Memphis daily appeal. [volume] (Memphis, Tenn.) 1847-1886, 1882-08-17
WILD ESCAPADE.
Thrilling Adventure of Colonel George
CAN'T in the Early Days Of the
State of Tennessee.
A Wild Horseback Ride that Distances
Those of General Putnam and
Paul Jones.

During the simmering sultry days of sum
mer the poor courthouse clerk has hart
time OF ii. Business is slack, the days ar
dull, and the visitors are few. He is thrown
1 upon his own resources usually for hi
| amusements, but though he may be a very
entertaining fellow, he can't tell his jokes 4
himself. So usually there is nothing left fol
him to do but 10 perform the irksome, mel
ancholy duty OF drawing his salary. How
| painful this ID 10 him we all know. Some
| OF US have even felt such comniseration fol
| him that rather than see him suffer SO, We
would be willing TO go and draw it for him
But, he reasons, it is his duty to draw it, and
shall he be untrue to that, the divinest word
in the English language? Never.
But this facile pencil is DEPRESSING. The
clerks life is not all agony; for occasionally
that genial philanthropist, Colonel George
CAN'T, comes along and relieves the tedium
with few well-chosen "reminiscences. There
was detected gathering yesterday in the
Criminal Court clerks Office. General
Vaughan was dreaming about the war.
Colonel 1ngomar Capers, after an intensely
interesting wrestling. atch with detected
copy of Shakespeare, had fallen asleep.
Judge Jimmie Hunter was reading Susan b.
Autbony's latest volume of idyllic poetry.
Mr.. Campbell, of the circuit clerks Office,
was softly murmuripg a wild Gaelic ballad,
and Mr.. Hamilton George Washington
Turner was trying TO think up a nice
Texas Sunday-school story. Converse
ton wasn't much in demand. Just
at this time Colonel CAN'T peered in the
door. Evidently the colonel felt the same
divine pity that Dante did, when he was
shown by Virgil the lost in hell. "Poor
DEVILS" he murmured softly, 81 guess l will
just wake 'em up Little" So he entered
Shakespeare fell from the table, the book of
poems was thrown aside, Ham Turner had a
pang of remorse, and every member in the
crowd was soon alert. This is what the
colonel told:
You all remember Bill Pope. He is the
same which swindled me into being journal
list. That was not the only. trouble he got me
into when was young man. l remember
once he and and a u Judge Scott were travelling
horseback to attend court at a small country
town. scout was going TO hold court, though
he was sick at the time and all pulled down
from chills, fever, asthma and several hun
dred other diseases 1t had been raining and
the country was damp and soggy. We came
70 stream. rope mad been little ahead
Oh US ana nc, we nouoed nm talking to a
County ieiio" VINO went on as we came up.
we'll TINS Is pretty Tough, said he IN
very 1e]ected way. 80
~, Mnats the matterf asked the Judge.
inns stream Is very much swollen, and
that fellow L was talking 10 says it's way
over our heads, and very dangerous. IL will
be necessary for us to swim"
But" said the judge, ''if get wet it will
kill me. What shall do? Pve got to hold
court tomorrow"
HE said" replied Pope, "that we might
possibly be able to get across on our horses,
if we followed certain course along the
bank. The only way L see to do, is to strip
and get on our horses on all fours, and then
swim aercss."
10 this Judge Scott demurred, but Pope
began to undress. followed suit, and Scott,
seeing no alternative, did likewise. He was
a curious looking object as he shivered there
in his Garden-of-Eden suit. He looked like
a wild man from Borneo.
well, Judge" said Pope, with great seri-
business and just appreciation of the danger
TO which we were exposed, Gas have the
largest horse, you had better mount him
and lead off"
A bundle was made of the Judges clothing,
it was strapped on his back, and he was
helped on his horse. He was certainly
wildly wonderful looking object.
snow, Judge" said Pope, 'just go along
his side of the creek until you get to them