The Republican journal., 1885-05-14
jeff Dodger Rises to Explain.

10 THE EDITOR OF THE JOURNAL: The
article in your issue of yesterday headed "a
Protest from Babbletown," and signed cold
Switchum, the schoo-master," has come to my
notice. hasten to dispeI the illusion under
which your correspondent labors and to quell
the tempest in a teapot which he is doing his
best to raise
Through some course of reasoning d fficut to
understand he seems to have arrived at the
conclusion that some portions of those bi of
nonsense which he styles "Chroncles of Babble-
town" are meant for him, and other portions
for bis neghbors. Now it gives me great
pleasure to assure this individual that in the
preparation of the articles In question he was
not even thought of. Those ''well-meaning
neighbors," whom he grauitously champions
need no such assurance from me in regard to
themselves. Babbletown. and each and every
one of the inhabitants have given it, exist only
in my Imagination. No attempt, whatever,
has been made to draw any of them from real
life. Notwithstanding this, if he sees anything
in what | have said of "Oid Swtchum" that
fits him he is welcome to wear it, though |
wish him to distinctly understand that it was
not meant for him or anybody else. | have
never claimed thought these articles were
anything very funny or smart but so long as |
SAW tit to write them. and you thought them
worth publishing, and he was not obliged to
read them, | don't see that he has any serious
grounds for complaint on that score.
If what he says Of me in regard to last falls
election and It's result has any point I fail to
see It. have no il feelings of any kind, close
Iy or remotely connected with it, which wish
to crafty, as he would have you infer; nor
| have ! tried to "manage" anything connected
whit. Respecting my election bets l will say
The only election wager ever made in my life
was put ot Pea',nS, bet on the result of last
| Novembtr's election. Those lost and paid
| Your correspondent seems to have ransacked
| his school reader pretty thoroughly for sage
advice to administer 10 me. What he has to
say IN regard to the folly of my attempting to
follow i'll the footsteps of Billings or Twain is
entirely superhuous. | am not by chance, or
otherwise ''searcher for literary fame Meth.
er do | crave the distinction of being an over
sensitive, self-admiring country schoolmaster,
! who is obliged to get someone to assist him
! When he undertakes to write an article of the
length of his finger. But do desire and claim
the privilege of holding such political views as
| choose, and of advocating them.
| | will venture to give this person just one bit
of advice, which he will not find IN his school
reader namely, don't bray every time you hear
Jackass mentioned. For his suggestion that
1T is what man '"as that lives after him." |
| beg his own careful consideration will baar
it in mind myself, with the fond hope that
| the record of my life may not disclose to those
who live after me the fact that 1 made laugh
lng->tock of myself by claiming that | was bit
| before L was even struck at.
If your CORE poudent is suffering from any
other wounds ~ of my iuflicton and will just
show their lucatlon and size | shall take pleas
| ure III spreading plaster for them.
Yours very truly,
| May l, loSJ. JEFF DODGER.