The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1899-10-15
AN OFFICIAL INSPECTION.
shrewd Way in Which an Old WhaI-
ing Captain o"twit'ed the In
spectOr


midst of rolling hills, thickly wooded with
fragrant pine and silvery birch, destitute
Of public buildings save the store and
schoolhouse, it was a veritab be little bit of
Arcadia
The store, always the center Of attraction
at Buuonborough, was particularly so on
the afternoons when Capt. SALISBURY
brought over the mail from North Ham
blyn. The captain had followed the sea
in his youth, and it had fostered the daring
and adventurous spirit that was latent in
| him. In his old age he had settled down
in his native village of North Hamblyn
with married daughter, and finding such
life after his years of rowing quite un-
endurable had taken TO cab driving.
Several years before that in which our
| story opens an idea occurred 10 him which
| caused his shrewd green eyes to dance
| with delight and made him touch up Susie
to her utmost speed, regardless of her habit
| OF stumbling, the Old buggy ratified
| along on the hilly road to Buttonborough.
He was going over for a passenger for
the afternoon train, and the postmaster
had asked him to carry a letter to his
! wifes cousin. He had done errands of
this sort before but had never thought OF
turning them TO account
| Now as he spun along, the plan OF
penny post for Buttonborough rapidly ma
| tured in his mind. 1t was indeed an I'M
| wonted excitement that could make him
so careless OF his plump little SUSIE on such
a billy road. Its the Morgan blood that
makes her stumble sometimes" the cap
| tain used to say: "she can't seem TO find
| her sea-legs no way"
Susie had the habit of interfering too,
| and usually wore a pad on one of her fore
| ankles, but that was moi of much conse-
| quence to any one but herself.
The arrangements for penny post were
easily made with the Buttonborough peo-
| pie (who were law unto themselves), but
how things were settled with the postmas-
ter in North Hamblyn NO one could ever
ascertain, but it evidently was satlsfac-
| tory on both sides.
| Things had gone smoothly now for sew
eral years. Two or three times a week the
| Captain brought over the mail, and the
excitement and interest i'm the event more
| than repaid the people for the slight eX-
pense involved-even when there were few
| letters
] As the children came racing down the
street toward the store, the Captain was
Just coming out of it with his mail bag.
1.-The east bridge is gone" shouted the
| foremost youngster.
The old man paused with one foot on
the step of his muddy buggy whats
that you say?' he queried.
| why, we've been in the woods along
| the river CATER Mayfiower," put in
Zone of the little girls)-"yes, after May
flower; and the bridge on the East road
is most all washed away and
oval, 1 was calculating to go back by
that ere road. now said the Captain,
slowly. Its like to be more muddy than
the reg-lar- one. and it's full mile long
er: but it's nothing as billy, nothing as
billy"
The river was much swollen by the
/ spring freshets, and as the Captain cross
gl-nI - Nt,ew
and debris floating down In the current
some of 1t, doubtless, from the broken
bridge
He was annoyed at its destruction. In
the past year. since the East road to North
Hamblyn had been cut through to the
river and a rude bridge built across, il
had become habitual with him to go to
Buttonborough by one road and come
home by the other.
The Captain paused on the summit Of
one of the steeDest hills and gazed off
into the distance-not to contemplate the
beauties of nature, however Susie and
her master were of the sa me opinion .On
such subjects). but merely to rest his
little mare after the fatigue of climbing.
The sound of a woodpecker broke the
stiffness, and made Susie start and prick
up her ears.
IF there amt woodpecker," said the
Captain, who had kept his hearing re-
frost can stay in the ground much longer
at this rate 1 guess Ike Mansfield was
about right to start tappin' his NAPLES, -
he continued, glancing at a sugar camp
half mile or more away toward the right
| but brought into bold relief by the rays
of the setting sun. "If 1 he'd my old te:-
lescope here could make out suthn' more
than his roofs. It's well for him as it's
the East bridge over to Buttonborougn
that's washed away, and not that acrost
the creek to his own camp. Come, Susie.
git up now"'
1t was nearly dark when Capt Says
bury reached the postoffice and stopped to
mail the few letters sent by the Button-
| borough people He was surprised to see
so many men standing around talking in
quite an excited manner, for it was past
the supper hour for any respectable per-
| son. But he was not long kept in igno-
rance of the cause.
Hello, Capn! Ye're in fur it nown'
aye goin' to try an cheek it out?"
| The Captains little green eyes flashed
on the crowd, but he walked proudly
past them into the office with his mail
bag.
I'm afraid we're in for it," said the
postmaster to him in a DOW voice. you
know I didn't feel quite safe about that
| Buttonborough post It's got out some
how and now an inspector is coming
down Yes he's comm down on the $40
| tomorrow, Ike ManSIleld got on the track
of ii somehow or other when he went off
to see about that bargain for his maple
sugar. He got back this afternoon after
you left ana told us about it,"
"When did you say this inspector was
a-comin'?" asked SALISBURY, slowly
ION the $40 tomorrow. And Ike Mans
field says he'd advise us to drop the whole
thing; he says it won't stand inspecting.
You know l never felt quite right about
il, but you said"
Yes, | know" interrupted the Captain,
"but you leave this inspector to me. IN
inspect him! | ruther guess man that's
| caught all the whales | hev amt a-goin'
| to be afearsd of jest one little Inspector!
The crowd watched him curiously as he
climbed into the buggy and tucked the
horse blanket around him. As he took up
| the lines he looked towards them.
I'd jest like you fellows to understand
| that n man that's done all | heV for the
| govment hes got a right to run all the
postofices in creation! After all the
| whales"