The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1867-03-13

| IuoulieCIiOu vi IeDelllOH against TIE UnlCeu
States, or any claim for the loss or enamel.
patton Of any slave; bit all such debts
obligations and claims shall be held illegal
and void.
| SEC. s. The Congress shall have power
tozenforce by appropriate legislation the
provisions of this article.
| . -~>~r~->-~~-a0p->-~--~-
A shrewd Operation,
| The Boston Commercial Bulletin, under
the title of Recollectipns Of an Old Mer'
! chant" is giving q sketch bf the business
history of Boston for tho past fifty years
/ Among other characters introduced is Josh
Sears, of whom the following story is told
! Those were days Of sharp practice. The
principals of a concern then did not dele.
gate certain transactions to their clerks as
they do nbw-atdays. Josh was an early
bird, sunrise rarely found him Under the
sheets; if there was worm to be caught
he was sure to get 1T.
At the time we write Of, Boston CONTROL
ed full three quarters of. tho West India
trade of the country, and the daily arrival
of several cargoes of inolasses, in the sea-
son was no unusual, occurrence We. have
sold our birthright In it since to New York
as we have nearly everything else that
| ones gave us commercial pre-eminence
and for something less than mess OF pot
tage. 1879
! A cargo of mdlasses was classified after
being landed on the pier, as sour for distil
| ling and sweet for retail, and after the
cargo was landed and gagged by the Gus
tonl-house official, it was offered for sale
If it was fair average cargo it was offered
to jobbers, the price being fixed upon the
hogsheads as they ran. Josh would often
buy several hundred hogsheads and resell
to the smaller jobbers; he Of course also
bought them {" as they rum" but not till
after he knew exactly how they did run.
Now every one knew that Josh Sears was
very shrewd buyer, but how he always
managed to get the best retailing molasses
out Of d cargo without getting any soul
hogsheads, passed the understanding Of
importers and buyers till at. last a very
shrewd importer, whom we will call c.
had his suspicious that the early providing
| pTOptllStUIcS VI CUSu 1uthuU SUlHcUuluS W
sides exercise to get up an appetite,
A cargo of molasses having arrived to
his consignment, he determined to watch
So taking his position early one morning
where he could see tinobserved, he waited
Not long after, a well known individual
was seen approaching, bnngdriver and
broomstick in hand, accompanied by two
Irishmen. Said individual proceeded to
try the molasses; and upon every hogs
head that proved satisfactory he placed q
small private mark When he had select
ed the quantity he wanted. he ordered the
Ir.shmen to roll them into certain posi-:
ton, and then left the wharf before any
one was stirring.
As soon as he was out of hearing, C.
jumped from his hiding place with laugh
"Ah |" said he, "I-have it. Josh, old fel.
low, you are done now" He Immediately
procured a large gang of men, shifted the
hogsheads, replacing them with others, ta'
king the precaution to put the same pri'
vate chalk mark on, and leaving few Of
the original private inspection at tho head
of each tier for Josh to try:
Shorty after returning to the, counting
room, Josh entered, as expected. "Well
C., what are you asking for the ELS
worths cargo?"
"Twenty-eight cents"
Fair cargo 2"
Eyes. Do you want to buy9"
EYES"
go look at it now?"
eyes. Where is it landed?"
This last question was almost too much
for G-'s gravity.
"Bartlett's Wharf, Well, come along. u
Arrived at the wharf, Josh cast his eye
keenly along the hogsheads. There were
his marks, all right, and then he went
through the form of trying several hogs.
heads at tie head, Of each tier. They
proved satisfactory.
"Think it will run about like this,
G-?"
you fnd.''
"Well, III tblze these six tiers. Send up
as soon as you can, and take off the gall-
ges," and Josh putting on his big S in chalk
they. both left.
Josh, as usual, Immediately ordered up
the ten hogsheatls as d sample. Wellaware
of the custom, C. had arranged to have
ten good ones sent. &
| In due time they arrived, and were de-
posted on the sidewalk at the back of the
store, Invitations were sent out to the
iobbers to come and inspeet. Everything
was satisfactory; the balance was sold at
a handsome advance, clerk was sent down
to deliver; gauges were taken off; book
keeper made out the bills; Josh wassitting
down at the old DESK pleasantly calcula'
ting the net profits of his dodge, whens sud
denly his reverie was disturbed by the en-.
trance of Mr.. A., with Look here, Sears
that molasses you sent is sour"
what" ~
Enter Mr.. B. "That molasses is not what
I bought; "it is sonr."
"The devil itis!"
Enter Mr.. c., loquitur. Every hogs.
head of that COMPOUNDED molasses is sour. y
This was too much; up jumped the irate
Josh, and put for G----'s counting room -
G. was in.
"Look here, Co. says josh, 'that mo.
lasses / bought of yen has soured mighty
suddenly, or else you have given me what
| didn't buy. I'd like to have itcxplained.''
Certainly, Mr.. Sears; there is pecu-
liarity about this South Side molasses
if it is disturbed by rolling the hogshead
before sunrise, it invariably sours, and
have been thinking that perhaps some
Josh stopped to hear no more, but jam
ming his hat fiercely over his right ear
and plunging his hands in his pockets, left
without a word.
Too MUCH ALTON. The following
love-letter and reply we find in Missis-
sippi exchange:
Madam-Most worthy ofmy admiration
after long consideration, and much medita-
ton, of the great reputation you possess in
the nation, have strong inclination to
become your relation. On yodr appliea-
ton Of the declaration, I shall make prepar-
alton to move situation, to profess my .ad-
nliration; and if such obligation is worthy
of observation, and can obtain commissera-
ton, it will be on aggrandization, beyond
all calculation, of the joy and exultation Of,
Yours, SAM DEsIDERATIoN.
THE ANSWER.
Sri received your Grafton with much
elaboration, and a little CONSERVATION at
tho o,roat information of vour yveak irnaoina.