, 1861-11-28
Very Dutch.

"Weekates, Mr.. Shon, how you docsdi morn
ing?"
"Pooty better, how you vas yourselfg"
"Goot. Vot is de newsl"
"Oh, noting, l don't hear de news now"
"Vy is dat?"
"Vel, don't run nit de wire macheeno no
more"
"Mein himmel! Wy for you give ups
az dells you. You know Shake Skiffers, un
Willy Rennet, un Puly Hickens, un all de wire
boys, used to come down in my saloon after de
wires un drink segars un lager, un play tomnoes."
"Yaw."
"vell, Won day Shake speaked to me, "Shon,
W don't you belong nit de vires?" "Vy for?"
asked him. at makes you so better pizness,"
he say.
so it dood"
"Nein, nein, be darn vOt it dOOds'
"How?"
Veil, coed von efenin init Shake down to de
machcengine house, un after dere vas ameeding,
propelled me as to be a member. Shake he
dells dem dat vos good weller, un I keeps so
peter lager, un gifs drust. I'm dey dakes
fOte. Shake he say dem all you be in vafor Of
my company vas to say yes un all dat don't be
in vafor Of mine company un wants deir heads
prOked to say mo-
"Dat is right"
"vell, nobody don't say no; so Shake he dells
INC vas lected; den ak him vot shall do init
mineself un he say, "Dreat dc company" So
dreats de company, and den gets de slate un II
marks down nit de drust an extra trink to dem
all, un two to Shake. Veil after We drink some
dime day goes home, un | vas vireman.
"Dat night COED to ped, IN ] dreams all
mite pout houses on fire, un dought vas break
ing the windows, un sInashin de tiDgs un satin
eierybody, un in de morning ven get up vines
mineself lyin on de vloor, we're walls of ladder
in mine schleep. De next day ven Shake comes
into my saloon, un dells me vas yined witty
cents for don't been out Of, mine house. So
after leede he splain to me vot It vas, dat I
must pay Why zents, so | pays Il. un make up
mine mind dat don't miss de wires no more.
"Dat vas PETER"
"Vell, dc night before last dere vas wire in
de BoYery, un coed nit de macheengine, un
We gets to work, un de macheengine plays on de
wire, so den de foreman Of do company he comes
to me un he say, "Shon, deres woman in de
upper story; you 60 up de ladder, un hand her
out So Of goars as gets in de window, but
dere vas no woman dare; looks al arount, un
calls for de woman, but she don't come, so dinks
better go ont so soon as can. l goes to dc
window un-mein Gott in Himmel, de ladder vas
gone. puts out mine head to call somebody to
bring him back, but shust den stream Of water
rom de hoscgine coined right in mine vace un
drowd me right on mine pack"
"Dunder un blitzenl"
"De water keepcd comm, un de shmoke was
pooty nigh drowned mo too. couldn't speak,
for ven obened mine mout de water filed L up.
Wrist | vas mad, den shveared, un den getted
skeert un prayed, un at last feels pooty bad
nit mineself un dinks vas dead. Shnst den
somebody shumped right in de middle Of de
vloor, un II vas Shake; he daked mo up to ak
me vat vas doing dere, so feels shamed, IN
| dells him vas lookin' rount to save somebody.
un he say, :" You fool come along un save your
self" So vollered him out un dcre vas de lad.
der; he putted his legs around it and shlided
down; den dried to do de same, but ven comes
down half de way, mine legs cotched one in de
oder, un down l tumble, rite pom do heads of q
dozen wire xellers. Iprokes mine pack up so
far as mine boots. ! vas all over so black uR
blue as blood efer since, un I don't run no more
with the macheengine" 7--