The aegis & intelligencer. [volume] (Bel Air, Md.) 1864-1923, 1873-07-11
From the Cincinnati Inquirer.
A Very Pithy Story.

Mr.. Elijah Patrick is a gentleman from
the backwoods of Eastern Kentucky, whose
business it is to supply druggists with herbs
used In medicines. Some eight years ago
while making his rounds among his Gus.
toners in this city, he went to the store Of
Messrs. w. S. Merrill 6 Co., wholesale
druggists, ia West Third street, and was
given by the younger member of the firm
orders for different roots, barks, &C. They
had printed list between them, and when
they came to the needed article the word
was checked off-such as "Tansy, three
pounds" "Camomile flowers, five pounds >
"Pennyroyal, six pounds" and so on
When they got down TO "Sassafras pith,
the junior Mr. Merrill said according t.
MIR. Patrlck's statemenD, Get as much OF
that as you can find"
Sassafras pith, as is well known, is the
spongy matter found inside the stems OF
the American plant Sassatras neclulia II
is used, when soaked in water, as wash
for diseased eyes, and as drink in dysen-
terry, catarrh, etc. An eighth of an ounce
to pint OF boiling water will make wash
the thickness ofweak mucilage. The arti-
Gle has heretofore come almost entirely, from
down South, and it was generally believed
that it grew nowhere else in the country
1t was highpriced, the wholesale rate being
at that time over three dollars per pound
MIR. Patrick, understanding that he was to
get as much of sassatr Is pith as he could
find, pocketed the list and went home.
He at once hired about two hundred
men, women and children, and set them to
picking sassafras stems and stripping them
of the bark. When he had got large pie,
he wrote on to Messrs. Merlell to send him
two hundred bags. They denied ever get
ting this letter. He went on picking until
large part of Eastern Kentucky was
cleared of the plant. He then hired boats,
and loaded two of them with pith Enough
was left to half fill a third boat One day
the druggists on Third street were as
founded with the announcement that there
were lying in the river three boats laden
with sassalras pith subject to their order,
and in day or two, in walked Mr.. Elijah
Patrick with his little bill of S5,9O1. As
might be supposed, there was scene
Messrs. Mcrrell & Co. hadn't room in their
whole building wherein to store it. 1t has
been calculated that at the rate of Il drachm
to case of dysentery or OF catarrh, there
was more than enough for the whole of the
United States. Flatly, Messrs. Merrell re-
fused to pay for it, when Mr. Patrick walk
ed to Judge Hanover's office and engaged
him to bring suit. The case came up in
the Superior Court, and Patrick lost He
continued proceedings, and the case was
tried six times. Meanwhile the pith had
a hard time of it. Piled up in stacks, it
grew mouldy and rotted. The rats got at
it. Twice the warehouse burned down.
The first time, half of the heap was burned
to ashes, and the second time the other half
went up.
Never was case that looked clearer to
outsiders than Patrick's claim but never
did anything so bother the judges as did
that mountain of sassafras pith. Toward
the last fresh proof involving Messrs. Mer-
rell was brought forward, and it began to
look as though the druggists would get the
worse of the suit. Judge Taft, who had
been down to look at the pith, was mighty
puzzled, and finally declared that he could
not decide the case, and it must go to
jury. Mr.. Patrick here grew discouraged.
He had pushed the thing for seven years,
and Just when lie could almost hear the
Judgment in his favor it was proposed to
begin it all over fresh, and, in the end, de-
pend upon the verdict of a jury. "Why,"
said he, as he mournfully listened to the
proposition of a compromise, eyer kin bet
ter tell aforehand where lightnin's going to
strike as to tell what decision them fellers
would come to-" So he concluded that
he had had enough oflaw, and agreed with
Messrs Mcrrel to call the whole matter
square for thousand dollars.