Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1874-04-17
How Squire skeggs got Skinned by the
''Pharoah Men,"

"You see," said the Squire, pitching
his voice to an exegetical altitude, sit
was sorter this way. Last Chuseday
wuz week ago, l sailed down from
Gwinnett to Atlanty with seven bags
of cotton. Arter l sold 'em, l kinder
loafed roun' lookin' at things in gene
raj an feelin' just as happy as You
please, when who should run agin
but Kurnel Blasengame. Me and the
Kurnel used to be boys together, an
1--WE wuz as thick as five kittens in rag
basket. We drank outen the same
CORD, an we got the lint snatched outen
us by the same bandy-legged school
teacher. / WIZ gitten as lonesome as
a rain-crow, afore l struck up with the
Kurnel, an l was glad to see him
burned glad. We knocked roun' town
smartually, an the Kurnel INTERRUPTED
me to whole raft of fellers-mighty
nice boys they wuz, too. Arter supper,
the Kurnel says:
"'Skeggs,' says he, less 60 to my,
room whar we kin talk over ole times
. sorter comfortable an ondisturbed
like
"Greeable,' says I, an we walked
squar or so an turned into alley an
walked up narrer par of stars. The
kurnel gin a little rap at green door,
an slick lookin' merlatter popped ont
an axed US in. He wus the durndest
lperlitest niger you ever seen., He jest
got up an spun aroun' like tom cat
with her tail afre. The room wuz as
fine as fiddle an full of picturs an
sofy's, an the cheers wuz as soft as
lambs wool, an l thought to meself
that the Kurnel wuz luxurlent cuss.
Thar was a lot of mighty nice fellers
scattered roun' a latfin' an talkin'
quite soshabel like. Aperient, the
kurnel wuzent much sot back, for he
sorter LATED to himself an then he
says: IA
"'Boys,' says he, 4 hev fetched up a
fren', Jedge Hightower, this is Squire
Skeggs, of Gwinnett. Majer Briggs,
Squire Skeggs, an so on all roun.-
The Kurnel turns to me an says:
"'Reely, | wuzent expectin' compa-
ny, Skeggs, but the members of the
Young Mems Christtin Sosashun make
my room ther headquarters.'
81 ups an says wuz mighty glad to
meet the boys. | used to be Prema-
I tive Babtis myself afore I got to cus-
sim the Yankees, an hev always had
sorter hankerin' arter pious folks
They all laffed and shook hans over
d agin, and we sot thar smokin' and a
: chawin' just as muchuel as you please.
| disremember how it come up, but
0 presently Majer Briggs gifts up an says:
: "Kurnel, what about that new par
lor game you got out the other day"
"sOh,' sez the Kurnel, lookin' sorter
sheepish, that wuz a humbug. Ican't
: make no head nor tail outen it.
e "'Tll bet l kin manage it, sez Jed dge
Hightower, quite animated like
"sFll show you how, Judge with
. pleasure sez the Kurnel, an then he
=. went to a table, unlocked box an
tuck out deck of keerds an whole
lot of little whatyoumaycallems, SINH
lar to horn buttons, some white an
some red"
Squire Skeggs paused and supplied
. his tireless jaws with a fresh quid of
tobacco.
"'It amt no use to tell you any
more. When them fellers got done
larnin' me that game [ didn't have
money enough to take me down stairs.
!, | say | looked a leetle wild, for when
the Jedge closed the box he said:
"'We hev had a pleasant evenin' !,
Squire. You'll find the Kurnel wait
, in for you on the steps, and he'll give
E your money back ~
: 81 amt never laid eyes on the Kur-
e mel sence, an when l do thar's goin'
/ to be a case for the Kurriner-you
: mind my words. l seed Rufe Lester
r next day-you know Rufe; he's in the
: Legislature now, but l used to give
e him popcorn when he wuzent so high
v Il seed Rufe an he sed wuz tuck in
e by the Pharoah men. Tuck in ain t no
S name for it. Derned eff ! didn't 20 to
J, the bottom an git skinned alive. ~
z Sara,,~oH .News.