The sun., 1899-04-02
GHOST ACCUSED OF A LIE.
UNCLE JOSH WATsoS'S REASON FOR
CHANGING MS Politics.

| Tho Driver of the Second Henrse Who Took
| to the Woods and Became Il Guide After
Fright in the Woods-The Untrutbful
Tinker Who Was u Moral Object Lesson.
This is the story Of why Uncle Josh Watson
| OF Franklin county changed his politics and
| took to the woods about twenty years ago to
guide New Workers at 81 day and his keep in
| summer. and 10 sit before Il log fire In winter
/ and plan next seasons expense bills for city
| folks. A man who changed his politics in any
| other county in this state would not make
| himself conspicuous by doing SO. In rural
| Franklin county. however politics is only less
| serious than religion. and. to quote Uncle
Josh. They're n dun sight more profitable.
unless you're boarding the minister an SELL
| ing flrewood to the church,
In the village where Uncle Josh had steady
| lob as driver OF the second hcarse and all
| around man In livery stable the town charac-
ter twenty years ago was and had been for
many years before that n French Canadian
known only AS Tinker Rumor had it that
once upon time Tinker worked in q tin shop
somewhere. but for years he was tolerated
merely because he served to point temper
| anco moral. He was rs much Of fixture as
the town hall. H. spent his winters very regu-
larly in the county poorhouse. and his sum-
mers took care Of themselves. No one, not
even Tinker. knew his age. In appearance he
was thin. wthered and bent. His shaggy gray
hair and long beard draped his face SO that
about the only features to be seen were his
little cunning eyes and his large red nose His
voice was cracked with much whiskcy and
whiskey's stronger substitute. high wines
Tinker begged. but never worked. That was
his code. and from long practice OF it the viii
lage people had come to look upon it as his
privilege.
II, IL thnt ;. 4 ttt-
old Tinker was an admontion to small boys
quite as effective as the prediction that the
bears would cat them up. Tinker was in evil
dence and tho bears were not
In those days Uncle Josh was IT. erely Josh
Watson when he curried down the horses and
cleaned the wagons of Blink's livery. sales and
boarding stable, and Mr.. Watson when he
drove the second hearse. which was S5 cheaper
than the one with big plumes and silver
mountlngs. The first hearse. owing to its ex-
pense and the pride that Blink took in It, sell
dom went outside the corporation limits and
Blink himself always drove it. 1t thus hap
pened that Mr. Watson was the central figure
OF most country funerals as lie perched on the
box OF the second hearsc dressed in his
shining black suit. He was something
OF facial contortionist in those days
Hired inourners had Gone out OF fashion
lo1gbefere Mr.. Watts on's time. but he could
throw Il gloom over the funeral of an old kin
flint whose surviving relatives were inclined TO
congratulate themselves which for profess
sional thickness could not be rivalled.. Curl
ously enough. the more expensive the funeral
II came to a funeral at the county's expense.
when the Board Of Supervisors would audit
the s Which fara GE 9a h was
He cracked jokes and he was altogether anna
bic and entertaining. No liveier man ever
stable than Josh Watson and when thus occu-
pied no one thought OF calling him Mister"
josh insisted on it lust as strongly when on
the box as he protested against 1t when he was
I'M In recent years, when the party which Uncle
1pih hS nqprenedd m to PC T shnG
when | drove the second hearse In the vii
lage. &c. just to show that he was not always
"why did You leave the village 2" was a
question frequently asked Of Uncle Josh. and
one which he Invariably dodEed Until last oe
0"U "Uneie josh i surprises me me that a man of
2ass ThS9 arSyf III
It's twenty year, since it happened. and I've
never I, nm mentioned II to g soul but many's the
sound SCUM sleep to ind myself a shaking ike G a
horse before steam roller. sometimes fgger
i out that i I'd stayed mis- ght have succesded
nerve for that sort OF work was gone. Icouldn't
drive hGarse again M not for S59 1, The fright
tho woods and changed my politics.
ons Of to hays S e9%a oa R this snS
was him that changed my life II ,' YOU rem"m me-, !.
Der, '7S was mild winter up this way. The
thermometer seldom got more'n fifteen below
teen above. Curious what little events % warp an Is'
mans life. Now, if the fall q that year had set
the ,po9rhousc,r II was mild fall, and some
one had given Tinker suit Of heavier clothes.
SO the Comm ssioner said to him:
Thinker. Just stay out of the poorhouse this
winter for change and enjoy 4 the sleiGhIqc
The old scamp attached himself to the hotel
near our stable and did odd Jobs bv day and
SLEPT, but he was always on hand In the, morn
ing to sweep out the hnrroom for drink OF
that winter with bright prospects before me
There is no more honorable calling than drv-
@E niea %n this o MGr T94 @
EH Sesb tho "h mG fG IT o sna sns hHa9
f.' 5ss s h%s now ana ID
Tinker was an awful liar. and hS never
would tel where he sIrpt lmssd to think that
dat knR It % M .H'r for many %"f s"St years
In in If +, N %t%a: ID III I'll ss Sammsd thinEh he
fitted conservative man with good PROSPECTS.
/ was Republic team. ! yo'ed the straight
ticket every election. and then the committed
gave me IS for driving the bus after other
voters There was a lot Of sickness in tho
country around the village that winter. and I
tell yon | was busy. l silent in the liv-
cry office. SOS to, be on hand. Well. Sir.
night-a messenger from Perkinsville, up
where Jim Hill 8 sawmill used TO be; which
dead and they wanted to bury him next next dav
That meant me and the hearse. ! TIA o good
sixteen miles from the village to Perkinsyille.
and as there WAS two feet OF snow on tho
ground. and the funeral was to be at 10 o'clock.
knew that I'd better start about in the
nip for my stomach's sake and then a
little nap. 1t was o'clock when I
woke and somehow l felt nervous. I'd
had bad dreams. The stable was still
and dark-horses all asleep and the heavy
snow outside killed all noise. / harnessed my
horses and led them ont to the shed where we
stored the second hearse don't know what
was afraid OF, but / was shaking all over
PnSt fmnn rnls oama back 10 me. and | Ihonnht