, 1880-08-16


bossomy summer meadow instead OF
being Prosecuted by a wintry midnight
tempest.
~ will tell you about that man. 1t
was in Jackson's time. Gadsbys was
the principal hotel, then. Well, this
man arrived from Tennessee about
nine o'clock, one morning, with black
coachman and splendid four-hofse
carriage aud an elegant dog, which he
was evidently fond and proud of; he
drove up before Gadsby' and the clerk
and the land ORD and egerybo body rushed
out to take charge OF him, bnt he said,
Never mind and jumped out and
told the coachman to walt-sald he
hadn't lime to take anything to eat. he
oLl, had u little claim against the gov
ernment to c. llect, would run across
the way, to the Treasury, and fetch the
money, and then get right along back
to Tenne ssee, for he was in consider
able "f hurry.
well, about eleveH O'Clock that
nisht be came back aud ordered bed
and told them 10 put the horses up
said he woulh collect the claim in the
morning. This was il January. you
u',e erstand--J4nuary 1S34-the 81 OF
January dnesday.
w, Il, on the 9th of February, he
sold the fine carriage, and bought q
cheap secondhand one, SAID it would
would answer ust as we'll to take the
money home i'll, and he didn't care for
style.
"On the 1lth of August ne sold
pair OF the fine horses, said he'd often
thoug.t pair was better than four, to
so over the rough mountain roads slth
where body had to be careful about
his driving there wasn't so much
of his claim but lie could lug the money
home with pair easy enough.
"On the 18th of December he sold
another horse, said two warn't neces-
sary to drag that old light vehicle with.
in fact, one could snatch it along fast
er than was absolutely necessary, now
that it WAS good solid winter weather
and the roads in splendid condition.
"On the seventeenth of February.
1885, he sold the old carriage and
bought cheap second hand buggy
said buggy Was just the trick TO skim
along mushy, slusby early spring roads
with, aud be had always wanted to try
d buggy on those mountain roads, any
way.
"On the 1st of August he sold the
buggy and bought the remains OF an
old sulky- said he just wanted to see
those green Iennesseeans stare and
gawk when they SEW him come arp
ping along in sulky-didn't believe
they'd ever heard of a sulky in their
lives
We'll. on the 29ih of Angus: he sold
his coio1ed coachmnn--sald be didn't
need coachman for a sulky-wouldnt
be room enough for two in it anyway
and besides it wasn't every day that
Providence sent a man a fool who vas
willing to pay nine hundred dollars for
such third-rate negro as that-been
: wanting to get rid of the creature for
years, but didn't like to Mroao him
away.
Eighteen months later-that is to
say, on the 10Th of February, 1887
he sold the sulky and bought saddle
said horse back riding was what the
, doctor had always recommended him
to take, and dog'd if he wanted to risk
his neck going over those mountain
roads on wheels in the dead OF winter,
. not if he knew himself.
ION the 9th of April he sold the sad
, dle-said he wasn't going to risk his
/ life with any perishable saddle-girth
that ever was made, over a rainy, miry
April road, while he could ride bare
back and know and feel he was safe
always had despised to ride on saddle,
| anyway.
"On the Gath of April he sold his
horse-said I'm just 81 to-day, hale
/ and hearty-it would be pretty how
: dy-do for me to be wasting such a trip
, as that and such weather as this, on a
horse, when there amt anything in the
/ world 80 splendid as tramp on foot
; through the fresh spring woods and
over the CHEEKY mountains, to man
that is man, and l can make my dog
: carry my claim in little bundle any
way, when it's collected. So tomor-
row III be up bright and early, make
nay little old collection. and mosey of
, to Tennessee, on my own hind legs,
with rousing good bye to Gadsby's.
"On the 22d of June he sold his dog
said 'Dern dog, anyway, where
you're just starting Off on rafting
bully pleasure tramp through the sum-
mer woods and hills-perfect nuisance,
chases the squirrels, barks at every
! thing, goes a-capering and spiattering
around in the fords-man can't get any
chance to reflect and enjoy nature
and I'd blamed sight ruther carry the
| claim myself, its mighty sight safer;
dogs mighty uncertain in q financial
} way-always noticed it-well, good
bye, boys-last call-I'm off for Ten
nessee with good leg and gay heart,
early in the morning!"
There was pause and silence
except the noise of the wind and the
Melting snow Mr. I4vkins said impa-