The true northerner. [volume] (Paw Paw, Mich.) 1855-1920, 1875-05-28

feet. She remained covered up more
than two years. When we moved the
hay off of the barrel there was the old
hen. 1t was very pitiful sight to see
her, she was SO thin; when l lifted her
up she seemed considerably lighter than
feather; and as soon as the fresh air
struck her she died. / think that when
fresh air strikes anything that has been
confined a long time that way it will
die."
If you were discussing politics and
candidates he would give you this one:
"Gentlemen, some years ago, when /
lived III Culpepper county, Virginia, my
friends nominated me for County Judge.
Well, l didn't want the Office. L didn' Z
care d-n for it, and 1 told my friends
SO; the other party nominated the most
popular man in the county as the candi-
date against me. Well, was determined
they should not elect me, and went out
into the county and electioneered against
myself for three months; saw every man
in the county, and told each one to vote
for the other man and against me.
When the election came off | saw each
man again personally at the polls, and
again begged them to vote against me.
1 voted against myself. / invented and
had circulated story that / had been a
'hoss thief. You see / didn't want the
Office. Well, when the votes were count
ed lie onlp beat me one uOte. II a0as the
closest race / eUer s0xO."
If anybody was talking about death he
would solemnly tell the following:
Gentlemen, / was once dead, or lay
in trance state for several days. / Wis
tied heaven and hell, but 1 could not
begin to tell you what / saw. Although
/ was conscious of what was going on
around me, was dead to all appear
ances. 1 could not speak, or move, or
see. / was cold and rigid. 1 was aware
that my friends were rubbing and chatting
me, and trying to bring me to-, and
weeping tears over me. One day while
they were rubbing me, a child fell against
the stove and was burned badly and they
all left me and went to the child. Well,
when / became aware that they had left
me in my dead state, / had singular feel
ings, and could not control my mind,
and ii n'ade me so dWtul mad that /
had notion not to come to.
Ii you were conversing OF powder, this
would be his tale
Gentlemen, powder is a dangerous
substance ; it burns SO easy. My father
once owned powder mill, and he came
near burning his legs off by it. One day
he went into a room where there was a
pile of loose powder, smoking his pipe.
He accidently dropped coal of fire into
the powder ; it was only little bit of a
coal, too, dut i irish may DC ID if
il didn't burn up seUen bushels before
he could geth stamped out"
Tobe belonged to church, and they
once had him up for exaggerating. Sew
eral spoke of his habit of drawing too
strong picture, and exaggerating too
much, and a deacon remarked that lobe
was good-hearted fellow, and aimed to
do right, and hoped he would overcome
his ruling passion and increase his stock
of grace.
Tobe rose at last and said: "My Chris
tian friends and fellow-travelvers to that
silent bourne from whence no traveller
returns, the charges against me are, alas.
too true. know it feel that 1 have
sinned. | am conscious that l exag-
gerate. It has troubled me more than
anything else in this vale of tears. /
have fought against it have tried to
repress the habit. o, my Christian
friends, I haze shed barrels Of tears
0ver this thing. Brethren, pray for me,
that may hold out faithful, and meet
you all in heaven.
lobe was once stricken with what
everybody supposed to be his last sick
ness. He was very low everybody said
he would die. He, too, thought he must
the church and settling his business, he
lay and waited patiently for death. He
got lower and lower, and one morning
when he supposed he had seen the beau
tiful sun, king of the day, rise for the
last time he called his son John to his
bedside and said in a husky voice
"John, 1 think am going to-day to the
beautiful country. John, when L am
gone you will have to raise the boys, Bill
and Jake and Toby, and you must teach
them not to lie, and swear, and cheat.
viii you, John ~ "Yes." sobbed the
son. "And John, you must take care of
the old gray mare and mother" "Yes,
said John. John, / have a last request
to make of you. Oh, John, will you
heed itl" Eyes, yes" said the weeping
son. "John, when am gone 1 wish
my death to be published in the papers.
Oh, John, will you put in the words /
tell you?" "Oh, yes, father" said the
mourning son. "Well, John, put in the
papers, be sure to put in the papers, that
I tOas The sickest man that eUer died"
Norr-Tbe stories attributed 10 Tobe were actin
ally told by an old man yet living, substantially
stated. H.V.
TI.o - ,l,o Del. A.o-o Ill.,.