ing his morning snoexe, was aroused By the
sound. and came blundering out in haste,
minus clothing. save a shirt and pair Of
socks; and after gazing at the newcomer a
few moments in astonishmcnt, inquired.
"Who are you, sir; what the deuce do
you mean--what are blowing that horn for,
sir I? what do-?''
soh. go away, old man. carelesslY re-
piled the oyerseer; "your brother sent me
here to take charge Of this place, and Ms
you are leetlc crazy, you mustn't bother
me.o
"Brotherl erazyi what DO you mean, sir?
Get ont, sir; lcaye," stormed the now ex-
asperated colonel.
'slour brother told me to lock yon up in
the smoke-hou if you got into oae OF
your fits. and will do it iC you don't keep
quiet" replied the oversecr.
Yet stillthe colonel ragged ana tore around
like real madman; aud finally the new.
conner. fearing he would become dangerous,
seized bunch of keys hanging near, and
then gathered the colone! in his powerful
grasp, and bore him across the yard; and
finding the proper key, swung open the door
of the smoke.house, showed him in, and
turned the key, remarking that he should
stay till his brother came back.
In a few moments, the negroes, being
summoned from their labor BY the sound
was 10 pay. The overseer pro tenn. made
same time, that he was employed as over
seer; inquired their names, ages. etc, in
quire6 the way to the field, where they were
at work. and finally dismissed the wondering
darkies to 90 to dinner. The cook, aston
ished and awed By the perfect sang .froia
Of the new conner, had accordingly prepared
a sumptuous repast, to which our hero sat
down and began to eat roraciously. g.
But the colonel was not contentea TO re.
main " in duranee vile," and after working
manfully, he had got an opening in the tloor
large enough to permit his escape; aud GO
ing round 10 an enclosure, he uuloosed FIVE
or six large hounds, and came suddenly up
on the overseer, who had not vet finished
his repast. Seeing the savage looks Of both
colonel and dogs, he beat a retreat through
the house, cut of the front gate, hhd began
to make himself scarce. closely pursued by
the colonel, whose neither garment was seen
huttering in the breeze, afar down the road,
as he hisscd on the pack, and cursed the
impudence Of the stranger.
After race Of several miles, the colonel
gave up the chase, and came painting back.
covered with mud and dust, and swearing
that the fellow must be crazy. ... ~
Late at night pedestrian came into
town, about twenty miles of, tattercd and
torn, foot-weary md sore. whose only in
qnry was for the brother of the crazy man
who lived upon the praircs: yet no one
knew aught Of the said brother, or could
tell of his whereabouts. The colonel asserts
that he made a horse BY the crazy man
coming there, as the steed was never called
for; and the oyerseer probably hunted W