St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1866-03-01
la1nnsnsorAINHAR Ds.AwER,

OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES DRAWER.
Sss.s$Hsss..ss -. &. IS ss~S
The following brace. Of anecdotes from
the Editors Drawer in Harper. belong to
Northern Minneasta. The sArst, from the
March number, refers to Capt. Grovsnor, for
merly stationed q EAlexaadris,, but ~ pres
eqt stopping 10 this. CITY: u - u, q.
..OLD GRoyE," as he is tsmilisrly. called
Captain of Company -, is.what mish{ be
termed = droll 'un. Longitudinally speak.
ing he is = tall specimen, and usually wears
q very long countenance, behind which is
concealed an unlimited fund Of dry Wit.
When in company he seldom ever . says
much. but when his face does open some
thing is sure to come. :,s q .t.IS ~ y
!. For several months past his health has
been failing, and some time ago he tender
ed his resignation In consequence. After
having waited patiently for several weeks
without hearing anything on the subject
he began to think his case had been over
looked. AT last Che desired papers arrived,
and having read them he entered the pres.
ence of some Of his fellow officers with .
broad grin upon his face. Upon being ask
ed what it WAS that pleased him so much.
he, in his o2-hand way, replied: n t6s..ss
sob, nothing muoh," at tho same time
drawing from his coat-pooket = huge envel-
ope. i't ss 81 - 't'slsft AL - Y ~.
next ASKED. n : =. ,;.,7.,;,.s
"Oh, not much Of any thing; only lit
tie order to turn over al my Company
property to Lieutenant c - :, that's all"
''Why, that's good news" says another;
''it is evidently q forerunner to your being
mustered out--don't you think so!n' Tx
.. He then produced another document,
which was no less than an order to repor,
to St. Paul preparatory to the. desired
event, and shouting at the top Of his voice,
said "Fore-runner, indeed its 4 whole
pair Of bobs" ~ u, ,.',a IL. .i1.1,,s ;
The crowd immediately dispersed.
This is from the December. number.
The ''0ld Cap referred to is; Capt, ]. E.
McKusick. A. Q. NJ, at Frot Abercrombie:
:. All the way from Fort Abercro!abie, D.
T., this comes to the Drawer:...
The "Old Cap, as he is Familiarity called
,hereabout, weighs two hundred and sixty
pounds avoirdupois, Ii, q huge embodiment
Of fun, and the dryest Of jokers. No o.
portunity escapes him for getting q good
sell upon any Of his friends, while. it Is but
seldom that the stables are; turned upon
him = By the-way, he is Assistant Quarter
Master at this post, and . thorolgh-going
officer. Frank, his most intimate friend,
is also something Of, q jester, and succeeded
not long since. in perpetrating sell upon
him. The Captain took It all in good part,
merely intimating that he. .'"owed the; gen
tleman one" which he would endeavor to
cancel at sight. An opportunity soon of
fered. A dinner was being given by the
officers Of the post to some thirty strangers
(of6cers Of an expedition which was pas
sing at the time). ..Old Cap, and Frank
were both on hand, in their iveliest moods;
and the latter, thinking it good opportu-
nifty for perpetrating joke No. 2 vi on the
former, called upon him for . speech, j and
was accommodated in the following style .
"MY FRIENDS AND FELLow-OFr1cERs,--
4 feel sAat it is good to be here My heart
leaps with joy At being permitted to share
in the festivities of this happy occasion.
1t tends, as it were, to lift one, for the mo-
ment above the cares of business, and in
fuses into the mind something that is ell
evating and ennobling. And, my friends,
as you now behold me, ali glee, hilarity and
eloquence, you will scarcely credit my
words when l tell you that it is not always
thus with me. AN is not gold that gilt
ters.' Perhaps it's well. Without first
tasting the bitter We could not fully ap
preciate that which is sweet; and without
being born naked, how, ask, tould We
ever have found out the necessity for clothes?
Ay, gentlemen, my fortitade and forbear-
ance are often sorcly tried, IS, with your
kind indulgence will endeavor to illus
trate in vety few words. Cries of GO
ahead!' u Well, then, to begin: am run
ming q saw-mill at this post for Uncle Sam,
which is propelled by ten-horse power,
but at times have SO much o:her work for
the horses to do that run it with a less
number. Last week was required to fur
nish q concise statement Of the amount and
kinds of transportation on hand to the
headquarters Of the department, and being
in doubt as TO the exact number Of horses
employed in the mill at the time sent
Frank to ascertain, with directions to re
port the facts to NJ. as soon as possible.
At my desk sat and sat, like Patience on
hoAumeuI, Win pen IN manu- awaiting
his speedy return. Two long hours elaps
ed, and no Frank! If ever did feel ike
swearing, that was the time; and it makes
the blood boil in my veins this very mo.
ment as think Of It'll Finally my patience
for which am proverbial, went back on
me- and selling my MT rushed out to the
mill in order to learn the cause of delay.
On arriving there I found Frank looking
into the Enclosure where the horses were
going round and round on the machine, and
Selling him by the collar, (for vas mad
though J demanded to know what he stood
there all this while for gaping at the hor-
SEES, when he knew was waiting to learn
how many there were At this apparently
rough treatment Frank Immediately about
faced and, with look of the most ineffa
BILE scorn depicted apqn his usually smil,
ing 9ountelanCe, eAclalmed, in tones o.
thunder, why, have already counted. fv,l
hundred and sixty-three, and am WAITING
for the rest to pass by. The Lord only
knows how many more there are'"
The Chatfeld Democrat says that Mile
White Of that place shipped sixteen tons Of
pork to Winona on last Wednesday--th,
largest shipment IN the hog line that ha.
been made from fChatfield this winter. j,