Staunton vindicator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1860-1896, 1874-11-20
II UMOR

''THINK OF IT, HAMMER ''-On the
train the other day were Il very cnntiding
old nun and Il very innocent old lady,
They had pissed away ive-sixths of their
lives hidden away among the hills of Yer
mont, AMI We're going to Western Michi-
gan on visit to their son. After little
skirmishing around the old gentleman
pitched into me about the ''crops, ~ 'sile,"
and when [ found how innocent he was,
gave him all the inform stion he wanted
All at once, as he road along, the wife
caught his arm and exclaimed
''Look out, Samuel, or you'll be forget
ting that place where they ft!''
The old man explained He that young
man who CAM down from Canada witt.
them, told him to look out for the battle
field of Brdddock's defeat as soon as he
left Detroit.
was going to reply that the young man
was an Internal liar, but the old lady SEEM
ed to have her heart set on seeing the spot,
and the old man was SO anxious that |
couldn't bear to disappoint them. When
we got down into the woods, pointed out
out of the windows and took in the scene
think of it. Hanner,' exclaimed the
Old man, as he drew in his head, think OF
them Injuns creeping through them woods
and shooting Mr.. Bra ldock down dead -
my SOUL" replied the old lady, SEEM
ingly overcome at the ide,, and she kept
her eyes on the woods until / thought she
would twist her neck off.
I We got along all right for about five
miles more, and the old man wanted to
know if we weren't down pretty near the
spot where Tecumseh fell.
s'Where ?'' yelled AMI the same young
man had informed him that the railroad
ran close to the spot where the great H.
dian warrior fell and slept.
''Itll be powerful favor to me and
Samuel if yell point out the spot urged
the old lady, placing her hand Oh my arm.
How could go back on what that urazen
young man had said ? The old folks had
made up their minds to see the spot, and if
/ Didn't show it to them they might worry
for weeks, and they might think the young
man had lied, or that | wasn't posted in
the historic spots Of my own State. Lor'
forgive me, but mile further on | pointed
out hill AMI said:
''Behold the Last resting place Of the
great Tecumseh.'
'',Just think of it, Hanner-::ust think Of
it'' exclaimed the Old man, "right there
is where they got him."
''Mercy! but it don't seem possible -
she calculated, and she had to get out her
snuff boz before she could recover from
the shock.
The Old gentleman said he had part c.
ular interest iii the spot, because he knew
the man who killed Tecumseh- to live
right by HIM.
HE must have been an awful Injun,''
broke in the old lady, ''for the young man
said he didn't die till they had cut off his
head, and feet, and hands, and bowed t re
body up with a barrel of powder!''
WANTED to get away after that, fearing
that something worse was coming, but she
insisted upon my taking II pinch of snuff, |
and so [ kept my seat. We were just be-
yond Brighton, when the old man came at
me like a steamboat, with
'fNow, then, how fur is it to the spot |
where they found the Babes in tile |
Woods ?''
I wanted to get out Of it, but how could |
I? That young man had deliberately lied |
20 those nice old folks, and | hadn't the |
moral courage to tell 'em so. and thus had |
to make a liar of myself. It's awful to |
deceive any one, especially a good old man |
and fat and motherly old lady, on their
way to the tomb.
''That' s-yes-that' the spot ?" l said
as we came to a dark piece of words.
''Think o. that Hammer p he said his
head out Of the window; think of them
babies being found in there!''
Eyes, it Was fearful - she replied
s'seems as if l could almost see them Stub
bing about in there now -
There was another historic spot of which
the young man had told them. but they had
forgotten it, and | never was more thank
full. They kept quiet until the brakesn2an
yelled out Lansing" and tlen the old
man bobbed up and exclaimed:
Lansing-Lansing, why, here's where
they hung Tom Collins, amt it 20
Unexplained that Tom Collins, Chicago
desperate had murdered eleven and drank
their blood for his liver complaint, and, J
after being hunted for miles, had at length
been captured at Lansing, cut to pieces by
the Infatuated populace, and then left hang
ing to tree.
I had to point out the tree. 1t was
tree near the depot, and the tail of a Kite
had lodged in it's branches.
"Theres whar they hung him, Hannerr'
said the old man stretching his neck.
IAN there's some of his shirt left vet ~
exclaimed the old lady, and backed out of
the car the good old man was rema, king
that he was going to ask the train boy if
he didn't have the pamphlet Life of Tom
Collins so that they could get further
articuIars.-DetroI Free Press.
The acrobats of every household
,,itchar and lumber.