Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1881-01-06
Bad Medicines.
The Peculiar influence of Hornets Nest on a
Small Party.

Detroit Free Pres-.l
There is an old woman on Catharine
street. who delights to find a case thar all
the doctors have failed to cure, and then 20
to work with herDs and roots and strange
things and try 10 at least effect an improve
ment. few days ago She got hold of
girl with stuff neck, and she offered an old
negro named Uncle Tom Kelly, fifty cents
TO 20 IN the woods and bring her a hornets
nest. This was to be steeped in vinegar
and applied to the neck. The old man
spent several days along the Holden road.
and yesterday morning he secured his prize,
and brought It home in a basket. When he
reached the Central Market he had few
purchases to make, and after getting some
tea at "a grocery, he placed his basket on
barrel near the stove, and went out to look
for beef bone.
It was dull day for trade The grocer
sat BY the stove rubbing his bald head. His
clerk stood at the desk balancing accounts.
aad three or four men lounged around talk
in5 about the party that is to be founded on
the ruins OF the Democracy. 1t was a
serene hour. One hundred and fifty hornets
had gone to roost in that nest for the win
ter The genial atmosphere began to Timber
them up. One old veteran opened his ewes,
rubbed his legs and said it was the shortest
winter he had ever known in all his hornet
days A second shook off his lethargy. and
seconded the motion, and in five minutes the
whole nest was alive, and its owners were
ready to sail out and investigate You don't
have to hit hornet with the broadsde of
an AK to make him mad. He's mad all over
all the time, and he doesn't care picayune
whether he tackles humming bird or an
elephant.
Tne grocer was telling one of the men
that he and General Grant were bows togeth
er, when he gave sudden start of surprise.
This was followed by several other starts.
Then he jumped over a barrel of sugar and
yelled like a Pawnee. Some smiled, think
Ing he was after a funny climax, but it was
only minute before a solemn old farmer
jumped three feet high and came down to
roll over JOB lot of washboards. Then the
clerk ducked his head and made rush for
the door. tie didn't get there. One of the
other men, who had been looking up and
down to see what could be the matter. felt
suddenly called upon to 60 home. He was
going at the rate of forty miles an hour,
when he collided with the clerk and they
rolled on the floor. There was no use to
tell the people in that store to move on.
They couldn't tarry to save 'em. They all
felt that the rent was too high and that they
must vacate the premises. A yell over by
the cheese box was answered by war whoop
from the showcase. A howl from the kero-
sene barrel near the back door was answered
by wild gestures around the show window.
The crowd went out together Uncle
Tom was just coming in with his beef bone
When larger body meets smaller one the
larger body knocks it into the middle of next
week. The cid man lay around in the slush
until everybody had stepped on him all they
wanted to, and then he sat up and asked:
"Hev dey got de fab all put out yitp"
Some of the hornets set out of doors to
fall by the wayside, and others wait,d around
on top of barrels and baskets and jars to be
slaughtered. 1t was halfa hg fbstor~ 49,
last one was disposed of, o
Tom walked in, picked uptk
"Mebbe dis will cure 81
meek de same but -