Delaware state journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1870-1883, 1873-06-28
q VERY PITHY STORY.
A Kentuoluan who Wont for all tho saE-
safres He Gould Find-A Slight misun-
derstanding-Law and PhYsio.


From Tho Ciutiuuat inquirer
Mr.. Elijnh Patrick is gentleman from
the hackV GODS Of Eastern Kentucky
whose business II is to supply druggists
with herbs used iu medicines. Somt
eight Yeas ago, while making his rounds
among lis customers in this city, ,he wenl
to the store of Messrs. W. 3. Merrill &
Co, wholesale druggists, / IA West Third
street, and was given by the younger
member Of the finn orders for diilereut
roots, baiks Nc. They had printed lisl
between them, and when they came to the
reed d article the word was checked of
such rs "Tdnsy, three pounds ~
"tnmOmile flowers, five pounds -
PennyHyal, six pounds" and so on.
When ihoy rOl down 10 "Snssn lras nth, 81
the junior Mr.. Meuill said (nccording "a
Mr.. Patrck's stalencn), " Get as much
Of that rs you can iiud."
sassaiias piih, Us Is well known, IL the
spOngy matter iOund inside the stems oil
the American plant sGssatrds neelidid. II
is used, when soaked in water, rs Il wash
for diseased eyes, and as a drink in dys-
entery, catsrrh, etc. An eighth Of an
ounce to q tint Of boiling water will
make a wash the thickness of weak mu-
cilHge. The article has heretofore come
almost euthcly from down South, and il
WAS generally believed that il grew no
where e,sr In the country. 1t was high
priced, the whl.e-ilic rate being at that
time over three dollars per pound. Mr..
Patrick, understanding that he was to
get as much Of fassafras pith as he
could find, pocketed the list and went
home.
lie at once hired about two hundred
men, women aud children. and set them
to picking sassaiias stems aud stripping
them Of the bark. When he had got q
iarpe pile, he wrote on to MessIs. Merell
to send him two hundred bags. They
denied ever getting this leitar. lie went
ON picking until a large part of Eastern
| kmtucsy WAS cleared of the plant. lie
hen hired boats, and loaded two Of them
with pith. Enough was left to half I'LL q
third boat. One day the druggists on
! Third street were nstOunded with the an
nOuncement that there We're lying In the
river three hoate laden with sassafras
pith subject 10 their oIdcr, and in daJ
or two, In walked Mr.. Elijah Patrick
with his little bill Of s5,9Ol. As might
| he supposed there was scene. Messrs
building wherein 10 store il. II has Deeu
calculated that at the rate of drachm
to case of dyscntery or of caiarrh,
there was more than enough for the
whole of the Uhited States. Flatly
Messrs. Merrell refused TO pay for it,
when MIR. Patrick walked TO Judge
llanovcr's Office aud engaged him Il
| bring suit. The case came up in the
| Superior Court, aud Patrick lost. HC
continued proceedings, aud the case was
tried six times. Meanwhile the pith hat
n hard time of it. Piled up in stacks, il
grew muully and rotted. The rats got
at il. Twice the warehouse burned down
| The first time, half of the heap wal
burned TO ashes, and the second time the
other half went up.
Mover was case that looked clearer Il
/ outsiders than Patrick's claim, but neYe
/ did anything so bother the Judges as did
that mountain Of snssafras pith. Towar,
the last fresh proof involving Mcssrs
Merrell was brought forward, and !
began to look as though the druggist
would get the worse OF the suit. Judg
Tuii, who had been down to look at tn
pth, was mighty puzzled, and finally dc
dared that lac could not decide the case
and il mnst 20 10 n jury. Mr.. Patricl
here grew Discouraged. lie had rushe,
the thing for seven years, and just whel
hs could almost hear the Judgment il
his favor it was proposed to begin il al
over fresh, and, IN the end. depend upol
the verdict at jury. Why said he
as he inourufnlly listened 10 Ike proposl
tiOu of a cOmpramisc, eyer kln bette
trll afurrhuud where lightnin's gong I
strike as otcll What decision them leller
would come to So he concluded tha
be had had enough OF law, and agree
with Messrs. Mcrrell TO call the whol
matter square for thousand dollars.