The Jackson standard. [volume] (Jackson C.H., Ohio) 1847-1888, 1879-07-03
RANDOM THOUGHTS.
BY D. MACKLEY.

Country editors are all the time trying to gel
up some kind of expedition, in order to have
| something about which to write. There are
| Chapman, of the Pomery Telegraph, and Nc
| Farland, of the Portsmouth Tribune, for in
| stance. They now in Colorado. Some how
they got separated, and Mcfarland, desiring to
| do something smart, undertook to ascend
! Pixies Peak all alone. He did well enough un-
| til he got above the timber line, when he got up
| to his neck in the snow. Then he got above the
| clouds, where there was wind blowing sixty
| miles an hour. He was about to die-he had
the desire to lie down and sleep, which pre-
cedes death from cold. Then he thought of a
flask of Mike Stantons Portsmouth whisky
which he had in his pocket. He drank and
was saved When Chapman caught up with
him he declared he would never permit Nc. to
get out of his sight again. So they bought a
donkey, a tent lot of provisions, &C., loaded
the donkey and set out for Leadville. Going
along the side of a steep mountain, which was
covered with snow, with great crust frozen
upon it, Chapman and the other donkey went
over, and scooted 800 feet down the mountain
side. Chapman sat on his hind quarters as he
went down and thus had the seat of his trou-
sers entirely torn off, and the other donkey
had his packsaddle ruined. Mcfarland had a
time getting his two companions back up into
the path
These editors met our John Jones, (Califor-
MAJ near Leadville. Jones and Chapman had
been acquainted in California 80 years ago.
thought L would get up little expedition
last week. My foreman had been some two or
three miles from town, in piece of woods one
morning, and he killed squirrels in short
time. He said squirrels were as plenty there as
walrusses in Alaska-literally as thick as
blackberlies.
1 moulded thirty bullets, loaded my splendid
Pittsburgh silver mounted rifle, put bite of
provisions in my basket, and got ready to
start. l had about pound and half of fried
bacon ham, three slices of bread, two chunks
of cheese, six pickles, pound of crackers,
whole. round, fat cherry pie, and three quarts
of coffee in a tin bucket. had tin plate, two
tin cups and knife. But do not care about
eating much in the woods, although L do enjoy
a square meal after get home.
set out at 81 o'clock in the morning, and
reached the woods before sun rise. 1t was
cool. clear, delightful morning. 1 hunted Tor
squirrels. 1 sat around the mulberry trees and
waited for them. They did not come. Some
instinct-some wise provision of nature gave
them premonition of their danger, and they
kept hid. 1 only saw two, one of which l kill
ed.
On the way home L overlook boy with a
load of iron ore, which he was hauling to Full
NOA
for it, one-fourth cash, balance goods. 1 then
overlook "Baby Grimes" with load of ORE
He had perhaps ton of ore, and "Baby"
weighs large fraction of a ton himself. He
said he had hauled it over six miles.
Now my adventure is not SO thrilling as that
of my brethren in Colorado, neither was it so
dangerous and expensive.
Changing the subject, let me conclude by CIV
ing all country editors a little advice. free, of
6 ,rff1 0fllN1 to uof
rifle, get a shotgun. 1 am not certain that
my twenty dollar rifle has, so far, paid very
large per centage upon the money invested.
have had it about q year, and have killed two
squirrels, and shot at and missed several
| crows and rats. But then gun is SO handy
| if you get out of meat. And then 1t may tend
to deter those everlasting bores, the book agents
| and paper drummers. County editors are long
| suffering and kind, and never knew one to
| shoot one of these tramps, who vex the right
| eous souls of the country editors from day to
| day, If ever murder could be justified, it would
| be SO under the first law of nature, in the case
| of the poor bedeviled editor and the bores
| aforesaid.
| Chapter 2.
| The foregoing expedition was on Thursday
morning. When 1 got to town 1 met Felix
| Nash, who lives on the Gallipolis road, out be
yond the Infrmary. He told there was mul
berry tree on the lands of Mrs. Sophia Mitchell
| where 1 could find squirrels, and if l woulc
come to his house some day he would show M
| the tree.
At four O'Clock on Saturday morning start
ed. 1 must have heard hundred quails whist
| ling "Bob White" as 1 went through the fields
On Salt Creek, up towards the Infirmary, wa
| surrounded by swamp blackbirds. They loOl
like the common blackbird, except that tn
males have spot of red feathers on each wing
| These birds kept up constant chattering. The
kept saying "chack, chack, check, check."-
Then some old leader would mount tree an
cream, "Jeer, Jecr." One old fellow wit
beautiful crimson on his wings, got upon
bush near me, cooked his left eye upon my riff
and screamed with great emphasis, "Jee-zur
| Jee-ZurS.'
1 went to the residence of Mr.. Nash, but b
was not at home. L then went over to Captai
. | George w. Barlow's. The Captains kind joll
face, beamed all over with smiles, as usual. H
asked me if 1 had had breakfast 1 had. Il
then said he was sorry that he could not
with me, as we would have so much fun, If v