Public ledger. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1865-1893, 1866-08-07
Brick Pomeroy Maketh the Mosquitoes
Drunk


As mosquito time has come. round
again, we republish Brick Pomeroy's in
imitable account of a nights adventures.
Tis fresh as ever:
Last night, in, order TO get even with
the nasty devils, we stepped half a ponnd
of fresh beef in some old rye whskey,
and left it on a plate near the bed. Meth
ing like being Hospitality inclined. In
ten minutes after the light was extin-
guished, swarm of these backbiting bill
posters made an advance movement.
One of them caressed us sweetly on the
nose-he sent in his bill-there was a
slap, diluted damn, dead mosquito
Soon we heard tremendous buzzing
about the whiskey-soaked beef. The en-
tire mosquito family came singing in,
and such an opera-good Lord deliver
us. But they did not disturb US with q
bite; we fell asleep TO be awakened in
ten minutes by the worst mosquito con
cert ever editor, mortal, devil, angel, di-
vine, Dutchman, or any other man, lis.
tened to.
We raised light, and the greatest
show of the season was there to be seen
Every mosquito was drunk as a blind
fiddler, and such an uproarous night as
the long. billed whelps had, never was
seen before this side of-seidhi The
worst antics Some were playing circus
on the plate One big fellow, with belly
like Falstaff, full of blood and whskey,
was dancing Juba on the Bible, while a
fat friend of his tribe lay on her back
beating the Devils Dream on an invisible
tamborine with one hind leg. Two more
we're wrestling on the foot-board of the
bed. each with his bill stuck fast in the
timber. Another was tying the legs of
our pants into bow knot to tie about the
neck of Anna Dickinson. which hangs
against the washstand, while another red
stomached customer was trying to stand
on his head in the washbowl.
All over the room were drunken mos
iquitoes. One long billed gaunt represen-
tatiye was trying to ram the mncllage bot
tie full of newspaper clippings. Another
chap was drilling hole through revol-
yer handle and singing my Mary Ann,
while another was leaplng across the
window sill in search Of fresh air, to the
sgonizing tune of tramp tramp-trampl
One little ram of sleet was trying TO
jam the cock of Benz. Buffers eye with
tooth brush, as his picture hung beside
that of Kidd, the pirate, and few other
thieves Another drunken statesman of
the musquito family, reminded US of
Zach Chandler was talking Russia to q
let of drunken companions as they lay
on a plate, while another one sat on the
handle of our bowie-knife, doubled up
with cramp in the stomach, and trying
to unite his tail with his bill, which
seemed like Lincoln's back bone when
Anna Dickinson said it wanted stiffenlng.
He was a sick looking skeeter, and died
in three minutes after we saw him or 1t,
as the case may be. Two Others took
bath in the iukstand. Another one, with
a bill like the devil narrative was trying
10 wind our watch with pen-wiper,
while another had just died as he was
Sitting on the rim Of dish in the room,
trying to chant Mother, I've come home
to die" Poor skeeter. 1t was a nice
skeeter but :" twas a pity he drank.
An old veteran with a paunch full Of alf
and alf-blood and whisEey-sat on the
table reading Les Miserables, while his
wife was under the stove trying to mend
her broken limb with limpsey tooth-piek::
She looked disgnsted Another combed
his hair with a paper of pins, tied piece
of white paper about his neck, pasted
FIVE cent internal revenue stamp on his
rump. and died like loyal citizen. His
last words were
Tell the traitors all around you, 'etc.
Another drunken scamp has just
started out of the window for John b.
Cough, or a stomach pump. \ worse
behaved set of bummers We never saw.
They have acted About two thousand
lie about dead but sadness seemed not
TO break in upon their hilarious rioting
upon blood and whiskey. Half a dozen
Of them sat on our new hat, playing draw
poker, using worm lozenges for checks,
while one Of the party got clear busted
By mnking a fifty dollar bling good on a
four flush, which didn't ell he viii be
ant 70 wear cotton socks next winter and
keep away from church collection days.
Another one sat on top of brandy bot
tie, reading Baxter call to the uncon-
verted, while his partner lies dead at his
feet, evidently forced to close doors by
the failure Of Ketchum 4 Son, Of New
York Six others we're trying to hang
one that looked like a copperhead, to the
cornor of a match safe, but as they were
drunk and he sober. il is not safe to bet
on his being dangled. They have eaten
the beef--drank the blood aud whiskey-
drilled the plate full Of holes-and on
the center table organized Son Of Nal
ia lodge using a five cent shin plaster for
a blanke; in the act entitled elevation
Of man
Another red-belEed leader Of the. Miss
Kee,er family had battalion of drunk