Worcester daily spy. [volume] (Worcester [Mass.]) 1850-1888, 1872-08-05
Brick POmeroy VS.. NasbT-An Incident
of Their Youth.


In a letter 10 us some years ago Mark M.
Pomeroy ("Brck" Pomeroy) recountrd the.fol-
lowing little affair as having come off between
himself and d. r. Locke, better known as "Pe-
troeum v Nasty" To have published it at
the time when we received il would hardly have
been fair as the two were then political enc
mics. TO all outward appearances; but now, siuce
they have dropped into the same box, we may
send it forth with perfect propriety; no harm
will be likely to result to either from a digging
up of old scores. True, it does not say much for
the youthful morals of Brick, but Brick don't
care for that, and therefore won't feel offended.
SO,lholding strictly TO the text as it appears in
his letter, proceed to tell the story in our own
way:
Brick Pomeroy, at the age of seventeen, en-
tered upon the duties of printers devil' to the
Corning Journal" a paper upon which Petro-
leum V. Nasty (Mr. Locke, then young man,
was working in the capacity of foreman, COM
positor, Job printer and pIessman. Petroleum
was paying his addresses to young lady in
Corning, and with a view 10 improving his
standing in her estimation, he, sometime after
Bricks arrival, presented her with very fine
muff. 1t was gratefully accepted with a great
many thanks, of course. Brick heard of it, and
on the day following the presentation he went
TO the lady and told her that Mr.. Locke had
sent him for the muff in order that he might
change it, as it was not the one he intended to
give; not so good one as he thought he was
buying. Brick was known as the "deyil" in
the office, and therefore supposed to be the very
boy most likely TO come on such an errand, so
the muf was handed over without word. He
took it TO a fur store, gave it in exchange for
other goods, and that night the 'deviP' stepped
into the office fully rugged out in line fur cap,
with kid gloves to match, etc.
Matters went on between Petroleum and his
adored as formerly, though, as he afterward
acknowledged, there seemed TO be an unusual
dpUrpp r a bput
several visits, never dreaming OF the trick that
had been played, and the lady made no allusion
to the matter, of course. Colder and mors dis
tant she continued TO grow, however, until Pc
troleum found himself feeling not unlike fish
out of water 1t became evident that there was
something wrong, and time and again he begged
her to tell him what it was. There's nothing
the NATTER" was the answer that invariably
came, aud invariably had mixed up with it a
kind of contemptuous smile which entirely
killed its force.
But murder will out. Church day rolled
around. Petroleum went to church and his
lady-loye came 1t was in the midst of winter
the temperature ranged below zero, and she had
not brought her muffl Poor Petroleum. Little
did the exercises of that meeting interest him
His fate was clearly written in the absence o.
that muff.
Petroleum was brave. He resolved to find out
why she had thus cast him OFF or die in the at
tempt, so that evening be put in an appearance
at her home. 1t was the same old routine
What was the matter? NothingI Why had
she so mistreated him? She had not that she
knew of! Why, she certainly hadl Was she
not even endeavoring to show her contempt fol
the simple little present he had given her? Wha
present? Why, the mutf, of course-why die
she not take it to church? The reader can i'm
agine the rest?
That night Petroleum turned up at the Office
very much "out of Sorts" Brick was called tt
account and fatty denied having any knowledge
whatever of the affair." No one believed him, blu
it was useless to fret; so to set matters righ
with the lady, Petroleum forwarded her, "by the
hands of more trustworthy boy" Bricks owl
words), a second and much finer set of furs.-
Mobile Register, 2Sth.