Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-06-12
Wonderful Log Rolling out West.

An Enslisbnan who was lately travelling
on the Mississippi River told some tough sto-
ries about the London thieves. A Cincinna-
II chap, named Case. heard these narratives
with silent but expressive 'humph', and
then remarked that he thought the western
thieves beat the London operators all hollow.
How SOY inquired the Enghshman, with
surprise. Pray, sir. have you lived much
in the West 2
Not great deal. undertook to set up
busines at the Des MOines Rapids while
ago, but the rascally people stole everything
L bad, and finally Welsh miner ran off with
my wife
Good Gracious p said the Euglishman,
'and you never found herT
Never to this day. But that was no. the
worst of it.
Worst. Why, what could be worse than
stealing mans wife ?
Stealing his children, should say said
the implacable Case.
Children
Yes, for niger woman who hadn't any
Of her own, abducted my youngest daughter,
and sloped and Joined the Ingins
Great heavensI Did you see her do it?
See her? Yes, and she hadn't zen rods
the start of me; but she plunges into the
lake and swan like duck, and there Earn't
a canoe to follow her with
The Englishman laid back in his chair and
called for another mug of af-an-aff, while
Case smoked his cigar and credulous friend
at the same time, most remorselessly-
II sha'nt go any farther West-I do
think at length observed the excited John
Bull.
L should not advise any one to CO. said
Case quietly. My brother once lived there,
but he had to leave. although his business
was the best in the country
What business was be in, pray"
'Lunbering-an a saw-miIl.'
And they stole his lumber
Yes, and his saw-logs too
Saw logsp
Yes Whole dozens Of fne black walnut
logs were carried off in siugle night-true.
upon my honor, sir. He tried every way to
prevent it; had men hired to watch his logs,
but it was all of DO use They would whip
'em away as easily as if there had heen no.
body there. They would steal them out of
the river, out Of the cove, and even out of
the mill ways
Good Gracious =
Just to give you idea how they can
steal ont here,' continued Case, sending sly
wink at the listening company, Just to give
you an idea-did you ever work in saw
mill p
Never
Well, my brother one day bought an all
fired fine black walnut log-four feet three
at the but and not knot in il. He was de-
termined to keep that log, anyhow. and hired
two Schotchmen to watch it all night
Well, they took small demUOhn Of whiskey.
with them, snaked the log up the side hill
above the mi Il, and built fire, and then sot
down on the log to play keerds, just to keep
awake you see. Twas moastrous big log
bark two inches thick. Well, as 1 was
saying, they played keerds and drunk whis-
KEY all night, and, as it began to grow light,
vent to sleep straddle of the log. About a
minute after day light, George went over to
the mill to see how thoy got on, and the log
sUas gone
And they sitting on it ?
Sitting Oh the bark The thieves had
drove an iron wedge into the but end, which
pinted down hill, and hitched yoke of oxen
on, and pulled it right out, leaving the bark
and the Scotchers setting a straddle of it.
fast asleep
The Englishman here rose, dropped his ci-
gar stump into the spi'tOOn. and looking at
his watch. said he thought that he would
90 on deck and see how far we'd be down
the river before morning.