The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1864-06-24
From Harpers' Drawer for July.

From Harpers' Drawer for July.
A queer genius, named George Alexander,
better known asi 'Stutterin' Aleck,' died
over in Washoe few months ago. He had
been sergeant in the army in Mexico, and
was atone time an orderley in and about
the tent of Gen. Taylcl. A few days before
the battle of Monterey Mexican scout was
captured and brought into the presence Of
: Ola Rough and Ready who having occa-
sion to interrogate the scout, told Aleck to
find an interpreter.
AN inter-ter-ter-preter? What's th-that,
Gen-gen-eral9'
Why roared old Zach, find me some
one that can speak Spanish, you booby!'
General, t-t-try the p-p-prisoner,' says
Aleck; 'he's n-n-never spoke nothln' but
Sp-p-p-anish all his life!'
The criticisms and comments of would-be
connolsseurs are among the most amusing
incidents Of an hours lounge in Art CALLER
les. One which we heard at the Sanitary
Fair is too good to be lost:
The contributions of srtists for the benefi,
Of the Fair were marked on THE frame Pro
Patria.' A very knowing man asked one Of
the attendants, Who painted that picture !?
and received for answer, AN Irish artist not
yet much known The critic, looking close
at the frame read, Pro Patria,' and remark.
ed, Oh! Patria yes,heis is comparatively un-
known, but he is fast coming into notice.
Many years ago there resided in Versailles
the seat of justice of Ripley County, in thi'
State Qndana), a man named William
Skeen. He was noted for being of rather
extreme corpulency, was quite illiterate, and
! kept the principal tavern in the village
He had goodly share of this worlds gear
ard withal was generous and humane-nevel
behind his peers in bestowing tangible relief
upon every object of charity that was worthy
1t so happened that the people Of this pre-
cinct elected him Justice of the Peace on {
certain occasion. Not long after he was in
stalled inth office, one of his constituents
prosecuted another to recover a COW which
the plaintiff averred the defendant unlaw
fully retained, and which belonged to him
4 writ of replevin was issued, and notice
served upon the defendant to appear befOr,
the Squire, az a certain time, TO show caus,
why he should not deliver up the animal
The hour for the trial of right Of propert,
came. Both parties appeared, and the caus,
was tried. Nothing unusual occurred during
this important ceremony, and at the close o
the pettfosging the Court deci ded that tn
right of property was in the plaintiff. Th
spectators began TO disperse, and the Justic
was entering up his judgment, when VT
heard the defendant say to a friend behinC
him, We'll, there was nothing said about tn
calf, and won't give that up, no how! Thi
was a sort of poser to the Squire; bu
he stopped writing, and sat as if in a deeI
study for some moments. Directly he lie
drop his pen, and jumping up he caught tn
refractory individual by the throat, and Civ
Ing him violent 'throttling,' exclaimed
Give up that calf, too, you scoundrel, O
Ill choke you to death The poor fello,
was nearly frightened out of his senses, ant
as soon as he could get breath he incoherent
calculated, Il will, Squire! will.' Afte
this exhibition Of the manner in which Squir
Skeen enforced justice in his court, no on
ever dared to quibble or tprev aricate Will
doing business before him.
Gentlemen who wear full boards needn
read this In the town of NJ, Massachl
sets, where | taught school while in colleg
there was clergyman of very light con
plexion, was was always clean shaven. On
Sunday he exchanged , with neighborin
minister, whose complexion and hair wer
black as coal. He wore full beard, quit
long, and his locks hid his ears. Seated
= the pulpit his head only was seen above tt
desk by "a little girl, who eyed him yer
sharply, all the while nesting up closer an
" closer to her mother. After few momen
she raised herself in the seat so as to &
her lips near her mothers ears, and witho
" once removing her eyes from the ministe
a "a she eagerly whispered, as though in gre
II deal of fear, Mother, mother, is that Satan
l. A friend in the pine woods on the shor
1t of Grand Traverse Bay, Michigan, writes
e In our little would-be-if-it-could city (coI
n posed of two score slab shan,ies, half tn
d number of houses, and five hundred stump
n lives decidedly original character, of t
l. name of Lawton, commonly called %
- Lawton for short. A very estimable m
he is, no doubt, but his peculiarity i, slo
ness; an earthquake couldn't start him fre
- a walk. One morning, while he was eati
ell his breakfast, his house was discovered to
z, on fire on the roof, and the flames maxi
Id considerable head-way. No ladder was
r. be found on the premises, and old Lawtc
if, putting on his hat, proceeded deliberately
or one of his neighbors who lived some lit
n. distance away in search Of one. Arrivil