The Manitowoc tribune. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1866-1878, 1872-11-28
THE TICK-KNOB DEBATE.

lothian Jones and Didymous Dox
were rival Candidates for Congress III
the Pennsylvania district. The district
was close, and the contest hot and per-
sonal After rafting fire at long
range for more than month, without
result. it was resolved to try the effect
of bringing the contestants TO close quar-
tiers In other words, it vas arranged
that they should meet and discuss the
issues Of the hour at Tick Knob, cen
trail acd accessible point, on the day be-
fore election.
Both parties, in donning their armour.
boosted as Only be should boast who tax
eth It off.
Dox and his friends were sure Jones
would skuik, and Jones and his were
quite az certain that Dox would never
come TO the scratch. But if neither
would back out, not grease spot" of
either would be lett if the other was to
be believed.
IN ambuscade of secret affidavits to
the effect that Dox' wife sister-in laws
brother-in law, who kept grocery store
In Sorgundale, sold sand in his sugar,
constituted q principal feature in the
Jones tactics. Dox, on the other hand,
was supplied with an equally convincing
array Of proofs that jones stepfather's
uncle S aunl's cousin by marriage, had a
half-sister no better than she should be.
These masked batteries, held carefully
In reserve, on either side, when opened
at the last moment, were confidently ex-
pected by those IN the secret would put
final settler on the issues Of the
hour.
For the time being Tick Knob became
the center of interest. Everybody was
making ready to go. In the remotest
part of the district the din of prepare
ton sounded. CarEyalls, buggies. wa
CONS, sulkles, horses, mules, saddles,
sidesaddles an pinnions were all in de-
mand. To see a couple of politicians
worry each other was treat too rare
to be ioregone.
The dawn of the eventfnl day was as
bright as the hopes it heralded. As
Jones walked on the platform scouting
the morning air, and waiting for the
train that was to carry him to Tick
Knob anl to victory, his reveres were
disturbed By a touch on the shoulder.
Turning around, he saw an elderly
gentlemen-no, we can hardly say he
saw the elderly gentleman, tor on the
latter arm hung 4 creature of more sur
passing beauty than it had ever before
entered the heart of Jones to conceive.
Going on the train sir :? the elderly
gentleman asked
Jones bowed without removing his
eyes from the object that riveted them.
might | ask you to take charge of a
lady as far as the next Station y the
gentleman continued.
Might he ? The question transported
Jones to the heaven of hours. He
slammered something about being only
too happy, aud was saved from making
a complete ass Of himself by the arrival
Of the train.
Recovering himself, he handed the
lady on board, where another piece of
good fortune awaited him; the crowded
state Of the car compelled him to sit by
his charges side, and the road was a
narrow guage When it was building
Jones had gone with the broad guage
party he saw his error now.
For the next half hour box and the
issues Of the hour slipped from Jones
memory, He had never struggled for
popular applause as he now laid himself
out to win favor In the sight of a pair of
lustrous eyes, far "lovelier IN their
strength" than any Byron ever wot of
Nor, he haltered himself, where his eff
forts unavailing His flashes of wit and
CUISINES Vi SCGhli1CII HCtS Will
more than one Intoxicating smile and
tender look, that made him feel as
though his entire cuticle was rising into
goose flesh.
At the end of thirty minutes the Con-
ductor sang out "Scrghumdale i Jones
would have sworn the minutes had been
seconds. Anxious to prolong the deli
cious moments he escorted his charmer
TO the platform, which they barely
reached when a sudden faintness seemed
to overcome the lady.--Her step falter
ed. her limbs tottered, aud she must
inevitably have fallen had not Jones
caught her.
His FIRST impulse was to shout Fire"
his second Water !" Before he could
do either, the bell rang, the whistle
shrieked. the locomotive snorted, and
the train began to move w bat was to
be done? If he failed to reach Tick
Knob in season. after AL his Wanting.
he would be set down as an arraat pol
troon, aud his political cake would her -
forth be dough. He had no alternative
but TO drop his burden and run, or stand
at his post till help came, leaving the
tissues of the hour" to take their own
chances.
Jones was too much of man to hest
tate. 1t was still early, and there might
be another train it was possible to drive
to Tick Knob in a couple of hours, But
come what would never desert such an
angel n distress
When the train was fairly off, the
lady-tiI then in a dead faint-opened
her eyes aud looked up contidingly
'Wn am ?" she murmured.
.'Sate 10 these armsl" was the assur-
in answer.
A modest blush mantled her cheek, as
she made an effort to disengage herself:
Don t-rray don't exert YOURSELF
Jones pleaded Permit me to carry
you--if you only snev the pleasure L
feel-in-" :,
You have my sincere, thanks, sir,
she answered sWeetly; but am really