The weekly Ottumwa courier. [volume] (Ottumwa, Iowa) 1857-1872, 1865-11-23
Anecdote of President johnson. rL-

you should think / have some axe to
grind because try so hard to keep you al
my poor house all night, will agree to
entertain you free of expensel,' expostu.
lated the landlord of the only inn in the
village of Jefferson, Ashe Couffty, North
Carolina, to General Jackson, late one
evening i'm the autumn of Is, as he en-
tered his carriage to pursue his Journey
toWarG Tennessee. "The Blue Ridge. Sir
is infested with banditti, and you will Ger.
tainly he robbed, and possibly murdered
before morning. / baseech you stay y
s"Ynu are very dind. Sir, and thank
you," repledithe General, 'hut shall pro.
ceed, and try to fea ii the Tennessee line
at all events. Iliaveno ears Of being mo.
Tested. Drive on. Ned, briskly. Adieu,
gentlemen ali!' and the old hero drove of
al rapid pace.
'Hilloa there, yonngster !! cried the
laiidlord to slim, wiry, faxen-headed
STRIPPING standing in the motley crowd in
front of the tavern, 'if vou are going tn
Tennessee, you had better jump up he
hinl and go along with the General; it's as
cheap riding as walking.
Sure enough I think I'd better. and
thank you, replied the young man Jump
ing up behind The coach a. il drove off.
They rode on quietly for Some hours nm
til they began to ascend the mountain.
when the General, hearing slight cough
behind, called out sternly:
Who's that ?
IT'S me, Sir-Andrew Johnson. Tam u
thought might get lift on your carri-
age, Sir. I beg your pardon Sir
You are quite wels me, Sir, to nv car
riage. Come forward and take seat with
me.
Thank you. Sir: but as the mountain is
rather steep here, I'll jump off and walk
up.
He walked forward mp tho mountain
side in advance OF TIE carriage, but had
not gone far before he saw n mnn ahead
of him ascending the mountain. He ap-
peared to be intoxicHted. He lurrhed
this way and the other way. staggering
back ward and forward; now his knees
would double mp, and be would miss
step, rs ifthe earth had suddenly vanished
before him. then he would cross his legs.
and lurch would send him diaronallv
across the road. He stopped and braced
himself up so as nearly to fail backward,
and then drifted helpleSsly along. Pres
emily he turncd an angle in the road and
was out of light.
That man is beastly drunk = remarked
the General. ..'
Drunk not much, Sir laughed the
Young man; hes no more drunk-than |
am. He's playing 'possum, and means
mischief. Look there! he's lying in the
road
As they drove M he raised himself lazi
ly and hailed them:
'Hic! ah! II say, gentlemen, can't you
give a man lift? I-I-hic! can't walk /;
I'm lo:tlod too heavily with d-d mean
"Then stay whore YOU are and get rid of
it I! replied the General, &t"rr1ly.'
THE devil = exclaimed the man, spring
ing to his feet with the agility of ii cat. He
gave keen whistle and planted himself
in front of the coach. Three men sprang
out fIom the bushes. and made = st4-t at
the carriage.
Quick SIS thought the General sprang up
on one ofthem, and they rolled over i'm the
road together. A dull. crashing sound
was next heafed over the contiirf, and a
second 6TH5 rolled over IN the dust, pro
pe5"d hy the loaded whip in the hands Of
the driver. The young man, bvn imely
shot, fired and brought Down Il third, and
then sprang to the assistance of the Gener-
al, who still fought manfully with his Her
culcan antagonist, while the driver en-
geged the remaining robher. ..
Stand back stand back nrInl tie Gen
eral To the young man; We are man 10 man.
I'll give the villain fair play. BY the
Eternal, I have you nowv and he threw
his antagonist over, apparently lifSlesS.
Are you hurt, my boy?' asked III" Gen
cra'. and you, too, Ned ?-where's
Npdo
Here. massa = reriie5 ,hr h"v. puffing
up the road. My robber coward-he
run-hr he he! golly; 7 save one, mas
sa save one, an the young gentleman save
onc-hc! he! he.
All this occurred i'm less time than it
takes to record it,
But Won, General. are You hurt?'
NO; nothing bnt ew bruises. thank
God! But, look there one or them is
stirring. You. Sir. and Ned, pinion his
hands, while examine tho Others
y )nc If tucn were found to be dead
Two were only stunned. and the third
had received n pistol-shot through his
shoulder, and was crouching in aiirighs.-
They were all soon pinion"d. an1 II council
was held, when il was determined to dis
avn them and let them go. rather Niar be
detained on the road. No further incl
drrts hCF,'l "ur travellers on thcir jaunt.
On their separation in Tennessee, the
General gave the young man much good
advice. He recounted 10 him his own his
tory. and bade him aspire to be good and
useful. The General continued en route
for his home in Middle Tennessee, and
the young man stopped and settled in the
town OF Greenville Tenu"sseo, os n iouT-
neyman tailor. OF his subsequent career
it is needless to speak; it is part of the
history OF our country.
FtEr.. .4r ....f.uul# NJ. T.. ID.
JoNEsBoRoUaH, Tennessee, Now, lS65.
NOVEL RAT EXTERMINAToR.-As SER
want girl in Albany has hit upon "a new
mode of getting rid of these household
pests. Getting out of patience with the