The weekly Floridian. [volume] (Tallahassee, Fla.) 1867-19??, 1881-08-23
"a GRAPHING MORTGAGR.>
"And what is that ?" asked the stran-

"a GRAPHING MORTGAGR.-
"And what is that ?T asked the stran-
ger
why" said the old man, edo you
pretend to tell us that you don't know
what crapping mortgage is ?"
Such were his pretentions.
sThen you're no Southerner," the old
man continued $50 Pll tell you some
thing about it. A crapping mortgage
well gin one o. them burned things once
myself The way of it was just this !:
You see, alters managed to keep little
money ahead to buy few little things
we needed on the plantation, and gener-
ally went down to our little town to buy
them about once . week Well, as I was
down there trading one week the store
keeper he said to me, sez he:
whats the use of your bothering
along this way every week paying out
your small change? Why don't you give
me q crapping mortgage and then send
down when you want anything and let
me put it on the books, without bothering
about the change, and then when your
crap comes in you can send bag O cotton
and pay it all off at one swoop."
Well, it didn't look like bad idea
sounded sorter easy ike, so told him I
thought I'd do it So he filed out a
Graphing mortgage which he had already
printed, and as couldn't read very well,
signed it on his word that 1t was all
right
swell, sir, them Graphing mortgages
is curious things. Before got half way
home with my load got to studying about
it. As soon as signed it the storekeeper he
told me that my name was good in his
store for anything / wanted, and to send
right along as pleased. That was what
was studying about, and then pretty
soon got TO studying about what /
wanted and what I needed, and that in
fernal crapping mortgage, or something
else, made me think of things that never
had wanted before. You see l had
always fought shy of debt all my life, but
all the neighbors was trying hands on
crapping mortgages, and thought 1
would go in little too. Well, 1 did.
al kept wanting things. We all got
along fine, and our storekeeper sold the
old woman lots of good things that we
never wanted before, but that we was
bound to have after I signed the crspping
mortgage. They breed wants, they do
"At last the crap came in, and sent
bale of cotton down to pay off the crap
ping mortgage. 1t didn't do it. Then
/ sent down another bale-that wasn't
enough. Next sent down al the cotton
I had, and finally all my corn and fodder,
and IS it still wasn't paid, the old woman
got mp all her chickens and ducks and
turkeys and sent them down-still that
miserable crapping mortgage wasn't sat
isfed SO l went down to see about It
The stOrekeeper said it was all right; all
paid but about two hundred dollars, and
that didn't make any difference could
still have whatever / wanted on it.
But. SIR, somehow or other didn't
ike how things was going, 50 took out
my wallet and paid the balance on that
crapping mortgage and took the blame
thing home with me, though / couldn't
help thanking the storekeeper for Offering
to still let me have goods after my crap
was all gone. When got home me and
the old woman We pus on speeks and teok
look as that crapping morteage, and
what do you thinkf Why, IN be dad
burned If that crspping mortgage hadn't
been spread sIl oYermy land, my horses,
my mules, my stock, my farming utensils,
my household and Etehen furniture !:
everything ] had in the world was Ansg
into it, and If it had stayed there another
year I'll bet high everything I had would
have gone through it Wen, let me ten
You, don't asvef sign one You never
will ges through paying il, and when
them store fellows tel .you how easy il is
70 get things BOW and pay for them in
the Fan, you remember what / tell you
about . Graphing DortgAge"
Ard hasinx Gnished Ne descriptipa Of
thess Iittle sngines a. foppssssioa, hs puIl-
out : twist Of homemade fobaeco. that
looked As rich and brown - walnut wood.
cut off chew With Biz kotn.hsndIs knfis,
put + into BE poatk, pat she knifs and
ssd wslksd ew.5. Hssusnsd ro1sd Hlser