Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1872-09-05
4 SLOW COACH,
By DOM PIATT.

When the Patent Screw and Auger.Ine
of railway from Porkopolis terminated At
Middleburg, DIT has since come to no
great national ihoroug hfare-.the un.
happy passengers were carried to all
parts of the civilized world. as well as to
New Jersey, by the old-fashioned seases
These stages ran crowded, and there was
generally contest for seats Governor
Thomas Corwin was to leave Muddle.
burg at midnight for the State capital IN
stage. To secure the best seat this
humorist sat up all night, He WAS not
alone, for he had bottle of choice old
whisky to keep him company. He tried
the whisky, he saiu, plain. He then hadit
made into mint julep, after he had dis
cussed it in the shape Of smash
About IL O'Clock he thought cocktail
would add variety to this spice of lite
This he washed down with hot punch, and
then at midnight, just as he heard the
stage rattle in, he took all that was left
straight
Seiaing his carpet sack and overcoat
he rushed out to find a crowd around the
stage, and without saying word, but in a
great hurry, bolted in and ensconsed him.
self IN one corner upon the back seat He
fell asleep congratul.tng himself upon
having been so fortunate. aud had dim.
dreamy consciousness, of the stage rolling
away.
When he again awakened the stage YVES
ut stand-still the curtains were all down
windows up; but enough daylight came in
TO satisfy him thut the Institution had
" done broke some time since. He hast.
ly arted up, and, dropping one of the
windows, was perfectly amaze, to find
himself in the wagon yard of n hotel. Two
hogs were getting thoir dinner out of a
manure heap, while melancholy COW
stood chewing her cud, while working her
tail to keep it in practice for t1y-time. A
lazy hostlcr was entertaining himself with
u pitch.ork. A further note of the sur
roundings satisfied Governor Corwn that
he was in the rear of Muddleburg Hotel
and that he had been there from II o'clock
the night before. Corwin was man of
genius, and it did not take him long to
discover the cause of this extraordinary
result. He had got into a stage that had
come in, instead Of going out The people
about. this leathern convenience, when he
enSconced himself thought, as he learned
afterwa I'd, that he was passenger in
search Of an umbrella, or some other arti-
Gle, left behind.
The Governor opened the door of the
stage very softly He crept out, trying to
feel that, as he said subsequently,, his skin
hung loose on him. He could not escape,
however, the eyes of the host,er who ex-
claimed in somo astonishment;
"Hello, Governor, did they forget and
leave yeI in der stageW
"There, there, my man" answered Cor
win, giving him "a silver dollar, You
keep your fly trap shut or they'll be
death in your family"
"Fore God" exclaimed the hostler, as
Corwin walked away, "Dat's most stron-
airy the Governor done forgot in stage
coach.
Corwin walked to the hotel, deposited
his carpet-sack and coat behind the first
door he encountered, and then sauntsred
into the breakfast-room, trying to assume
an air Of man who had not slept in a
wagon-yard all night. While discussing
the oiled sole leather and muddy coffee,
for which American people pay hotel
prices, a friend on the other side OF the
table, looking up suddenly exclaimed
"Why, Governor, thought you left for
the capital last night"
Well, exclaimed Corwin, with one OF
the whimsical looks with which he was
won't to set the table in roar, :" was
under that impression myself"
"Got left, did you ~
Eyes, believe was {. good deal lett"
"How WAS that, Governor ?"
"See here, my friend" exclaimed
Corwin. carefully depoSiting his knife and
fork on each side of his plate as if they
were articles of value, 1" if you will con-
sent not to press further investigation on
that subject, | will presentyour wife with
Il bonnet more Xix" a coal scuttie than any
now in market. lfyou don't consent" he
continued with wild energy, Selling ms
fork, " I'll murder YOU
The story, however, was too g)od for
Tom to keep to himself, and for years after
he was in the habit of telling how he slept
in a stable yard, and attrib uted it all to
some very bad whiskey that the Hon. Sci
mon p. Chase had given him.