Oxford Democrat. [volume] (Paris, Me.) 1833-1933, 1886-02-09
A PRACTICAL JOKE.

Berj.min Fitzpatrick. -ho Vas Gov
ernOr " Alabsms from lsii 10 lsi5,
came Of = family renowned for practical
Joke. lie vas not such an if,rfss'ibls
je,,sr a. some Of hi. brothers and Other
relatives. bg, be too hsd decidedly lArs,
lump o. that brand Of humor. =. ih- fol-
losing true story told me BY = hear rel
alive Of hi. -ill she's:
At one time be bell the Office Of State
Solicitor. or What i. called in some State.
Di.,rie, Attorney [: Montgomery hi. place
Of residence. and ws,umpss ~sre 10 h..
district. Judge C.nbON ~.s the Presid.
ing ofhesr ~ the time Of which ! am
writing. Court bad ju., closed At Mon,.
geometry aud va. TO oPen nsr, day a,
| Wsiumpks. There vas not, . railroad
in the State Of Alabama q, that time. and
the osEe,r, ard lA~yer. Of the district
",ook the rounds" either on horseback
OF 10 bussie..
Judg. Canon and an elderly attorney
whom 1 shall call Jones. Travelled together
in I. buggy. dr.-n bya pair q large
| mule.. Jons. vas rather an tiivmins,e
looking man. destitute Of beard. aud al.
nos, bankrup, in the matter Of erAnial
foliage. VIA, little be had grew alons
the lover edges Of his done Of thought.
~hile the upper precinct. were as earren
a. the S,Aked Plains. Jones allowed
these .can,y strand. 10 grow az long as
Nature would ls, them. and be would
| brush them back in such = manner a. 10
! entirely cover the densdsd table land.
above, and t~i., them together behind.
and bold them in place by trucking
comb" such as is worn by ladies. With
hi. hA, on. Jones did 10, pre'sni a par.
ueularly eccentric appearance. ba, when
seen for the fret time bare-hsadsd, he
-ss really = mirth.prO,Okins object.
Ga The occasion u which | an writing.
Fitzpatrick rode on horseback TO We
'umpks. snd passed Juoge Cannon and
hi. friend JOne. on the way. A fes
mile. south Of the city he crossed q shall
lo~ Of rather muddy water. which We.
some 900 yard. vide. After crossing be
i~ismoantsd, bull, an immense fire Of
brush and pine.kno,s. and then preceded
% di.robe. hanging bis garments around
he fire a. though be vas dying them.
In . little While his hoaot aud Mr..
Jones arrived ~ the further edge Of the
water, when HiIpa,riek. arr.!ed In a
.ingIe garment, yelled oi,: "Don't drive
a there. JVdse. heavens sake! its at
!. s., ten feet deep in the middle. and you
all drown sure
The honorable eoar, and his eompan-
,on then held a brief CONSULTATION. when
hey decided that the present outlook Vas
anything but Asitsring. They also de.
eided to take fieh's advice. unhi,eh
their mule. and s~im over. ss be had
done. No, caring TO get their clothes
Get and having TO stop to dry them a.
Fitch Vas doing (or rather seemed TO be
donins). they concluded TO strip off be-
fore they started on their peuloa. ride.
tie their clothing up in small bundles and
bold them over their heads as they s-sm
heir mules across. Oaee across they
could rssume their rsimsn, and walk the
rec, Of the way TO WstumPka. OF ride
their bareback mules a. they saw ct
BY this time. Fitzpatrick began =
rather hss,y resumption Of his garments.
saying that be "soald hurry on TO the
town and send . buggy bach 10 meet bis
honor and hi. friend" lie did no, start,
however. until be sA~ his victims nesrl,
across the dark and snsllo~ water.
The t-o legal luminsries presented
anything bat = spectacle Of digniiy and
reverence. 10 be cure; with no article OF
clothing on except . sto,s-Pipe hat. rid
lng bsIssek mules with blind brides
and buggy harness on. with one hand
eonvulsi,ely elssPing . small bundle
above their heads. while the other clutch
ed In . viss.iks grip. . taft Of name. for
nsiihsr Of them could swim aysrd. Thus