Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1879-07-25
NaSby.
The SAD HISTORY OF SAMUEL PoPMAN
DRUGGIsr-WHY HE Is A GREENBACKER.
CoNFEDRIr y RoADs,

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for the payment of the nashnel debt, wich,
ez he hezn't never bin able to pay any NV his
own, he is entirely competent to do. The
history NV Sam Popman is one NV the saddest
that hez grown out NV Sherman's crooel pol
isy.
In 1861 Sam Popman wuz druggcr at Sc
ceshunville, hevily in debt. He ovid for his
drugs, and he ovid for the clozc his wife wore,
and also for them wich adorned his person.
SO desprit wuz Samyooels forchoons in con-
sckehce NV his prctlilecshun for boss races
and draw poker. and SIGH, that he seriously
contemplated skippin to Texas. and embark
in in the generally poplar and alluz profitable
bizness NV steclin bosses on the Mcxikin bor-
| der.
The infiashen NV the currency conskcnt
upon the expenses NV the war changed Sam
yooel's career. lie found his stock NV drugs
goin up twenty-five per cent. Il day. Jollop
wich he ovid for at the rate of NV six cents a
pound shot up toswcnty. 10 thirty, to fifty, to
anything he chose To ask for it, and it kept
shOotin up and up till the little stock he he'd
NV $1,000 WIZ with $4,000, and no matter
v hat he bot, il went up on his hands, and
Samyooel found hissself with 500 900 in
no time.
Cv course Samyooel to-wunst commenst to
live in style commensurate with his in
creased meens He went and bilt an addisln
to his house, putin on two wings and an en-
tenshun bacl,e bildin, in fact, completely
around the old house, and putin another
story on the top Then his wife immejitly
got two hired girls, and his two dawters wuz
sent to a seminary in Louisville. Samyoocl
for his own pleasure invested in fast trottin
boss and jined the Kentucky Club in Loois-
vile, and played poker ez much ez
he pleased, and he pleased to do
good deal NV it. 1t didn't make
partikle NV difference, for every dollar NV
goods he bot doubled on his hands every dav
or two. Mrs. Popman utterly refoosed to do
any work NV any kind, and spent the heft of
her time tryin on dresses, which she bot in
Louisville, and takin excursions to that city
to wear EN-. Ii wuz rather a gorgeous time
for the Popmans.
In 1873 Samyoocl diskivered there was
change. The war had bin over some time,
and the debt wich it he'd cost he'd to be paid.
Samyooel didn't see any necessity for pawn
it at all. Samvooel had lived out all the
profits he he'd made by the raise in the valoo
NV his goods and he'd gone hevy into real es-
tate. He he'd bot a large amount NV lands
which he'd bin goin up just the same ez
drugs, and he'd bot EN- all on credit. He
hedn't made any down payments but in place
of actual money down on his moo purchases,
he had given mortgages on the property bot.
and also on his house and store and SIGH
other real and personal property ez he had.
1t worried him.
Ez the kentry, under Sherman's rooinous
polisy, begun to git down to a gold basis,
drugs begun to drop 10 per cent a day, in
Std of risin 20, and reel estate commenst to
foller drugs and SIGH, with frteful accooracy.
The land witch he had agreed to pay $1,000 Il
aker for he coodent sell for SIS, owing to
the fact that nobody wantid it, and the qui-
nine he had paid 81 an ounce fur dropped to
1926. Consistently Samyooel was first to
succum, and he wuz scooped.
The other drugger in Seccssionvile wuz an
other kind NV a man. He accepted the raise on
his stock doorin the war period in a Chris
chen sperit NV thankfulness, and hived, very
keerfully, all the money it made him. He
lived in the same old house thro it all, his
wife continnered, in Chrisehen way to bake
her own buckwheat cakes and do her own
washin, and he sot his face like flint agin
fast horses and expensive likkers. And this
wuz what worried Samyooel. When the turn
cum, his opposishun he'd plenty NV money
in the bank, and he marked down his goods
with the same childlike and Chrischen sperit
that in 1862 he marked EN- up. He said to
hisself, 81 he'd the benefit NV the rise-I will
take the consequences NV the fall, blessed be
the name NV the Lord" and he went right
per while the sheriff wuz closin out Samyooel.
This other drugger never howled about hard
times.
Samyooel Popman firmly believes that he
wuz destroyed by Sherman, and agree with
him. He'd Sherman gone on ishOoin twenty
milluns Nv greenbax day, and pay EN- out
for bosses and mules and army supplies, the
greenbax wood hev cOntinnered to 90 up, and
so wood Samyooers drugs and his out-lots
And as all Samyoosl had to do in them hal
cyon days wuz to mark up the price NV his
goods every mOrnin. he Good hev cOntnnered
to keep his fast boss, and Mrs. Samyooel
Good hev continnered to live in Louisville,
and bot satin dresses. Mr.. Samyooel feels il
kecnly. In the time before the prosperous
days he wuz contented with sod-corn whiskey
and stogy segars, but his appetite got attooned
to shampagne and Havannas, and he finds it
exceedingly difficult to go back to the simple
arcadian habits NV former times. Mrs. Sam
yooel hez got her hand out in cookin and SIGH.
and she utterly refooses to 20 back to the
habits NV the old times, and Consistently Their
is trubble in the Popman household. The
dawters have bin brOt home from the semina-
airy at Louisville, and they cast contoomely
un their father. witch hezn't meens to keep EN-
in the luxury they hev bin for ten yeers ac-
customed to.
Wheneer take my walks abroad see men
bustid, and leenin agin lamp-posts moanin
and wringin their hands in despair They
hcv paster-lots which they cut up into city
lots, witch are gradually growing up into
huckleberry pastors. and wont sell for nothn.
They look to their old places of business,
wher they used to chirp cheerfully ez they
marked up the price NV their goods, and wher
they thot nothin NV takin a ten-dollar note
every day for likker and cigars, becoz they
Good afford it, and they see other men in pos
eshun workin mite and day to support their
families in comfort, and these men lay Their
room to Sherman. ez do.
1t is a crooel outrage. 1t cost the govern
ment nothin to print money, and Their is no
reason why it should not hev KEEP on printin
currency. What is a government for? Is it
for the people? Is not Samyooel Popman one
NV the people? Then why shood the govern
ment cultivate taste in Samyooel Popman
for fast bosses and champagne, and then, list
for the sake NV payin off debt, contract the
currency and room him?
The other drugger Mt SecessiOnvlle re-
markt that eff Samyooel he'd saved the money
he made by infashun he wood hev bin safe