Marshall County Republican. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1856-1878, 1867-08-15
NdSBy'S A UTOBIOGRAPHX.

In his last letter Petroleum V. Nasby
gives his autobiography. We give some
extracts:
was born N the year lSOG, at will
not say where. hav reasons for conceal
in my birth place. | don't want to set AM
| town in that State up in biZuis That
town hez gone loonatic and gives Ablisher
majorities friteful 10 contemplate, and
don't want to benefit it by giving il nash
mel reputashens | don't want 10 double
| the price of its prOperty-to be the means
Nv erectin dozen or SIGH matter NV first
class hotels to accommodate the crowds ca
wood make pilgrimages thither TO visit my
birth place. The present owner of the
house into which | first opened my eyes
onto world of sin, is a Abishnist Nv the
darkest dye, and hev no desire to enrich
him. Never, by word Nv mine. shall he
cut that house up into walkin sticks and
buzZum pins.
My bOyhood wuZ spent in the pursOOt Nv
knollege and muskrats, mostly the latter.
wuz early promisin child. My parencc
Was both DimOcrals NV the strictest kind,
my mother in partickeler. She haiid eny
one ez wuznt Dimocratic with a hatred
that | never saw exalted. When | say
that she woodent borrer tea and sugar and
SIGH Nv Wing nabers, the length and
breadth and depth Nv her Dimocracy may
be understood.
Uy my childhood, know but little. My
father wuz q leadin man in the humble
speer in which he moved, holding at differ
ent times, the various offices in the town
up 10 constable, the successive steps bein
road supervisor and pound master. He
wuz elected constable and mite probably
hev gone higher, but for an accident that
occurred to him the first month. He col
lected q judgement for els, and the money
wuz paid TO him. The good man wuz n
talented collector, but wuz singlarly care
less in paying over what he collected.
He wuz like all men of genius, unbalan-
ced. His ability wuz ali on one side
The grovelin plaintiff, who didn't admire
SIGH cratic flites, raised ruckshen about
the paltry sum, and my father
'Tolded bis tent like the Arab,
And silently stole away"
From that time out the old gentleman
migrated--in fact. he lived mostly on the
road. He adopted movin as a profeshun,
and a very profitable one he made NV it
When his hOss died, the nabors, rather than
not hev him move. wood chip in and raise
him anuther. Appreshiatin the compliment
they pade him he allus went. | menshun
these pekooIiarities Nv my ancestor becoz
THE lives Of all great men remind US
We may make our lives sublime.
And departing leave behind u.s.
Eff our talent runs in that direcshun, ez
many debts ez he did, though it does not
require espeshel genius
This he'd its inflooence on my youthful
mind. saw not only great deal Nv the
country, but much nv mankind, and ac-
quired that adaptability to circumstances
which hez ever characterized me. Even
10 this day, eff | can't git gin | kin take
whisky without n murmur and without re
pinin.
Ny polticks hez ever bin Dimocratic,
and l may say, without egotism, hev Dir
a yoosful member Nv that party. l voted
for Jackson eighteen times, and for every
succeedin Dimocratic candidate ez many
times ez possible. For Mick Lellan only
got ia four votes. didn't approve Nv tn,
nomashen acd wuZ not overly Jealous
| He'd he bin elected, wat would il hev avail
ed me? He he'd enuff dismiit army officer
follerin him, tn hev filed every offs in hi
gift, and ned at that time becum too ole
to filler pollytix for the amoo1 nent il IF
forded, or for the benefit Nv and cause.
The ofses hav held hev not bin many
| he'd signers TO petishun for post Off
in Jackson's time, but killed my chance
by presentin it in person. The old her,
looked at me and remarked that ii wuZn'
worth while THROWN away post ofises or
SIGH, that when he wanted EN- he Good bu,
EN- at dollar a dozen. Bookanan wul
goin to appoint me, but somehow my an
tecedents got to his ears, and he wuz aferet
Nv his responsibility, and never succeed
ed till Johnson returned to his first low
and embraced us.
/ he'd bin drafted into the Federal arm,
at the beginning Nv the war, and deserte'
to the Confederacy. Procoorin acertifiki
to that effeck, / applied for pardon and
place. He didn't like to Civ me the offs
but he wanted party, and coodent b.
very pertickelar. / succeeded. / Dor
with me to kentucky a commishun G.
Post Master, and am living In the full en-
ljoyment Nv that posishun, and may say
am happy.
The sosiety is centennial Their IL fou
groceries, onto witch L can gaze from tn
winder Nv my offs, and jest beyond, enliv
ening what wood otherwise be a dull land
scape, is distillery, from witch the smok
of the torment assendeth forever. l he
associates who reverence me, and friend
who luv me- There 10 nuthin monotonou
here. hov knowd as many as eight fife
per day, though three or four is considere'
enough to break the tedium. And in thes
deliteful pursoots, leayin behind me th,
ambishuns of wat might be called public
life, with my daily bread sekoored, wild
my other sustenance ashoored, with afrien'
alluz to share my bottle, or to speak with
greater akkooracy, friends alluz willin Il
share their bottles with me, am giidinl
peacefy gliding down the stream Nv time
ldodgin the troubles and takin as much u