Tama County Republican. (Toledo, Tama County, Iowa) 1867-1872, 1872-09-19
Humbuyging John Bull.

The lamentations of fortune in
this country are so sudden, and men
50 frequently change their avoca.
tions, that 1t is not strange foreigners
can be made dupcs in regard to the
antecedents and occupations of our
public men.
An Englishman, quite we'll inform.
ed, for an Englishman, in regard to
America, arrived here recently, and
was much astonished at tho peculiar
things he saw and heard. He could
hardly credit the story that the pres
ept President Of the United States
once had small farm near St. Louis,
depended for subsistence upon sell.
ing small wagon.loads of wood, and,
on account OF his habits, was unable
to support his family. He thought
that they who told him this, were
trying to take him in in, you know"
and received the little history with
ordinations Of "Walker !" "Walk.
err" Finally, convinced Of its truth,
he was prepared to credit anything;
and, strolling through Barclay street
the other morning, observed, over q
small shop, the sign,
civilian c. BRYANT, TAILOR"
II say, now" he remarked to his
companion "a journalistic wag Of
some notc-"do you sec that name
there? It's the same as your favor.
lite polte poet, the author of 'Thana-
topsis.' 1t isn't the same family, l
dare say, now
"Not only the same family" was
the reply, "but the same man."
us it, indeed? Well, that is very
strange! I thought Mr.. Bryant was
wealthy journalist, the publisher OF
one OF the great newspapers here"
"He was" answered the joker, "a
few years ago. Then he owned the
greater part Of the Evening Post;
but he went up to Saratoga one
summer; got to drinking champagne
ana betting on faro TIL he became
bankrupt, and was for some time de.
pendent on the charity of his
friends"
"Really, that is very cxtraord,na.
ry. now l think l remember some
thing Of your Mr.. Bryant's singular
career. Let me see. After he lost
his fortune, did Mt he 60 into the
negro. minstrel business !? Seems to
me that have heard of Bryant's
Ministries. Devilish queer that
great poet should black his face, and
play tamborine, now, is MT it ?"
"Oh, no NOT queer here; moth
ing is queer in this country. Bryant
made great deal of money with his
ministries by dancing the Camptown
hornpipe every night to crowded
houses"
"How, did he happen TO be tailor,
then Z"
HE tried to mpnopolize the pea
nut market by getting up corner in
the trade, and, again losing every
dollar he had, no was forced to set up
this shop IN order to make liveli-
hood"
"A corner in. peanuts Now, /
do MT exactly understand that, you
know Di he get into the corner
himself, or did he get somebody else
into the corner? But there's no use
in my trying to understand such d
beastly business. It's enough to
floor fellow completely, you know,
to think of great poet getting pea.
nuts in corner, and then bursting
up as You say in America, you
know" .,I
get Tito the peanut trade; but the
minstrel business is quite favorite
with our scholars and thinkers
You've heard Of Emerson, tho Sage
Of Concord, as he is often calico, -
have you not?
Ralph Waldo Emerson Oh, yes!
he whom we name the American
Carlyle, you know. He isn't a negro
minstrel, is he ?"
"Ot course he is. He's playing
here now, and, when it comes to q
first-class banjo solo, Ralph Waldo
Emerson Is hard to beat"
"But. really, now" SAID the per-
picked Engllshman. II should mt
think man who wrote tho English
Traits would DO forced to do that
sort of thing. What's the use of be-
ing man of genius in America, you
know, il you have to earn your bread
and butter by playing bloody ban
10, you know This is indeed an exr
traordinary country, aud, the more /
learn about it, the less l understand
it, you know"
A Brownsville Tenn.) company