The Louisiana Democrat. [volume] (Alexandria, La.) 1845-1918, 1874-04-08
A Flash in the Pan.

io1S aitti ito many PS' oS|Hf'oi'S ''i'"''tN
have been palsied, instead Of forever
thundered at our people, and justly
buried in oblivion's darkest depths
comes once more an emuete, both ridic.
ulous and shameful, which should
prove last and bitter lesson to the au.
thors of all our wrongs and woes, and
bring the tinge of shame to the brazen
checks of the Federal powers that be
and who have local habitation in the
old granite building in New Orleans.
"A few days since one of our upper
steamers touched our wharf for sin.
gle instant, and out walked lone pas
senger, without and baggage, and lei
surely marched himself to one Of our
boarding houses. We admit just now
our Town folks, when they dance with
a bear, will keep an eye on their part
ner, hence the solitary stranger, who
solitary and alone was soon to put a
thrice crushed ball in motion, was the
silent observed of all observers. Very
soon after adjusting his rather shabby
toilet and smoothing over his auburn
locks, he proceeded to business and to
lay the sandy foundation of his Pack
(h)ard schemes, and spring his netts 10
catch what he supposed were gudgeons.
He boldly and defantly' stepped into 4
Front Street store, blandly rs he could
accosted the gentleman of the house,
introduced himself as the Agent and
Solicitor of the "Atlas Insurance Com
pany, Of New Orleans" and urged that
he meant business, at the same time
with awkward politeness, handed the
head Of the house a blank of the Insu-
rance Company. The merchant receiv-
ed it, and noticing it was unsigned by
the Agent, requested his sign manual
to the document. This little prccaution
caught the conscience Of the king and
the murder was out. The would be
Agent did not like to vince so early in
his fight for blood money, hence he
made the desperate effort and scratched
his name to the blank. Here, as we
have remarked, he wilted and the game
and notre mouton were known and un-
masked. With herculanean efforts he
managed to scrawl: "Donald McMic-
kle,' and it looked for all the world as
if the old blue hen with one chicken
had been scratching Oh the paper
The merchant kept the precious ,docu-
ment, and the boys shouted first blood
for Rapiaes.
The next we hear of our dear, special
detective and keen sharp, Donald Me-
Mickle, ne quietly and as he thought
,lncognito took passage for Africa's
right bower, sweet-perfumed Colfax,
there to throw himself under the pro-
lection of the cold flag and hold COM
munion, under orders from higher av-
thority, with the officers OF the United
States Army, in command of the small
but gallant and honorable garrison att
Colfax. Those that are bound must
obey, and the soldier being after all but
mere machine, McMickle, With thcf
Donald for long, for the nonce was &
happy man and an e1huberant deyoteel
of Boss Packard's layout, and bnilt his
castles high in the air. When Greek
meet Greek, then don't always come
the tug of war. So, reader, we must
bring our report to a finish and leave
the moral to Rapides, as McMickle in
gloriously threw up the sponge, after
only one light left-hander from pugilis-
tic old Alexandria. He chartered or
pressed a skitf, near Head Quarters, and
with a detail of six as good aud true
boys in blue as ever shouldered needle
gun, at s O'Clock at night, me, McMic-
k@e, big indian heap, in supreme COM
mand, backed out from Colfax's land
ing and turned the bow of his skiff
downward, and soon t he oars were
were piled with eagerness and skill,
HI bent for poor little Alexandria
Town. No incidents, worth relating,
happened on the short trip, and by 3
O'Clock A. NJ, of Saturday, the FlotilIa,
without the blast of whistle or the
snort of a mud valye, silently and