Springfield globe-republic. (Springfield, Ohio) 1884-1887, 1885-11-08
"a DREADFUL BUSINESS"

An Olu MODlllan was taking 10 .
crowd Of younger citizens about the
"uld times IN Mobile when he was
moro Of "A boy than at present You
know most old folks like to talk about
'whcn was "a boy and this old Mo.
blllan was no exception to the general
rule.
"Ycs,' said he, IL well remember
quite "A scrapc QUE OF our medical stu.
dents got himself into very soon after
the establishment OF the Alabama Medi
cal College at Mobile"
"llow was that?"
"Wcll, to tell you the truth. those
first students of that medical college
were rather rum set; that is to say.
a little wild, and not very particular rs
to the legality of all their performan-
ccs, every time.
"ln the case referred to three or four
of those said students had taken it into
their heads to 20 through the anatomy
of a subject in some private room out
in the city, all on their own hook, with
no professor to mocst or make them
afraid. They had learned that a very
desirable subject had just been stored
away in a little country graveyard
about one mile away from the city linn
its, and that subject they resolved to
lift so having hired old Sam, col
Ored cartist. to follow them with his
vehicle, they provided themselves with
bag, etc and late at night struck
out for the country.
The arrangement made was that
Sam should stop his cart some two
hundred yards from the little grave
yard, so that its tracks might not be
seen thereabouts; aud when he heard
keen whistle up about the gate ho was
to proceed thither on foot where, just
outside the fence, he was to find some
thing tied up in bag. He was TO
shoulder the bag, without questions,
carry II to his cart, haul 1t to Il certain
house on ST. Louis street, deliver it
over to his employers, who would meet
him there, and receive his pay.
The students reached the grave
yard in due time, but could not find
what they were looking after. 1t was
evident that they had gone to the
wrong graveyard, but where the right
one was they could form no Kind Of
idea. II was a lost ball with them,
and chop-fallen they were about to re-
trace their steps, when one Of their
number, having been struck with
bright idea, exclaimed:
II say, hold on. boys! Let's not
give up III this dry kind of a way, no.
how. If We cant lind our subject,
let's at least have little fun. I'll 90
into the bag and you can tie me up and
leave me by the gate. Hide around,
and when Old sam comes think we'Il
have Il good thing OF it.
1.-The Others voted it capital hit.
and Immediately the first speaker was
tied up IN the bag, and when the others
had planted themselves out of sight
along the fence between the gate and
the cart, the promised whistle was
sounded.
soon after this old Sam was seen
approaching the gates with some
what unsteady step. caused doubtless
by an overload OF fear aud trem bling.
The bag with something tied up
IN 1t was there as per agreement, and
Sam shouluered 1t. With wool erect
he started off in long strides toward
ms cart.
"Wa~m yet, as dis niggah live!'
murmurcd the old darkcy between his
catering teeth. rs he hurried on.
'SpCCks DIS pusson haiu't been dead
long, uohow. A dreadful business. dis
"A dreadful business. | wishes to de
good Lawd dis hcah uiggah'd had
nutuIn' TO do wild hit! Wonder whar
dem doctor boys am by III, time?
SpOsc dem ar nearly to town afo'
now, Ieabin' dc ole nIggah all alone.
Dreadful business 10 be away heah all
alone III dis iIN.
"B, I'M, time about half the space
Intervening between the gate and the
cart h@d been overcome. when the ears
ct O.d : IN were suddenly greeted with:
"'Sty, sam amt heavy?
On, uc good Lawd. Who dat
'PcAA~' exclaimed the negro, coming
TO sudden halt. Sounded mowtal
like hit came right out'n dis hcah bag,
but den gucsscs not, cause de mans
done dead already; an if dead man
can talk he's no 'quantance Of mine,
an wouidn' kuowd my name was
San, uOhOw. Reckon twas somebody
else. A dreadful business dis--a dread
ful business
Upon this Sam rrdOublcd his eXer-
tons to reach the cart. Only few
steps moro and the object in the bag.
which up 20 this time had remained
entirely stiE and straight. relaxed its
sIncws and camo down with Top,
lack-kntc fashion, giving the darkev
pretty good jolt both front and rear
This was too much for the nerves of
superstitious individual like old SaLl
Not taking time to pitch his burdea
from his shoulder, he simply ran ous
from under It. He was fully ten feet
away moving in bee-linc for town
when he heard it strike the ground
with a chug. Cart and everything else
was lett behind, and the students along
the fence almost dissolved themselves
IN laughter, Us they heard old Sam
pounding the ground with his great
feet, and even on, after his footballs
were out OF hearing, rs they stood and
traced the cCufsC he was taking
through the suburbs by the sudden out .
bur-ts Of dogs along his line OF retreat.
But where was the man in the bag?
They had weli-nigh forgotten him.
Hark' Groans' Investigation. An arm
badly broken, poor fcllow!-a dreadful
business, sure enough. And 50 the old
negro had not brought his cart for
nolhlng-they found a use for it. -
PrCt. j. T. Stee.e, IN ArkdmSaW IrqveLer.
Like His Father.