The Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1855-1875, 1871-06-03
TAKING THE STARCH OUT.

|
days ago, amusing themselves wit
throwing stones into the broa,
stream, each vieing with the othe
In the enaeavor to pitch the mis-
sile at the farthest distance from
the shore, when q tall, rugged
! alt mont.r, direct from tn,
Green Hills. 8, ddenly made his ap
pearance in their midst, and for .
while remained quiet observer
OF their movements.
he was a brawhy, good .ookin
Yankee. and was very decently
clad. The efforts Of the It'll par
~ had been exhibited over and
over again, when the stranger aui,
city picked up halt brick which
lay near him, and giving it a jerk,
it fell into The water a long way
beyond the line which had as vet
been reached by the foremost of
the crowd.
AT the conclusion Of this feat q
loud bravo went up from half dog
en- voices around him.
1t was a clear day in October,
and the men, determined not to be
outdone, renewed their attempts;
but the Vermonser, without saying
a syllable to any one, continued to
pitch the pebbles far into the
stream, which seemed to annoy one
OF them, in green jacket, the ap.
parent leader of the gang, who de
clared he wouldn't be beaten by a
teller right straight out O. the
woods, no how and siding up to
the stranger, he determined to make
his acquaintance.
Where are you from, neighbour
inquired the other.
'Me9 Wal, halls from Vermont,
just now, friena!'
You havn't been in these parts
long, / reckonp'
Wal, no. Not edzackly yere-
but up and down, sorter.'
'Yes-so l 'spose.'
'Yaas, continued the green 'un,
carelessly; selling a big billet OF
wood, he whirled it over his head.
and landed it several rods from the
shore in the water.
You've little strength in your
arms, neighbour
Some punkins in them fippers,
stranger. Up in aour taown, morn
munth ago, I driv them are knuek-
les rite strut thru board, morn a 4
ninsh half thick!'
'Haw, haw!' shouted his hearers.
the man in the green jacket laugh.
ing the loudest.
May be you don't believe it,
Not much,' answered the crowd
We amt very green down here
In York-wc amt said the green
jacket, you sce.'
wal, jes you look yere, friend
continued the Vcrmonter in the
most plausible manner, up in the
country we've a purity big river,
considering. Inyun River, it's cal
led, and may be you've heerd on
it. Wal, l hove a man clean across
that river t'other day, ard he cum
down fair and square on the other
side
He, ha. hal yelled ali his au-
ditors.
Wal, now, you may laf, bat 1
can do it agin.'
DO what2' said the green jacket,
quietly.
i can take and heave you across |
that river yonder, jest like the open
and ehet.'
Bet you ten dollars of It,
Done, said the Yankee; and |
drawing forth an X upon brok-
en- down east bank), he covered
the bragger's shin-plaster.
Kin you swim, feller?'
Like a duck said green jacket;
and without further pancy the |
vermonter seized the knowing
Yorker stontly by the nape of the |
neck and the seat of the pants,
jcrked him from his foothold, and |
with an almost superhuman effort
dashed the bully heels over head
from the dock, some ten yards in.
to the Hudson.
A terrible shout ran through the
crowd as he foundered into the
water, and amid the jeers and
screams of his companions, the
ducked bully put back to the shore
and scrambled up the bank, half
frozen by his sudden and involun-
taly bath.
'fll take that ten spot, il you
please said the shivering loafer,
advancing rapidly to the stake
holders. You took us for green.
horns, eh? Wen show you how to
do things down here in York.
and the fellow claimed the twenty
dollars.
Wal, reck'n yeou wunt take no
ten spots jis yit, cap't.'
'Why2 You've lost the bet
Not edzactly. 1 didn't calcu-
late on deuin it the first time, but
l tell you l kin deu it, and in
spite OF the loafer's utmost efforts
to escape him, he seized him by the
scruff and the seat of his overalls
and pitched him three yards fur
Their into the river than upon the
first trial.
Again the bully returned. amid
the shouts OF his mates. who en-
joyed the sport immensely.
Third time never fails said the
Yankee. taking of his coat, Il kin
deu it, l tell ye.'
Hold on! said tho almost petri-
fed victim.
And will deu ii, if try till to-