The Lebanon express. (Lebanon, Linn County, Or.) 1887-1898, 1893-08-11
A BAG OF COFFEE.

lhih huuub lcphhb p'No' of'N 'saD |
colonel ono day, when the blue pencil
brigade rested at noon from their labors
of editing postmasters' "accounts cur
rent" ''about the bluest time | ever saw
and most Of you are aware amt no
spring chicken, was when surrendered
with Johnston in Moth Ca'lina and
started for home"
"Tell us about it. colonell" said the
boys.
"Weil, you see it was this way. Durin
the wah I'd left the old woman on the
plantation down in South Ca'lina, but
when the surrender come hadn't heard
word from home for more than six
months, an | didn't have the least idea
whether there was soul left alive on
the place, nor whether Sherman's army
had left anything OF the old place more
than Just the naked dirt,
"Well, started off for home, or to
wards where thought home cught'r be,
with my parole in my pocket, and riding
the poorest, orneriest mule ii was ever
my misfortune to become acquainted
with; and do assure you, gentlemen, !
have had u large, variegated and pic
turesque experience in that particular
line.
ave moseyed along. the mule and !
and one or two of the other boys, until
we got down to Charlotte, and there the
officer in command pressed me into serv-
ice to help him parole a big lot Of the
prisoners
at took us couple Of weeks to get
through the job, and when | was getting
ready to start the colonel in command
said:
"'l can't pay you anything for your
services, but think if you were to take
that beast down to the corral and swap
him off for better one it would be u
good thing for you; and guess the gov,
ernment will be able TO stand it.
swell, you fellows here who know
my liberal disposition will probably i'm
agine want slow to take hint like
that turned in my crow bait and tool
the best in the lot, and hatter myself
know good mule when see one,
"'Purty good animal you got there,
said the officer when rode up to hi
quarters 'thers some coffee down ii
the commissary, and that mule look
strong enough to carry n bug of it
"Well, sir, half an hour later l lef
town on the best mule ever straddled
carrying bag Of coffee worth $3.50 ii
gold. and altogether feeling like tn
richest man in the late Confederacy
II travelled by myself on the first da
out---iusl me, and the mule and the ba
Of coffee
~ got along all right until alonl
toward dark, when began to look on
for place to put up for the night
was the dismalest prospect you ever say
the poorest pine barrens--it made yo
hungry to just ride along and look q
the country; and the houses were might
wide apart,
cat lust saw light, and rode up
cabin by the side Of the road, an
found an old woman sitting in the doc
smoking n pipe ! boned her to lot IN
stay all night She fetched her old piI
o few more whiffs, and finally said:
"'Youll halter gwy on to the mel
house, stranger.
"'How far is itr
"Puff, puff, Bout four or five miles
mebbe six.
"But, my good woman, am tired an
my mule is tired-let me stay. II hay
to sleep on the floor.
"Puff, puff 'Hain't got no grub.
al do not care for myself, II you ca
only give my mule something.
"Puff, puff, 'Haint got nothing &
the critter.
"'Well, we will both do without
we can only stay-l do not want to
down by the road and maybe wake
murdered by some guerrilla.
"She finally consented to this-mov'
out of the door and took up her static
by the fireplace, where she continue
her labors with the pipe, as II that we
the chief end and aim Of existence.
II took oil the saddle. tied the mn