The Van Buren press., 1874-03-31
MISCELLANY.
How Squire Skaggs Got Skinned by the
Pharaoh Men"

You see, said the squire, pitching
his voice to an exegetical altitude, 4" il
WIZ sorter this way Last Chuseday wuz
a week ago, sailed down from Gwinnet
to Atlanta with seven bags Of cotton
Arter sold 'om kinder oafed roun
lookin at things in general an feelin
jest rs happy as you please. when who
should run agin but Kurnel Blosen.
gamer Me an the kurnel used to be
boys together, an we wuz as thick as five
kittens in rag basket. We drunk outen
the same goard, an we got the lint
snatched outen US by the same handy
legged sehool.teacher. | wuz gitten as
lonesome as a rain crow, afore struck
up with the kurne, an was glad to see
him-durned glad. We knocked reun'
town right smartually. an the kurnel in
terjuced me to a whole raft of iellers-
mighty nice boys they wuz, too. Arter
supper the kurnel says:-
"'Skaggs, says he, less 60 to my
room whar we kin talk over ole times
sorter comfortable an ondisturbed like.
"Greeable, says l, AN we walked a
squar or so an turned into a alley an
wolked up narrer par of stars. The
kurnel gin little rap at a green door,
an slick iookin merlatter popped out
an axed us in He wuz the durndest
perlitest nigger you ever seen. He just
got up an spun aroun' like tom cat
with her tail on afre The room wuz as
fine as a fiddle an full ofpicturs an sofys,
and the cheers wuz as saft as lam s wool,
an thought to meself that the knrnel
wuz lugusuriant cuss Thar wuz lot
of mighty nice fellers scattered roun' a
latin an talking quite sochabe like.
Aperient, the kurnel wuzent much sot
back, for lie sorter LATED to himself an
then he says:
"' Boys, says he, have fetched up
fren. Jedge Hightower. this is Squire
Skaggs, Of Gwinnett. Majer Briggs,
Squire Skaggs, an so on all roun'. Then
the kurncl turns to me an says:
"' Rely, l wuzept expectin' company,
Skaggs, but the members of the Young
Mems Christum sosashun make my room
their headquarters.
al ups an says wuz mighty glad
to meet the boys. used to be prema,
iiv Babtis myself afore got to cussin'
the Yankees, an hev always had a sor
ter hankerln arter pious folks. They all
laffed an shuck hans over agin, an We
sot thar n smokin' an a chawin' jest rs
muchuel as you please. dsremember
how it came up, but presently Majer
Briggs gifts up an says:
"kurnel, what about that new parlor
game you got out the other day?'
"'Oh,' says the kurael, lookin' sorter
shcepish, that was humbug can't
make no head nor tail outen it.
I'm bet kin manage it, says Jedge
Hightower, quite animated like.
"'Ill show you how, jedge, with
pleasure, says the kurnel, AN then he
went to a table, unlocked box an tuck
out deck OF keerds an whole lot Of
little whatyoumaycallems, similarly to
horn buttons, some white an some red !"
Squire Skaggs paused and supplied his
tireless jaws with n fresh quid of tobacco.
1T 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 stars. ! lay looked
a leetle wild, for when the jedge closed
the box he said:
We hev had pleasant cvenin'
squire You'll find the kurnel waitin
for you on the steps, an he'll give you
your money back. ,"
81 amt never laid eyes on the kurnel
sence. an when do thar's agoin' to be
a case for the knrriner--you mind my
words. seed Rufe Lester, next day
you know Rufe he's in the Legislator
now, but ] used to give him pop. corn
when he wuzent so high--I seed Rufe
an be sed wuz tuck in by the Pharaoh
men Tuck in amt no lame for it,
Derncd eff ] didn't go to the bottom an
git skinned alive. - Sardnnah News.