The Colfax chronicle. [volume] (Colfax, Grant Parish, La.) 1877-1981, 1882-06-17

edo yon attend to out of town mat
-terS asked q tall, carelessly dressed
individual, walking into the city editors
room and assuming s.stained glass;
attitude against one of the tapestry hung
walls. s.Now and them" said the city
editor, s'whstis your troubler'
''Well, you see, just arrived from
the South" said the visitor. helping him.
self to an Eastlake chair. and stretching
his feet out comfortably on one of the
|, Turkish rugz sIown-that is, used TO
owns plantation not far from New
Orleans. Now, Town lake"
ssThen you come from the flooded dis
trictsPs said'the editor. growing inter-
"Right from the very middle of 'em,
said the visitor, curling one long. thin
limb over The other; and proceeding to
shave off chew of tobacco from very
black looking piece of plug, II tell
you, sir. it's dreadful down there, and
the thing came on us so sudden like.
Why. 4 woke up one morning and found
ducks sailing around my bed and our
pet hog perched on the mantelpiece puff
ing like steamboat on a mud bank.
How that hog ever got up there lays 'em
out. Well, the water was rising and a
rising, and before long we had to take
to the roof and there we stayed for fifteen
days. ..seA
Fifteen days !" said the editor, in
surprise.
Eyes, sir; fifteen days, and we
couldn't get anything to eat for the last
five, except the moss that sprouted up
atween the shingles Wen, my wife got
awful thin like and 80 did the children,
and | kinder fell away myself"
"Well, should remark" said the
editor, grimly.s az -
Fs'Yes, you see . moss diet amt no
way fIin y said the visitor. &
"Why didn't you swim out?' asked
the editor. .s'far rlraiiH
There was the, trouble" said the
visitor. "You see there amt no plan
tation nigh onto ten mile from ours, and
calculated that would be too much of
q pull, for me. reckon Pm a good
swimmer, but l didn't care to tackle
that ten mile. Well, we'd got down to
our last single, and there wasn't q
smitch O. moss on that roof big 'nough
to wad shotgun with. Our youngest
bad been given the last bit, and he set
there on the chimney chewing it up and
lookin' like hand-organ monkey down
in his luck, when I see q little cloud way
across the the water i didn't say nOthin'
for moment, but knew pretty well
what that could meant, and I watched it
like a nigger would a coon. Well, she
grew larger, and made sure it were .
steamboat. Then kinder whispered it
quiet like to the old woman. Well, she
took one look and then topped over in
dead faint and afore could grab her
she rolled down the roof into the water.
Well. that was the last of her."
You don't mean to say you let her
drownp' said the editor f..,,.s
We'll, you see. boss, said the visitor,
{" was SO weak / knew it was death for
both on us for me to 60 after her, and to
make matters worse she pulled in our
youngster with her. tell you we we're
having tough times down our way. At
last somebody on the steamboat saw US
and they took as aboard, but Host every
thing. NOT to say nothin' about part Of
my family. Well, they took us up to
New Orleans and 1 scraped up cash
enough to come North, and here ann
I" But what did you come North for?"
asked the editor. 81 se,sss.. "a
<.as" Well. you see they put me on Re-
lief Committee, and I'm on here to raise
funds for the sufferers = rs
20, you are" said the editor, edgiug
his chair back and looking sharp ct the
visitor. -----A
I'D" Yes, 1 see you newspaper fellows
was throwin'i out lots of sympathy for
rs, and l just thought I'd tackle the
press first, and then work down through
the other professions. -
.es Very thoughtful in you,'' said the
editor.
"Yesy After PSe got your contributions
I'll just See whether the churches are
good for anything said the visitor.
"Wait 8 moment" said the editor,
walking over TO the telephone, and then
he called the instrument Connect
Eagle with police headquarters" but
the relief committee didn't wait for the
reply. Brooklyn Eagle. ,f.t