The Van Buren press., 1897-10-09
Out for General Raider.

Light and dismount and hitch and
come in, Black Jack, says |, and he
didn't fool off any precious time in doin
as he was told.
After supper Black Jack called the
meetin to order and proceeded with
the proceedins-wh the mainest
thing with him was to fix up letter to
the president.
"As you know full well, Rufus, Inever
was what people mought call a wishy-
v-ashy man." the gentleman from Cy-
clone Streak went on to say. "My doc
trine is to see the other man when | can,
but if in case | don't see what | want, it
wouldn't make any rosy bushes bloom
for me to take my own native mouth
and ask for it. Now, it would suit me
the best in the world to be the general
revenue raider for Cyclone Streak.
There aint no complement for me to
come over here and tell you somethin
that you already know tremendous well
which is TO say that the early run
nins of the corn flows free and promis-
Gus in that historic strip of country.
You don't have to tell me what you
know, and it amt for me to tell you oil
l know. But the various and sundry
things that me and you-both of us put
together-do know 10 most hellacious
certainty-and the things which some
people don't know, would make whole
passel, Rufus.
"Oyer there amongst them hills and
hollows, and along the creeks and
spring branches, the boys do jest
naturally love it, and make it and drink
it and sell it-all unbelnowance to the
general government. This very night
me and you might 60 and give the signs
and call forth full supply of the rev.
erent stuff-15 years old, if we went in
for the age of 1.-THE finest and purest
that ever flowed from a gum stump or
whiteoak spring.
But now what the general govern
ment don't know in regards to the peo-
Pile and the ways and means of Cyclone
Streak, Rufus, is a large and gracious
plenty. Whilst my wayward and wan
derin' feet have pressed the rugged
bosom of the earth-every inch of it for
miles and miles around-the general
government would git lost twenty times
before she could cross the secont creek
and find her way outen one of them
famous tighteye thiekets. You must
recollect that l was borned and bred
and brung up right over there in Cy-
clone Streak. But in them days it come
to pass that the general government
was runnin at large and havin felon-
ious good time, whilst the people they
paid the freight.
"Now you can see how would NOR
tally hate to give the boys away and be
forever shut out of the game myself.
But there is money in it, Rufus, pro-
vidin the general government can lind
the right man to tend to the business.
I have writ the president one letter
wherein l tod him l wouldn't to say
mind takin the job if the government
would give me so muchin spot cash and
n half intrust in the stuff which l
mought pick up on the rounds. Up 10
this time the president never has re-
sponded back. Now, it mought be that
he had to hire a lawyer to read my let
ter and is only waitin till he can draw
the necessary salary and raise the fees
and costs. But you know 1 amt so very
many when it comes to writin, and l
want you TO fix up another document
for me. can talk il out loud and you
can set it down in plain United States,
and in that way we mought maybe
fo.oh hin, IN +av"