Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1874-06-05

q
of wooden legs he'd brought from Lon.
don: very neat.looking things they was,
too, with brass rims round the hoofs
of 'em, and vanished beautiful. 1t seemed
as the man as made them was proud OF
them, for there was burnt into the wood,
right in the middle of each of the legs, the
initials of his name, p. i. B., meaning
Philip Lee Bow, Mr.. Tracey told me. But
one of roy mates, as was bit of q scholard,
| conf ,g in by m by, he takes up my leg,
an6 says he, "P. l.. B.-what does that
meanS Why, Peg legged Bob" says he,
and that name stuck to me ever since.
But was telling you abou: Mr.. Tracey;
well, that wasn't the last visit he paid me,
and next time he came he says, Bob
you won't be much use for a navy now"
he says, "but you're knowledgeable
man, and has got your wits about you !;
take q contrack under me-" says he,
"'Ain't got the brass, Mr.. Tracey says
|. =" III lend you some, he says, "enough
to start you; no interest to pay but, mark
you, shall look for my money back some
day" And with that he wrote me out a
check for a hundred. Now Sam had a
great fancy for public house, and Tracey
helped him too, so he and parted. But
afore then Sal and | was welded, and
with Sal took to Bos, the curly haired
dog as had been her father's--a valyb
animal, sir, as hunted silent and brought
me in many hare and rabbit in days
gone by.
| / did pretty well as sub on the whole;
ups and downs. and sometimes only bread
and cheese for my pains, with pound or
two to the good now and then to pay back
Mr.. Tracey. Sam didn't do as well in the
| public line-made a break of it, in fact
and then came back among his old pals,
and kept sort of sly grog- shop.
Well, I'd been working good piece
with Mr.. Tracey in Ireland, a starvation
sort of a job, as melancholy business MS
ever ] knowed. When we'd got through
that, heard as Mr.. Tracey was making a
line in Wales Thinks |, that's working
home.line; so l takes steamer at Holy
head and iogs along to the wars. Tracey
was working this job at both ends, with
one set at this end in Blamarginshire
and another at the t'other end in Magony-
shire. Well, | saw there wasn't a likely
joO for me in Blamarginshire, and SO l
worked on through the country. l may
tell you heard of Sam as was doing bit
of business among the lads, but l didn't
trouble to look him up, not being over
friendly with him just then.
! Howsoever, | took stffish cutting at
the other end of the country, Magony-
shire end, you know, and soon repented
of my job, can tell you. l never see
such mixed sort of a place as that
Wales. Everything higgledy piggledy,
gravel and rock, slate and rubbidge, all
twisted up anyhow. There was no lodg-
ings to be had near our cutting, so we
made sort of a camp, a row Of huts, as
we christened Prospect Villas. And with
there being no town near Sal set up shop
to sell groceries and pork and so on. 1t
was a thing Mr.. Tracey set his face
against in a general way, any of us subs
setting up shop. "'Tain't right for the
men," he'd say, "and it's the beginning
of truck-work as l can't abide" But in
this case he'd nothing to say against it.
"Only," says he, " Bob, don't you go sell
ing drink" Which | didn't, except as it
might be to friend, you know.
We hadn't been there long when who
wiz brother. He was a big lump OF a
chap, Just like myself, and about the same
height. "rm in bit of trouble, Bob," /"
says he; "lend us pound or two, and
get us run on to Brummagem. And he
STAYED a night with me and l took him
off afore daylight and got him on to the
ballast engine AS was working on the line,
and then he was all right. / never aXed
him what the trouble was as he'd got into
il wouldn't IA been polite, you know; and
Sam never told me, only that it was in
Blamarginshire, where he'd been doing a
bit of business among the navvies as was
working at the other end of Mr.. Tracey's
line.
was standing atop of the bank, one
day, looking over the men as was filling
set of wagons for the tip. The road
, ran close by, and a gig was coming along
and thought for a minute it was Grin
well, our galier, coming TO have look a
us, and stumped off to the road TO NEE
him. But it wasn't him, but rather sol
emn.looking chap with frill of black
, whiskers round his face. And he stops
: and passes the time of day with me
t "Been in the army ?" says he, pointing tC
4 my leg. "No," says |, "fall of rock
g And he seemed to prick up his ears a
I that and asked me lot of questions a
: to how it happened, and so on. And thel
!. he begins admiring my leg-the woodel
! 'un-and would mind putting it upol
Y the step for him to see? "Ah," says he
j, "a nice bit of timber that; and then
!. letters-why, you've got your initials ol
i it, see-P. l.. B. Thank'ee; good day,
SAYS he, and drives off sharp, as II L
make up for lost time.
!. Well, me and Sal was having our te
d that night atop of the counter-we was
:. bit squeezed for room there being onl
1t the shop and back parlor and a hltl
7 cook house, and four or five dodgers, an
r, the children and Bos-and knock cam
7 at the door, and Bos he sets barkin llk
:; mad "Come ln," says |, with my mout
D full of bread and cheese; and in walk
d two policemen and the gent I'd seen
| Al. Al, inu
|, prisoner" says he TO the police; TAX
i. him off" "Why; what have done
&c says |, my heart sinking into my boo
10 "Oh" he says, "selling liquor without
license" But" l says-tor my min
IS wasn't quite clear as l mightn't hay
ie transHxed the law through being tC
as careful to go as near to iL as might
of without breaking it-says |, "Aint
I'd have my trialY" Trial nonsense
a saws he. "Who are you?" say
;" "Are you kings, lords and commons, al
?" Judge and jury, too2" says |. Says b
I'd "Im the Supervisor of the Excise. n
,it boy; and here's the warrant to take yf
Ie. TO prison. You know all about it; so i
lp no use pretending you don't" Well, S
a CRIED and BOs hOwled, and the childr
At, screamed, and some of my men began
get wind of what was up, and gather
IL about the door. LOOK sharp," says I
ne exciseman; they'll be trying a resc
ed next" And with that they hurried
of out and across the line TO where dC
he cart was waiting, and away we went. a
as presently we came to town called "
I'd pigstie, or some such name as tn
nd Now, it so happened as knew
it man there, lawycr-a regular heal
5 sort of chap-as wos doing a
ed of work for Mr.. Tracey; and spoke
us and said: "You must let me see
bit lawyer" "Your lawyer" sneered
for police; !" who's your lawyer~ Why !
5 l David Evans" said And with u
vas there was whispering going on, a
nd presently they said as they'd stop for
lly an hour at the Goat and bait the hon
led and might send for my. lawyer II
Lhe pleased. And so Mr.. Davis came to
me me as was sitting in the tap-room,
glum as you please between'two poll