The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1879-07-17
Nasty.
The Sad History of MIR. Samuel Popman,
Drugsist-Why He Is a Greenbacker.
From the Toledo Blade1

culy 1, 1868.
The most intense Greenbacker we
hev in the Corners is Sam Popman, the
drugger at Secessionvjlle. Popman
does nothin from morning till mite but
devise fnanshel skeems for the payment
Nv the nashnel debt, witch, ez he hezn't
never bin able to pay any Nv his own,
ne is entirely competent to do. The
histry Nv Sam Popman is one Nv the
saddest that hez grown out Nv Sherman's
crooel polisy.
In 1861 Sam Popman wuz drugger
Of Seceshunville, hevily in debt. He
OVID for his stock Nv drugs, and he ovid
for the cloze his wife wore, and also for
them wich adorned his person. So
desprit wuz Samyooel's forchoons, in
conscience NV his predilecshun for boss
races and draw poker, and SIGH, that he
seriously contemplate skippin to Texas,
and embarkin in the generally poplar
and alluz profitable bizness Nv stealth
bosses on the Mexikin border.
The inaashen Nv the currency conse-
kent upon the expenses Nv the war
changed Samyooels career. He found
his stock Nv drugs goin' up Is per cent.
q day. Jollop wich he owed for at the
rate Nv 6 cents pound shot up to 20.
to 30, to 30, to anything he chose to ask
for it, and it KEEP shootin' up and up
till the little stock he he'd Nv $4,000
wuz with $4,000, and, no matter wat
ne bot, it went up on his hands, and
Samyooel found hisself wuth $780,
in no time.
Nv course: Samyooel to-wunst COM
menst to live in a style commensurate
with his increased meens. He went on
and bilt an addishn to his house, putin
on two wings and an extenshun back,
bildin' in fact completely around the
old house, and putin another story on
the top. Then his wife immeiitly got
two hired girls, and his two dawters
was sent to seminary in Louisville.
Samyooel, for his own pleasure, invest
ed in fast trottin' boss and jined the
Kentucky Club in Louisville, and
played poker ez much ez he pleased,
and he pleased to do good deel Nv it.
1t didn't make partikle NV difference,
for ever dollar Nv goods he bot doubled
on his hands every day or two. Mrs.
Popman utterly refoosed to do any
work Nv any kind, and spent the heft
Nv her time tryin' on dresses, wich she
bot in Louisville, and takin' excursions
to that city to wear 'em. It wuz ruther
a gorgeous time for the Popmans.
In 1873 Samyooel diskivered there
wuz 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 payin it at all.
Samyooel he'd lived out all the profits
he he'd made by the raise in the valyoo
Nv his goods, and he'd gone hevy into
reel estate. He he'd bot large amount
Nv lands, which he'd bin goin up jist the
SAME ez drugs, and he'd bot EN- all on
credit. He hedn't made any down pay
ments, but, in place of actual money
down on moo purchases, he he'd given
mortgages ON the property bought, and
also on his house and store, and SIGH
other real and personal property ez he
he'd. It worried him.
Ez the kentry, under Sherman's roo
nous polisy, begun to git down to a
gold basis, drugs begun to drop 10 per
cent day, instid of raisin 90, and reel
estate commenst to foller drugs and SIGH
with friteful accooracy. The land which
ne he'd agreed to pay $1,000 aker for,
he coodent sell for $15, owing to the
fact that nobody wantid it, and the
quinine he he'd paid 81 an ounce fur
dropped to 1926. Consistently Sam
yooel was forst to succum, and he wuz
scooped.
The other drugger in Secessionville
wuz another kind Nv man. He &C.
ceptid the raise On his stock doorin the
war period in a Chrischen 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 a Chrischen way,
to bake her own buckwheat cakes aud
do her own washin, and he sot his face
like flint agin fast bosses and expens-
i've ikkers. And this wuz wat worried
Samyooel. When the turn cum, his op-
posishun he'd plenty Nv money III bank,
and he marked down his goods with the
same childlike and Cnrisctlen spirit tnAt
in 1862 he marked 'em up. H. sed 10
hisself, Il ned the benefit NV vA4 rlst.---
[ will take the cnneel1.,r:>sS Nv TAI
blessed be the name Nv the Lord" and
he went right along, and continnered to
do biznis and prosper, 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 Iagree
with him. He'd Sherman gone on ish-
ooin $20,000,O0O of greenbax day, and
payin EN- out, for bosses and mules and
army supplies, the greenbax would hev
continnered to go up, and so wood
Samyooel's drugs and his out-lots. And
as all Samyooel he'd to do in them hal
oyon days wuz to mark up the prices Nv
his goods every mornin, he Good hev
continnered to keep his fast boss, and
Mrs. Samyooel Good hev continnered to