New Orleans Republican., 1873-08-10
John Happy. Hobbs Hat.
From the Nashville Banner.

EarIv Friday morning. several years ago,
John HOBBS, who lived in tLe suburbs Of
kcseda.e. hitcled up his carryaii and .'cree.
ter ard started ~ Nashville. for the pur.
pose o. exchanging his marketing for cur.
vency. His marketing consisted o. two
chickens, ''tlvin SIZE one watermelon.
three cucEinh he.s and Two quarts OF black
berries, ANA vet he seemed utter.v Dditter.
ent about tie financial arrangement his
eXtens.v. sales Were likely to produce in
the Metrouolis-s" indifferent. indeed. that
il passing Mr. .yamisons orchard he crept
siylv over the fence and filed his peek
measure with apples. and thus reinforced
he resulaed his Journey. Having arrived
al the city and dlsnoseG OF his produce. he
found himself the pussessor o, s! -.
Little cared he .oc The empty pock.
cts OF lis Customers his greatest
anxiety was 70 sec1ete his money about
his person. 81 thar u case Of robbery 1t
could not be found. lie had heard how
dangerous il w., tor men TO carry large
sulns c1 Honey. ana lie was determined TO
be- careful. Selecting his time when he felt
sure Lo one was watching him Ee deposited
tie money IA the lining Of his hat, and
then wAlled away his time along the road
home SO that il was dark when he reached
Mr.. .Jalllsons orchard: so he concluded t.
gather d load for the next day. Selling
apples he found Was {. profitable business.
when the apples cost nothing. He crept
over the fence again. ana was soon gather.
in. :he fruit. and thinking how much
quicker ne could &c: rlcn at That than work.
ing at .!!tv cents day. But M:. Janlison
had missed his fruit. and Mr.. Jamison's son
was down ;u the orchard with his gui..
loaded with mustard and shot, and when
he heard Hobbs shaking the trees ne let
drive at the noise il the dark. and the shot
tuund poo: HoDOs ana .tuny llm some and
scared lin a great deal more. There was
no creeping now. He cleared the fence
q: one leap. but failed 20 Clear a knot on
the top rail-. which got eNtangled with his
pants and stayed his fight for a moment.
II wa> only ior a moment. however. for one
vigorous jerk aud he was clear of the knot.
and a.so OF the bacl. oortien o. hi. pants
then bounding INTO hls carrval. lie urged
his 'creeter' - its utmost speed. and ieel-
.nG l.lusei; safe. he thought .. his money,
ana felt :or thar. ..ut his hat was gone.
Then he stonpe.. aEi listened. No one was
pursuing. .;an.ison's q son was afraid he had
killed somebody. AM! had hurried of. that
there n gh. be 10 evidence ayains. him
" hen the dead man should: be found. SO
Hobbs thought lie might venture back 20
hun. tor his hat AMI his money. He felt
sn,e L was tie Jerk ne got by being caugh:
on the knc: tha. knocked OF his hat, and
that y mus oe lying outside OF the orchard
10y he roadside. ard as houses were thick
lie would stop at one and borrow candle
I'D hunt for his lost treasure. But as bad
luck would have it. in the darkness
and confusion he stopped a, jamison's
house and rang the bell. Iamison an
swered the bell IN person. and his dog.
which he petted great deal, came along to
see what was the matter. Hobbs stated
wha: was the matter. and craved the loan
OF candle. Jamison wanted TO know WHY
ne couidn', get . candle as he was getting
apples--steal one. in fact. Then Hobbs !
JamisOn. and thinking he was
in the wrong pew started to leave. Jamison
quietly said. Sick him, Tige,' ana "Tige" |
bounced out and took hold where Hobbs |
pants were missing. Hobbs bounded Tor. |
ward and tore the hole loose, and the dog
bounded forward to get better hold, but |
soon gave it up in disgust, evidently ru-
minating that though distance may lend en-
chantnent to the view, yet, in that case, it |
too fast for mis- taste. Hobbs was
not seen in that neighborhood any more,
and It vas eonjectured that the Klu-Klux |