Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1860-12-25

lie giUeS his opinion about notification, and illus
trdteS it tcM a lucid example.
We reproduce for the benefit of the present
day and generation, the following letter on
notification, from the celebrated pen of Major
Jack Downing =
n..,..-,...-o., WASHINGTON CITY, Jan. T. 1888.
Church Building, second story, eastern end, Fore
street, away down East in the State of Maine.
MY KIND AND DEAR OLD FRIEND Tile
presidents message to congress makes cracking
work here Mr.. Calhoun shows his teeth like
lion. MIR. McDutfie is cool as cowcumber
though they say he's got terrible tempest
inside of him. that he let out before long
For my part think the presidents message
is about right. l was sitting with the presi
dent III the east room lastnght, chatting about
one thing and another, and the president, says
he, Major Downing, have you read my mes
sage that | sent TO congress to-day l told
him l hadn't. Well, S Us he, l should like to
have you read it and give me your opinion
upon it. So he handed it to me and | sot
down and read it through.
And when | got through, now says | Gen.
eral, I'll tell you jest what l think Of this ere
business. When l was a yonngster some of
us Downinyie boys used to go down to Seba-
60 pond every spring and hire out month or
two rafting logs across the pond. And one
time | and cousin Ephraim, and Joel and Bill
Johnson and two or three more of us had
each Wrapping great log to carry across the
pond. 1t was rather Il windy day and the
wind kept the logs bObhing up and down pref
ty considerable bad so we agreed to bring EN-
along side and side and lash em together and
drive some thole.pins in the outermost logs
and row EN- over together. We went along
two or three miles pretty well. But by and
by Bill Johnson began to complain. He was
always an harumsCarum sort of a chap. AL
ways thought everybody else had an easier
time than he had, and when he was boy, al
ways used to be Il complaining that the other
boys had more butter on their bread than he
had. Well, Bill was rowing on the leaward
side, and he began to fret and said his side
went the hardest, and he wouldn't give us any
peace till one Of us changed sides with him.
Wen, Bill hadn't rowed but little wavs on
the windward side before he begun to fret
again, and declared that side went harder than
tOther, and he wouldn't touch to row on that
side any longer. We told him lie had his
choice, and he shouldn't keep changing SO.
But he only tretted the more and begun 10 get
mad AT last he declared if we didn't change
with linn in five minutes, he'd cut the lashings
ana take his log and paddle off alone. And
1elore we had hardly time to turn round, he
declared the five minutes were OUT, and up
hatchet and cut the lashings, and away went
blIi ON his own log, bobbng and rolling about
anu dancing like Il monkey to try to keep on
the upper side. The rest OF us scrabbled tC
as wei as we could, and fastened our logs
together again, though we had tough match
ior It, the wind blew so hard. Bill hadn't gone
uut little WAYS before his log begun TO role
u,qre and more, and by and by in he wen
squash, head and ears. lie came up pulling
al'u blowing, and got hold of the log and trieC
onh'b up on to il, but tie more he tried tho
more the log rolled; and finding it would b.
s g' goose with him pretty soon il he stayeC
,me'e, lie begun TO sing out like loon for u
" come and take him. We asked him whicl
hwy ue ne would row if we would take his lot
"'O The raft again. Q, says Bill, I'll row