The New Bloomfield, Pa. times. (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1877-188?, 1879-12-09
SAM. oDUM's SCARE.

sot up In the tailoring business In our
town. He was monstrous good work
man, and used TO give his customers Ats,
whenever he made anything for 'em.
He was very industrious man, and
one of the cleverest fellows that ever
lived Everybody liked him fust rate,
and even after Mr.. Shears, the fashion,
able tailor from New York" sot up his
Emporium ON the opposite side of the
street, Sam got as much as he could
attend to. But Sam Odum did have one
fault-he had fits himself, sometimes
drunken fits--when he wasn't ut for
anything for weeks together. He didn't
have no wife and used to keep sort of
bachelors hall, rs he called 1t, In the
back room of his shop, where he always
had bottle of good Ticker and half
dozen split-bottomed chairs for the ac-
commodation of his friends, and soft
floor for them to sleep on If they hap
pened to be overcome by his hospital
ity.
Sam wasn't drunk all the time. He
used to touch his bottle lightly us
general thing; but every now and then
he used to have reglar blowout, as he
called It, when he wouldn't do nothing
else but drink for hull weeks together.
On sich occasions he was very good
natur'd and quiet and never disturbed
nobody, but sumtimes he used to keep 1t
up so long and drink so much Ticker,
that his hed-works used to git out of
order, and then he used to have the
devilishest notions that ever entered the
brain of any white man. Sumtimes he
would git SO bad off that he would have
to have the doctor with him for several
days, and when he would git over his
crazy spell, 1t would be week before he
could do any thing, and before he could
look natural out of his eyes. After
drinking to O certain notch he seemed
to have d idee that the devil was gwlne
to carry him off, and sumtimes 1t tuck
three or four of his friends to hold him
in his bed, and all they could do they
couldn't persuade him out of the notion
that the old gentleman with the horns
unu COW . lOOu was httCi Wiph ~
three pronged pitch fork.
One time, jest after the October elec-
tions, when Sans candydate for Cover
nor had been beat-(he was q great
politicianer, and used to bet strong
sumtimes) The tuck one of his reglar
blow.outs. He had been full as a tick
for more'n week, and had got to that
pint when 1t was necessary to taper of.
That was always q difficult business
with Sam, and had to be managed with
great deal of judgment. His friends
bad been setting up with him for several
nights, and he was jest beginning to
cum to his senses q little, when
circumstance happened that like to been
the end of him.
1t was about daylight on cool frosty
mornin, and Sam was lyin on his bed
tryin to collect his senses, which had
been wanderin all over creation for
several days, while his friends that was
watchin him was dozin in the corner.
He had seed "the man with the poker"
as he called him, and had managed to
give him the dodge, and was wonderin
wheth er the old feller had gin up the
chase. Bimeby he heard a noise out of
doors like like the trampin of feet.
Springing up on his elbow, he listened
for mint. The noise growed louder,
and a voice said, 'we must have him
along this time, ,"-and the next mint
he heard blast of about five hundred
horns, and more'n thousand dogs set
up a yell all around him.
The thought flashed on his mind in an
instant that the devil was after him
agin with his hounds. Like steel trap
he sprung from his bed,w with eyes startin
from their sockets and every hair on
end he rushed to the door, and away
he went. His friends, aroused by the
noise, walked up just in time to see him
clear the garden fence.
"Oduml stop, Oduml' shouted one.
"Ketch him ~ hollered the other,
both of 'em givin chase with all their
might.
The street and yard was full of men
and horses and dogs, and in mint all
hands was in chase of the flying Odum,
who, with his shirt streamin in the
wind, was maxim for the woods, over
fences and bitches, brush and briars,
with the speed of race horse.
The horses couldn't foller, and the
men couldn't keep up, and the dogs
wasn't lowed to give chase. Sich
another confusion was never before seen