The state rights democrat. [volume] (Albany, Linn County, Oregon) 1865-1900, 1872-06-28
THE FORTY THIEVES.


scarce, hence they were embalmed in
story. Had they lived in our day,
when thieves are so numerous, they
would have been totally disregarded
on account of the insignilicance of
their number.
The story is simple. Cassim and
Ali Baba are brothers Cassim is
rich and Ali is poor. While the for
mer leads.a life OF. luxury and ease
the latter hauls wood for living. and
often bemoans his fate, forgettul that
Grant once followed that honorable
occupation. Wood-haulers should
not despair, for they may become
President for what they know or for
what they don't know; it is hard to
tell which nova days.
One day when Ali Baba went to
the forest to get a jag of wood, he
saw horsemen approaching. Fearing
evil, he climbed into tree and con,
cealed himself The troop halted uu,
der that identical tree, dismounted
and took from their horses several
heavily loaded carpet t-bags, which led
him TO iufer that they were carpet.
baggers. returned from the South,
gorged with the spoils of office. He
found, however, that they were regu.
lar professional thieves aud then he
had more respect for them.
The captain OF the band-thcre
were just forty of thcm-approached
rock hard by and uttered the words,
open Sesame !" when, as Ali after
wards expressed to his wife, "you'd
ortcr see Sammy open" Instantly
on the word door concealed in the
rock, opened rs if by magic, aud the
captain entered, followed by his band.
who marched in open order by the
left flank double rat-;ail file, centerine
on the left wing, the extreme right
resting on the door-sill. nj shoulder
arms muskets reversed. military
readers may understand this. /
don't.
When they had all got in. the lead.
er shouted, shut Sesame" when Sam.
my Immediately shut. that being APP
parently what Sammy was for. Soon
after. the robbers (having slowed
away their plundcr) re-appeared; the
door closed after them at the word of
command, and mounting their horses
they rode away. When they were
gone, Ali Baba, getting down from
the tree tried the magic word himself,
and after little hesitation he entered
the robbers cave.
Great was his asionishment Mt what
he beheld. lie found splendid apart
ments, suitable for married or single
gentlemen. handsomely furnished, and
lighted with gas, with or without
board, and within five minutes walk
of the Post-oflice. On every hand
were heaps of diamonds, bags OF gold,
and dead loads OF greenbacks. Here,
then, was where the robbers lived
when they were at home, and stored
their plumber. He determined 10
have his whack ut il. So loading his
mule with all it could carry, he started
20" home. Imagine the delight of
VI RS. Baba when her husband arrived.
Sh. had been very much concerned
over his prolonged absence. because
ne was Ali Bahia, all she had.) She
lelped In IN unload the gold aud store
t away in the cellar with an aiacrity
he rarely displayed in doing her
She was anxious to know just how
much there was o:s il so as TO make
/ correct income return 10 the gov
,rnment. Accordingly. while her
husband was gone to put up the mule,
he tried to count it.. Naturally
of this employm ent after
he had got up among the L1iIlions,
he concluded to measure it, AID for
hat purpose she ran across the street
o her sister-in-law's, Mrs. CassiLl's |
md borrowed her half.bushel meas
ire, pretending that she wanted to
Measure some potatoes. AS it was so
unusual thing for Ali Babas family
o have bushel potatoes at one time,
Mrs. Cassim's curiosity was excited,
% she put some Spaulding's glue on
he bottom of the measure TO see
what kind of potatoes they were,
which was mighty small potatoes on
he part of Mrs. Cassim.
When the measure was returned
Mrs. G. found five cent nickle ad.
lering to the bottom. This was a
'ery suspicious circumstance indeed
When," said she to Cassim, in re.
ating the circumstance and showing
he nlckle, "when did your brother
,ver have five cents in the house at
,nce? OF a sudden he seems to have
bushels of money" Cassim walked
,ver to his brothers house and ques-
ioned him on the subject, when Ali,
,eing generous hearted fellow, told
lin all about the cavern. Next day
Cassim went up to get some himself,
,ut after loading himself down with
wealth, he forgot the magic word
which opened the door, and so he
couldn't get out. He tried the vari-
,us words, cried "Open See Tommy!o
Open See.Billyp "Open See-Poll-
Ami" but all to no purpose, because
lis memory couldn't see Sammy
rhe result was that the robbers come
nd killed him, and being always
eady to make quarter, when they
ould, they quartered him--he was
he only gentleman who had ever
,een quartered there before except
hemselves-and hung him up inside
he door as warning to any other
ash Intruder who might seek to enter
Without a suitable recommendation
rom his last place.
The result might have been antici-
'ated. Mrs. Cassim, alarmed at her