Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1864-02-12

For the Journal.
OHIO WEATHER, RUMORS, AND RUM
STORIES
CLEVELAND, ONO. Feb. /. 1856

CLEVELAND, ONO, Feb. l, 1864.
Dear journal Presuming that you have
nothing to do in these dull times but attend
to the modest scratchipgs of wise correspon-
dents. proceed to take up the broken thread.
The weather is deserving of special notice,
January commenced with the mercury l01
below zero. 1t was New England weathel
doubled in intensity, for the people were no
used to it. Then great snow storm-snow-
ing every body and everything in all over All
the odds and ends Of the world went it on
runners for one week. Then came an " In
dian summer that caused snow and ice tt
disappear upon the double quick movement
And last, the first month of the year closed
with a crashing thunder storm.
There is variety for you.
DO you get any news Of the johnson Island
prisoners' We get up downright panics a
bout once month. First the news came that
all the prisoners had escaped through a sub
terranean passage. They had dug hole,
crawled throush the hole and then pulled the
hole out after them, leaving not trace be-
hind. The commendable part of the under
taking on the part Of the prisoners was that
most of the hole was dug in solid rock. Next
came the story that the Canada shore was
lined with boats just ready to paddle across
and release the prisoners. The prisoners
! when released were to burn this city, New
York, and few other small places, and then
retire within the bounds of their Confederacy
Then came the rumor that the prisoners had
all escaped on the ice, except one Corporal
who couldn't skate. The rumor was from
the reliable gentleman and, presume true
Next have no doubt they will t.y the air,
and the nervous will hear that somebody,
somewhere, is making balloons in the shape of
eagles to swoop down upon the camp and car
~ off the prisoners in their liberating claws.
| The special agony here just now is the Great
Sanitary Fair to be opened the twenty-second
of this month. Northern Ohio, Southern
Michigan, and Western Pennsylvania are
heartily engaged in the work. Acres Of build
ings are going up on the Public Square, and
great preparations are being made all over the
territory named will tell you something Of
! it when il gets fairly in progress.
! ! shall not DO able TO tell you anything fun
ny this time unless you allow me to relate one
OF John B. Coughs anecdotes. ltis from his
4" Peculiar People" lectures. He was hitting
those coarse boorish fellows who never spare
any body's feelings
But" said he, az am glad these fellows
often get paid back in their own COIN" An
! futuoIs Clever Out nON HluCu nOttut Wnlit Nle-
iting another author who had made more noise
in the world, but who was known a coarse
fellow, in the course of conversation made a
proposition that they should put their wits
together and write a book. Sirrah," said
the boor, " did you ever see ahorSe and an ass
yoked together !"
"Sir," retorted the other with all apparent
indignation, "what do you mean by calling
me a horse ?"
One more: two drunken fellows came forth
from tavern late at night. One saw the
moon and said to the other
Moon shine very bright !"
Moon" steadying himself against an i'm
aginary lamp post, " that amt the moon
that's the sun"
| say its the mloon."
And | say it's the swun."
Finding they could not agree they decided
TO leave it to the first man who came along.
This CHANGED to be one in the same fix as
themselve'. They stopped him and explained
the difficulty, and asked him to decide which
it was. Standing firmly, fret on his heels
and then on his toes, and winking stupidity