The Northern Pacific farmer. [volume] (Wadena, Minn.) 1878-1885, 1881-02-10
GENERAL LIGH.
A Party of Roysterers Wake up the Wrong
From ~, Mn. v P;Essngers: !


Passengers.
From the New York Ledger -
| lately heard story Of that gallant Irish
soldier, General Bligh, of Sepoy fame, which
is altogether too good to be lost. While
holding the commission IL captain in dash
ing marching regiment he was on trip of
pleasure, with his wife, in the north of Eng
land, and having come one day, to small
Yorkshire inn, the lafder Of whiche was we'll
nigh empty, he ordered all the host had on
hand, TO be served up for his dinner, after
which he joined his wife in an upper room.
While the host was preparing the meal for
his guest party of sporting gentlemen of
the country entered the inn, and called for
inform them that all his harder contained of
food had been bespoken by > gentleman
who was at the moment waiting up stairs,
with his wife, to have it served. - go ''7
Who was the gentleman?
The host could only tell them that he was
an 1rishman, and seemed to be very quiet,
goodnatured and harmless body, (The Cap
tain was travelling in citizen s clothes.) !,
>~'An Irish gentleman! A'potato, withpep-
per and salt, will answer for him. Go up
and tell him so. = ii 10y:
But Boniface preferred not to do so.
Then, cried one of the party,a squire
of the neighborhood, with more money than
sense take up this watch to the gentleman,
the time of dav, for we can't tell. {" r.. = g.
It was a habit in that section, when one
would intimate to another that he didn't
have much faith in his good sense, or in his
judgement, to show him a watch, and ask
him to tell what time o'clock.
The host himself fond of of fun, md
feeling assured that the last callers would
get the worst Of it, took the watch--a very
valuable gold rcpeater-and went upstairs
and did the er1and. Bligh took the watch
and looked at it. 80
BY my life! it's beauty. Tell the gen.
tleman I'll be down presently, and shall
take pleasure in expounding to them the
mystery of time telling by the watch. And
I'll fetch the watch with me-.
The host returned with the answer, and
shortly afterwards carried up the guests
dinner. The squire was for a little time,
furious with the landlord for having left
his watch behind; but he finally cooled off,
and having called for gallon of beer, he
sat down with his friends to wait. -:
After he had finished his NEAL Captain
Bligh opened his. portmanteau and took
out two great horse pistols, and. placing
them under his arm, he took the watch in
hand and went down into the bar-room,
where the sporting gentry still waited.
All, gentlemen, give you a good-day.
And, now, who is the man that wants the
time @ day? shall be delighted to enlight-
en- him."
They didn't like the looks of the man at
all. He carried the soldier in every look;
and, just now there was good deal of the
tiger manifest:
Come, come, gentlemen-I am Captain
Bligh at your service. A short time since
the lanlord brought me this watch, accom-
panied by message which have come to
answer as such a message richly deserves. :"
And he significantly tapped his finger upon
the pistols. Now, whose is, the watch?
Is it yours, sir?" to the squire himself.
The squire denied the ownershipprompt-
ly. All the watches, in the world would not
have tempted him to expose his life to the
terrible Irish captain whose fame was
known to him.
Bligh then applied to the next man, and
then to the next; and SO on to the last; and
all denied the ownership.
II am happy to find gentlemen that have
made mistake. I thought the owner of
the watch was here.
He then put the watch into his pocket;
slipped the pistols into the pocket of his
blouse; turned to the bar and settled his
bill; then babe the company good evening,
after which he joined his wife on the porch,
at the door Of which his carriage was wait
ing.
Captain, afterwards General Bligh, kept
the watch to the day Of his death, often
telling the story of it's capture, when he left
it by will to bis brother, the well-known
Dean of Elphin.