The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1884-02-15
Johnny jones, the Rhymer.


There used to De considerable lumber
business done on Merrymeeting Bay,
and there lived noted character on the
bay shore named-say Johnny Jones'
who was noted for the handy way in
which he could make a rhyme He
used to steal logs from certain man
who was Justice of the Peace, and cut
them up into shingles His arrest was
caused. and he was convicted, and bail
was wanted for his appearance in a
higher court, but he couldn't get it, so
he appealed to the Justice to 90 his bail.
If you will make me a rhyme will. "
He agreed to, but said he must make it
from his boat. So he got into the boat
and took up his paddle.
Now, Johnny, for the rhyme, said
the Justice, who was afraid he might
deceive him. But Johnny was true to
his promise and gave him this one: As
true as am in this boat, and you are on
the shore, | have stole forty logs from
you, and I'll steal forty more and
away he went. They used to elect
Hogreeves at a town meeting, officers
whose business it was to impound stray
hogs; they also acted as fence viewers.
Well, they elected fellow named
Doughty. whom old Johnny didn't like
As soon as they voted. johnny got up
and got off the following: ut appears
very strange to my weak brains, that
men should be Possessed to pass a vote
to choose a shoat to govern all the rest. y
A professor at Bowdoin, it is said, gave
him suit of clothes for that rhyme.
Johnny picked up u canoe one day
on the bay and put it in
his boom. A man named Hunter,
of Topsham, heard of the find
and declared he would get the canoe,
although it was not his. Johnny heard
enemy's approach. 1t was on bright
moonlight night that Hunter started to
fulfill his oath. He unlocked the boom
and proceeded to the canoe and stepped
into it. Just at that moment Johnny
stepped out from some birches that
grew on the shore, gun in hand, and
spoke as follows If you get that I'll
pawn my hat. I'll stand not to dispute
you; | have got both powder and good
shot, and l swear by CAD III shoot You. y
The canoe was not taken.
The old fellow used to live near New
Meadows. and do considerable clam
ming A professor from Bowdoin came
down one day for clans. The Old chap
waded out with an old pair of boots on
that the water would run into every
time he put his foot down, and squirt
out when he lifted it up. why" said
the professor, Il should think, Mr..
Jones, you'd get your death cold. l
haven't had my feet wet for seven
years. Faith, said the old man, with
out pausing from his work. they must
be deuced dirty. "-BatA me. Times.
Ponpeii, Past and Present.
When the Pompeiians looked from
their elevated forum rs slightly place
now, and lacking little but the pillared
porticoes that surrounded it--they saw,
on their near northwest, a pleasantly
accessible mountain, cattle grazing on
its beautiful meadows, which covered all
but the summit-that was level, but
sterile. The geographer, Strabo, who
lived before and after "Anno Domini, y
said: 1.-The summit has an appearance
of ashes, and it shows rugged rocks of
sooty consistency and color, as if they
had been formed by fire. And, in the
STYLE of modern scientist, he added:
"One might conclude from that that the
mountain had once burned and possessed
fiery ADVISES, and had become extin-
guished when the material was spent;
and Just from this cause may be its pres
ent fertility"
Fifty or sixty years afterwards there
was no doubt about its nature. Its
slopes began to tremble, and sixteen
years from that time, in the short reign
of Titus, A. d. 70, in the most elegant
era of Roman civilization, when every
thing was Just freshened and new al
Pompeii--the serious damage by earth.
quake being repaired with liberal APP
preparation for the purpose by the Ro'
man Senate--just then, with no warning,
tragic nature spread over the whole q
wide, deep layer of fertile soil, and, in
many instances, without blurring the
frescoes OF breaking the marble tables
closed the gates that we shall now enter
Let us go at ouce to the Forum. Il
was the lively center, and is surrounded
by public edifices, mostly religious-we
| might call them churches, for that il
what they were. 1t is a slightly spot
about one hundred and ten feet above
sea level; and thence we shall see ths
whole grand spectacle, all We had beer
talking about-all the approaches.
We 90 in the "Sea Gate, and while
we rapidly assembly the best of steps
the old Pompeian steps-we understand
how the sea came near this side OF thu
city, before the fall of tremendous
shower of boiling land, ashes and bakee
/ pebbles, and warm water and stewet
mud. The first fall was the little, clean
EoL4 ,,nrn;oa ctonor, that i