Mexico weekly ledger. (Mexico, Mo.) 1855-1956, 1879-06-12
BILL ARP, or GEORGIA.
His First Interview with Josh
Billings.

AAIs First Interview With Josh
Killings.
Mr.. Carlton introduced us at his
store, under the Fifth Avenue. Josh
was q settin' there about half asleep.
l thought he was q Methodist ex'
ter. Mr.. Carltsn, says he to me
Arp Major Arp-allow me to in
troduce you TO Col. Billings-Josh
Billings. Col. Billings, Major Arp,
from Georgy.
Seating myself, I looked at Josh
and Josh looked at me. He never
said nothin' and / never said nothin', !,
for l still took him for an ex' orter.
After good long minute he opened
his mouth solem'ly and said:
ssSay something
sSomething?'' said /; for / had
just spotted him and was looking as
solems as possible.
"When yeu fed from the foul in
vader you had steer with knot in
his tall said he.
"Yes," said /.
sis he well?' said he.
Gas well as could be expected,
considerin' " said he.
"Considerin' what?" said he.
"He is dead," said I.
Billings sighed, and, wiping his
eye, said, with much feeling:
Silence these steers"
Just then Mr.. Carlton called US to
the door to see balloon sailing away
with balloonatic in it. We looked
at it'as long as we could see it. Az
ter awhile it drifted clear out of
sight and we sat down to ruminate.
Billings sighed again and the corners
of his mouth dropped very low. Said
he:
"The like of that makes me very
sad. Thirty years ago I embarked
upon life's uncertain sea-not the
wet sea shore enuf but the dry land.
/ started West with 81 and a good
carakter-Whieh is to say there were
no indictments agin' me; wasn't q
runnin' away from nothin' / went
on an explorin' expedition like Col
umbus and Sir John Franklin--an
experimental survey of the face of
the earth. travelled afoot-that is
a good many feet-in fact a few hum
dred miles and got out of money and
expedients about the same time-way
off at little town in Indiana.
s.My natural aversion to muscular
exercise had about brought me to
the verge Of bankruptcy when / spied
crowd moving round in the suburbs.
There / found a little dried-up Ital-
ian going round with q hat trying to
make up ten dollars. He SAID he
could go up in his balloon for that
sum and no less. The crowd hesi-
tated, and talked and laughed and
joked, but they didn't contribute.
Tik~..iAAl~-r~n~---i --1 ----s -5:e.-
opportunity. Rousing myself as it
were from despair, 1 whispered to
him and asked if he would give me
all over the ten dollars that 1 could
get. 'Yes,' said he. Selling the
hat, grew eloquent. let fly my
homely wit and got everybody in
good humor, and in about five min
utes had raked in twenty-five dollars.
"The rotten old balloon was fred
up in twinkllng. helped to fire
it--and filed it so full of gas the
old guy-ropes could hardly hold it
to the ground. / saw that the little
fellow looked anxious, but 1 felt gaily
and was bound to give him lively
send-otf.
"When We cut the ropes he shot up
like a sky-rockct; in less than q
ainute he was about mile up in the
L. ethereal vault. 1t was q calm
Dia. .,, W as you ever see, and he went
sun IT,, 'sight it almost broke oul
up SO s1l, ,k at him. Up and VI
heeKs 70 'o 1t until the balloon was
ana up ne meI he sky-and higher
q bare speck in u until the specl
and higher it went ~ ~ = skv plas,
was gone, and not eve
could find 1t. y To thi,
NY friends, from that da, ard q
aobody has ever seen or he. O,
that little Italian, and somehow II
somehow else I have always f..
responsible for him. My only hope
is that he went dead straightto Heav-
en-. May the Lord have mercy on
us ALL"
Billings choked up and sobbed q
little as he remarked: ssI've got his
part of the twenty-five dollars, but If
he's ever heard Of I'll pay it to him
and three per cent. interest--I will
'pon honor--Arp, let's step round
and take somethin' Pm feelin' so
sad.'