Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1860-05-15

For the Spectator.

,a5e IS .af.sal For the Spectator.
Messrs. Editors We don't know what bet
ter to do than to enclose these few lines from
Mr.. Cooney to you and request their pubhca-
ton. The poor man seems to be greatly dis
turbed about his dead friend, and it is our wish
also to do him justice.
Yours, Respectfully,
ZEKIEL FLINT, -
EBENEZER STONE,
Ex'ors of Adoniram Oountryman, decd.
PossUM HoLLER, May 9Th, 1860.
To the Executors Of AdOniram Country.
nz man, Deceased. asc l ss
Gentlemen His name were Adoniram, a
Yankee Skulemaster, but didn't want peple 10
these "John Brown times to know where he
comes from, and SO put it "a" which would
sound more popular here, where Farmers is all
the vogue, with Countrynan to come after, SO
as to read "a Conntryman," which is more
nearer like to "a Farmer" He was self-made
man, the same as Major Grips, or as Mr.. Fults
in his card more POLITICALLY expresses it, phe was
s'the architec of his own fortunes" He be-
gun with playin' Marbles with his boys for their
cold vittles, and so got his boardin' fer nothin'
for be was mighty lucky at Marbles, aDd aIways
carried off his handkerchief full Of bread and
butter every evenin'. A good many of these
self made men is bad jobs, OWN, 'spose, to the
bad material and the blunders of the architec.-
But Adoniram Countryman was q exception to
the general rule. He wasn't as purity as ole Mas
ter's make, but he was great deal more cutter
and thrivin' like. He was kind feelin' man,
too, his writens showed him to be till after he
died that horrid detb, and that cuss, Judas,
and others bribed illterate devil to write for
him in the paper. His bein' Yankee and per-
ferrin' white niggers was all that could be sed
agin him, and think it lays in the bounds of
your duty to defend his name, now be is ded.-
The new man sinin' himself "a Countryman"
has got 80 mad with lizard, that he's playin' the
d-l with "Adoniram" and Fultz too, and the
whole concern. He don't mind what he's say.
in and lizard has jumped him up in two or three
places already, and you ort not to let AdoDiram,
in his grave, lay under the muss they'r kickin
up. know all about them Receiver bonds N.Y.
SELF, The new Countryman had not mentioned
the Clerks bonds at all, till lizard told about
them. Nor he could not have mentioned them,
for he and Judas and me, while was for Fults,
went to the Office to look for them, and we look
ed in the rong place, and couldn't find EN-. The
way we happened to go, we was at Judas
plottin' to bring out some new charges agin
Tomson, since them plagy Records had blowed
Fults' card all to atoms and lizard had walked
the people up about the ''sleepin docket" And
Judas sed the only chance was to make another
search in the Clerks Office. SEE I, "thats it,
come let's 60 right away" But now country
man sorter hesitated, and SEE he, ~ don't know
whether that would be dignity, for US to CO.
But turned round to Judas, bein' be had jst
finished his book on dignity" and sez /, "what
do you think Ju1as2 you know all about that.p
And Judas put on a mighty wise look and
eLn l.
looked as it he did know that, and good deal
more. And thought be would q talked all day
about the Pope, and the German Princes, and
Louis Napoleon and the Austrians. He is
slow man, and it's often hard to make cut what
he's drivin' at-but let him alone, and he'll al
ways come out with somethin'. So he wound
up at last, sayin' that all them peple he named,
and good many besides, was not dignity be-
cause they published their devilment to the
world, and put it in books And then, seq he,
IF nobody knows Of our goin' to the Office to
make this search but Us, it's my opinion it's
true dignity" It's true Mr.. Fults has sed in
bis card office is not to be sought" But it's
plain he didn't mean the Clerks Offices, because
his cards show he sought them himself, diligent-
y." So we gave Judas three cheers and
started. But as Judas thought that true dig
nifty were keepin dark, of course we did not ex-
plain to any body what we were after, and as
bad luck would have it, we looked in the rong
place for the bonds. And this is the way the
new COuntryman come to say Kinney had not
give no security as Receiver for twenty -one
years. We would all knowed them ten thou
sand dollar bonds kivered all his acts as Clerk,
as well as his handlin of money paid into Court,
which could not be touched by anybody but the
CLERK, as anything else, if we had only found the
pesky bonds. But we didn't. So we all went
back with Judas, and had big frolic about not
fndn' the bonds, and we thought Fults as good
as elected that night, and drunk his health in
bumpers till midnight. And Judas seq. sBoys
we've got good egg at last that "R. L. j."
and lizard together can't take away from us
nor break neither. And about midnight Judas
was mighty happy, and as perlite as Judge Fults
himself, akin Us after our concerns. And the
new Country1nan put him to bed, and then put
me to bed TO him, and went off to write
the piece to the papers about ssno securi-
ty." When lizard found the bonds the new Ooun.
tryman ort to q knocked under and gone and
made another dive in the Office for somethin'
else to put out on Tomson, and not exposed him
self and the good name of my ded Yankee friend
as he has done by stickin' to it. I ort to telrd
you gentlemen, amt for Fults any more, and
the fact is / felt mean all the time I was for
him. could not raise the courage to talk to
Jenny, and it seemed to me my little children
looked reproachful at me, though they didn't
know word about me and Major Grips con.
versation. So the next night after my frolic
with Judas and them, as Jenny and me was in
bed could not sleep, and disturbed Jenny, tur-
In and groanin' about. So Jenny never rested
till she wormed it all out o. me what passed be-
tween me and Grisps, and list as soon as got
through she turned her back on me and beaan
70 cry; and sez she, 20, Mr.. Cooney thort I
had man for my husband that would protect
me and my children from Grips or ANYBODY
else. Sez |, "Jenny don't cry and talk TO me
SO scornful. What could I do" sez I. ssThe
Major had US all under hiy thumb. JENNY. and q
was to keep you in house and home that gin
up to him" SEE she, 'sMr. Oooney, God made
US free white people, and not niggers to belong
to Major Grips, or anybody else We've all been
workin' our hands off for him these FIVE wears.
and you've got nothin to show for it but few
coon skins that you cotch o. nights. and now
you've gone and sod ne aud the children to him
ana Jined him in damin' US in the bargain. I
nsasst go, MIR. Cooney, and take them along, and
II see II the free peple of West Augusta won't
vote for Judge that will perfect us from all the
trips In the world" Sez /, "Jenny, can't
stand that, I'll go with you to morrow if die
oy 1t !; and 30 Jenny turned over and kissed me
so ioVin' that I'D gone to my death with the
oman and the very next day we come up here
70 fossum Hoiler, where we've settled rite ip the
midst of Tomsons friends; and from this ont I.
go for him, and for Jenny and the children.
Gentlemen, the new Oountryman hadn't ort
to got mad with lizard and exposed himself the