The Worthington advance. [volume] (Worthington, Minn.) 1874-1908, 1876-09-14
SHAAINIY:S BOYHOOD.

SHAMMY'S BOYHOOD.
The Boy Rcformer-the "Fathe- of the Man.
cor5scp? end Ph;'ade'phi. Evening Bulletin:
ruins OF Fort George, I came across an
elderly man who had found shady
seat inside the ancient earthworks,
and was quietly smoking a discolored
clay pipe. The old man and his pipe
had evidently seen better days, though
not many hotter ones, as the mercury
indicated at least 100 in the shade,
and as he sat and smoked in sad, med
ltatlve silence, Il took a seat short
distance from his right hand and
opened conversation with him. re-
marked: "This is a romantic region
about Lake George
II can't see that it s very rheumatic.
My rhemutiz amt nigh as. bad when
am here as it is in Troy"
I continued: sit seems too bad
that this old fort should go to ruin in
this way
eyes, but that's the way of the
world nowadays. Old forts goin' to
ruin, old fellers like me goin' out of
date, and the hull country goin' to
thunder
lyon seem sad to-day. Do you live
in these parts g
"Waal, partly in these parts, but
mostly in other parts. The fact is,
don't live much of anywhere. I'm
stayin' around with my children. I've
got gal married and livin' nigh Lake
George, boy livin' in Rutland, VT,
and two more in Troy. | was horned
in the town of New Leb mon, Klumby
county, N. Y, on the 18th day Of
March, 1884,
'.Iben you must have known Samuel
J. Tilden?"
80, yaas, l knowed Sammy we'll.
I'm jest four days older'n Sammy, but
he was too old for me, onct.''
"Ah how did that happen
'Waal, Sammy WIZ a sly chap, and
wuz allus gittin' us boys into scrapes.
and then leavin' us to git out the best
way we could. Sometimes he would
contrive to git us licked for what he
was guilty of hisself, but we never
could prove nothin' agin' him.
Il remember how a neighbor of Sam.
my's father had a big patch of mush
milyons one year. They wuz called
nutmeg mush milyons because they
looked like a nutmeg, but wuz bout
as big as your double first, round as a
apple, an sweet ern honey.
Zone day, Uncle Ike, as we boys
called him, told us to come over into
the garding, and help ourselves, and
Nose and Sammy Tilden went with
the rest on us. AFTER we'd had all we
could eat, and wuz on our way hum,
Sammy suddenly spoke up, and says
ne, Say, boys, they wuz nice milyons;
they wouldn't be bad to take every
day 'Yis, says Nose, 'but then the
old man won't be apt to invite us to
eat any more, fur he kin get ten cents
apiece for. 'em of the visitors at Leb.
non Springs, and he can't afford to
gin 'em all away to us boys fur moth
in
:''That's So, says Sammy, thought
full like. Then he whistled an old tune
called american Taxashun;' reckon
you've heered it, bein' a singer your
self. You don't know me, but guess
l know James G. Clark. 1 heerd you
sing last night, and we're goin' again
tonight. Them songs went clear down
to my toes. My Sal had to use her
hancher more'n once, and when you
sung the Trundle Bed, she cried so it
wuz wetter' n. sop.'
''Wbat, the Trundle Bed p
''No, no, the hancher."
'A]l right. understand now; but
what about Sammy and the musk-mel-
ons?''
''Wall. as l was sayin', Sammy wills.
tied that ole toon, and then nothing
wuz said about the milyons till we
came to shady place, and all on us
sot down to play marbles. After a
while Sammy spoke up in lively sort
of way, and says he, Say, boys, it
would be durn mean if anybody should
go tonight and steal Uncle likes mush
milyons, but I'm afraid they will,
cause you see the patch is ever so fur
from the house, and Uncle Ike never
keeps no dog, nuther.'
That's so,' spoke up three or four
Of the stealinest little rips in the hull
party, all to onct.
''Then Sammy he sung:
I'll give true relashun,
Attend to what say,
Consarnill' the Taxashun
OF North America
"Then he scythed, and says he sSay
boys this playin' marbles don't pay.
We can't make nothin' at it. I've
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