Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1892-02-20

irumbuu ehopping the sap wood from big
walnut bur-, and opened the meeting BY asking:
Weii, what hAvs you thought out Trump
The old maa dropped his AZ and answered.
Mary thing. 6ump."
Same way here, responded Sumter. seat
ing himself % The burl AID proceeding to AL
'took here, Stump. soms.h,,,, ,o> "a b.
done, said the Nissourian.
Precisely: Tfum, II We only knowsd what II
Wa II aint Ne weather for proosssion-ths
roads bein' knee deep with nud-unless "
pe aG N ak1ss An dusouts an"
which vas echoed BY several chickens Who
scurried away from the chips In which thew
hsd been scretching. 'Just the thing! Lsts
get up Wsahinton crossin' the Delaware
we. sSs tne nvef an we've got the boats
With" s' nAo 70 se' A0ns
I'VE amt got the man, though. nor the uni-
Uniforms be burned! We can come as
nlgh EN- as George hisseh ever did. The
alike was when they stuck green sprigs in
their hats an caps the day he marched 'em
into PhiladelPhy. As for men"
You caynt get 'em to 60 into any such
tomiooiery, said the cautious Sumter. "Be-
shoats, anyhow"
Then II hire lot, ef they won't volunteer,
an you Shall hire Q lot more. For three drinks
OF whisky apiece you can get enough loafers on
your slae OF the river to make bigger crowd
than Washin toms whole army"
They're cheaper on your side. where the
whisky's meaner," retorted the Tcnnessean
"keerful" murmured Trum. "Say, we'll
have the start from the side that raises most
men. How's that?'
HIN! Poorly tol'able But where's the
enemy's camp to be2'
Wherever the whiskys to be dealt ou.-then
they IL all get there. You know Washin tom
men got the Hessian's breakfast that mornIn'
at Trenton, after tho crossin'? Well, reckon
that II the women folks cook up lot of cakes
an pies an other goodies, an pack 'em down
the river little bit it'll do as we'll as whisky
an make less chance Of fghtin'. It'll be as
good as picnic. 'Twon't cost any money. If
each teller II come in his worst clothes an
bring the Oldest musket or shotgun he can
find we'll look about as the patri't army
looked, ! reckon. We can borry flag some
where, if"
No trouble bout that; I've got one that
TUX from Lincoln hireliu' at Shiloh"
You hev, hev you? Well, you kerry it your
sell, sos can see You under it, where you
b long, you burned old rebelp'
"heerful-keerful! We'd ort to have can
non, pose There's one down to Bright's
Bend that they fire Fourth O. Julys."
"Yes. I remember It's one that n dozen of
our fellers captured from hundred O. yourn."
They didn't capture it, neither. they stole
1t while our fellers wasn't lookin That's all
you sneakin' Yanks ever thought of-stealin'
what"
"Ke.e-erful! Look here Stump, let's let
that internal civil war take rest an give the
revolution chance. You paddle back home
an hre the Patrlt heart on your side of the
river, while egg EN- on over here An look
here, Stump, get that pooty darter, Carrie. of
yourn, that my Jonathans maxim sleeps eyes
at. WV
.'Carliny is her name. Mr.. Flepps, as I've
told you often an often, an she don let Jona-
than into camp until his dad shows proper
Inspect to the name of Sumter Is state
Il beg your pardon, Mister Tulver Will
you have the goodness to present my dutiful
regards to the charmin' Miss Carolina, who, 1
hope, Is agoin' to be Missis Jonathan, an ask
her II she an all the other pooty gals won't
make all the goodies they can, an I'll get Jona-
than to set all the gals this side at it. an the
two crowds shall make the enemy's camp at
some place to be agreed upon. Lots of pris'-
ners III be took that day, Sump eh?"
almost like the fust day at Shiloh" re-
sponded Tulver.
More like the last day at vicksburg,
reckon, suggested Flepps, ''if the young mems
got any sperit nowadays"
"lourn amt got much. pears to me, but
hanks aiiuz went slow when they got nigh Car
hny--very slow"
Yes, slow--but sure"
Never since the civil war ended had society
in the vicinity of the Flepps and Tulver places
oeen SO profoundly stirred when the word
was passed from landings, stores blacksmith
shops and school houses that Washiupton's
birthday was to be celebrated by an imitation
OF the historic crossing Of the Delaware 1t
was the do-nothing season of the year. unless
wood chopping or hunting was to be done. so
men Oh al kinds began to swarm about the
MONIES OF tine chuIns and to ask all sorts of
questions. Who was to personate Washington?
Was the crossing to be made in the dark?
Iwouldn't be like it il there wasn't any ice
floating in the river, would it? What if a steam
poat should come along? Wasn't there any
body TO shoot at?
The old chums retained possession Of their
senses, organized the men in some fashion and
begged earnestly for plenty OF boats of all
Kinds, including the small batteaus used in
some OF the creeks to float grain to ware houses
ON the river. In the meantime when eyerv-
thing seemed to promise success, the shadow
OF great cloud was thrown over the enter
prise by the sudden appearance Of a delegation
OF Afro-Americans, who asked for recognition
and place. lot OF white men from either
iuiver the Iennessean. of Carolina descent.
brought forth an old colored print of the orig
lnal crossing, showing two colored men polling
one OF the boats. and announced:
Il IN as white as any of you. but what was good
nouSh LOT Washln ton ID good nough for me-
SO reckon you can stand 1t. too"
1t was therefore arranged that the colored
delegation should manage the boats and follow
the crowd if it wanted to-as it wonld have
done in any event
Meanwhile the chums worked hard over the
details OF the crossing ard the subsequent pro-
cession, refreshing their minds by rereading their
favorlte lives OF the revolutionary leader.
Like other rsstorers OF old scenes they had to
take many liberties with historic facts. For
instance, 1t never would 10 to make the cross
Ing at the hour which Washington selected, for
1t would be pitch dark, SO that nobody could
see the fun-an entertainment which people
for miles around had already arranged to wit
ness. Noon was. therefore. the hour selected.
for it would give everybody time to reach the
river, and beside, US Trum suggested:
Everybody's tooth will lie on edge for the
goodies In the Hesslan's CAMP"
"Caynt have no bloody footprints in the
snow, either" said Sump even if a furry
comes along IN the meantime. which amt NOR II
above likely, no sore-foo.ed mans goin to
march barefoot 1t cayn't be did"
''Caynt, Ell? Twill, though. I've got that
all fixed i'll my mind. I'm goin' to have q mig
ger 60 long milo or 90 ahead of US with a bag
Of -four, an once in q while dust bit o. the
road, and then dab red wagon paint on his feet
an tramp on it. How's that for bottom facts
Of the times that tried mems solea''
"Trum, you're a plum geniusr
''Sump, you're another. Look here, you've
got to be Cunnel Hand Of the Pennsylvany
rifemen."
''Not by durn sight No Pennsylvany for
me- Want there no Car'liny troops on that
tramp"
mary Besides, the war -"