The daily gazette., 1878-07-31
sEAFORD LETTER.
MISSIONER SEEM TO BE HAVING A HIGH
oLD TIME.

0bD
For the Gazette.
SEAFoRD, July 29.-How shall I des-
cribe the military tactics so ingeniously
displayed by Commissioner Martin and
his forces /? And yet the Corporal has
ordered that they shall be gazetted, and,
as agood soldier of the Guard, must
obey orders.
For three days the peculiar movements
of the Commissioner seemed TO menace
circumvallation or-something else; e;forthe
unusual occurrence witnessed daily, and
even into the dark shades of evening, of
the Commissioners distinguished ap-
pearance In coach and pair, in and out
of the skirmish lines, making personal
canvass of the situation, ,and soliciting the
aid and assistance of the Captains ofneigh
boring provinces. This unwonted display
of the Commissioner looked like business
and the "Guards" slept upon their arms
in hourly expectation of the development
of some grand strateglcal movement.
Aud 1t came But in the meantime the
"Guards" were relieved of all inclination
TO trepidate by the sage remark of an
ancient Sachem of the tribe of the cold
/ Nanticokes," thatit will take coach and
pair to carry some men to Congress"
And it came ! And it shows that the
strategical talent of the Commissioner
has smack of audaclty as well as of in
genuity.
SOMEBODY GOES A FISHING.
AT the break of day was awakened
out of my sleep by sound of a confusion
among the "Guards," and 1 FASTENED to
| the door of my tent to see what occa-
stoned the alarm. As L stepped outside,
something struck me on my right ear. 1
involuntarily recoiled. and, turning my
| head, read staring me in the face,
"Dont you want an office?
! had no sooner read this than / was
buffettted in the left ear by another pla-
| card which read:
"May be you'n want something some-
time"
The instantaneous glance / took, re-
vealed that the air was full of them float
| ing about in every direction, and the
Guards" were ducking and bobbing their
heads. with occasional exclamations
1 anu ehth btkdh lIO lEOIu tVtTY
side of the encampment.
quickly retired into my tent, where,
cutting slit in the canvas, i had a full
survey Of the situation. High up in the
| air was large balloon, to which was
p sndant what appeared to be Martin
Dox Gt takes a large balloon to sustain
the heavy weight ofa Martin box suffi-
| ciently capacious to hold our Commits
sioner), from which were suspended
Inf thar aA ha
| Martin boxes attached, and from them
hung down long lines with hooks affixed,
| the hooks being bal ted with placards
holding out all sorts and kinds OF induce
ments TO office. From my post of obser-
vatien, could read:
''Sheriff! | can give It you"
"Sheriffl Next time."
"Constable."
"Road Overseer."
"Light House Appointment"
"Levy Court Commissioner"
| "Assessor."
Collector"
"Is'nt there anything you WANT"
coffee Dispensary,"
And so on, dd Hbitum ndusetm.
The sharpshooters were called out, and
| they directed fusilade against the oc-
| cupants of the Martin boxes, but they
| seemed bidebound and impervious to the
I'M ssiles ordinarily known to- honorable
warfare. Even our Corporal, in ventur-
ing forth, had to put on his high helmet
| of honor to resist the assailments.
Anon there was a loud shout from that
portion of the encampment beyond the
! woods over the Branch, and L looked
and saw a kicking piece of humanity be-
ing hauled up to one of the Martin
| boxes. 1t seems that the placard of
| 'Levy Court Commissioner" had been
dexlriously dangled before him, and, in
making grab at 1t, he had got hooked
and then IL was all day with him.
| Not long after this, one of the mercen-
aries went. In pursuit OF the placara
labeled CONSTABLE" which was let down
from the box which had captured the
would be 'Levy Court Commissioner
and he was soon dn3iedled to the hook and
landed in the enemv's lines, amid the
tannts and jeers of tine assembled multi
/ tude.
| And so it continued; and the COR mis-
sioner enjoyed a. high old time fishing
for fools.
L do not venture, Mr.. Editor, to give
my opinion of such strategy, or tactics,
or whatever else you may call it, for the
very SIMPLE reason that, whenever 1
wish to add force to beauteous imagery
am accustomed to think in the Latin
and Arabic languages; and as there is not
In the Arabic any word corresponding
to the English Of ''honor," and as the
Latin comes no nearer to the English
word depression" than vim TRANSLATED
forcel, you must see that it Il all owing to
the deficiencies OF these two languages
that am unable to do the subject precise
justice eUgfr - .EF -
Would you, now, if you were me, re-
commend the Arabic language to the
commissioner? = t f-.F =
Such homely expressions as call is
grist that comes to my mil, and "Won't
you walk Into my parlor, said the spider
to the hy?' one would suppose to be
the extent of his strategical education
SCIENCE VERSUS STRATEGY.
This thing continuing for some days,
to the annoyance, frankly admit, of the
"Guards," l anxiously awaited future
developments from the fertile brain of
the Corporal who has been accused of
possessing measure of scientific attain
ments. And it was with real pleasure
that L saw the corporal in his tent with
bis studying cap on, and heard him mu :
mur, "Problem to solve. Given, the
commissioner up in a balloon fishing for
a congressional nomination. Result, t,
blow him sky-high, and yet to land him
in Dover on the 9th of August"
a Al.