West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1900-11-22

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m D 5: .::'; Us: ' s..
- * a. he looked q, the bag Of debt,
S&o5S,oSo, nc had to earry. "'rain't
every young Teller as has to shoulder seh .
load as that is. faint many years since
old John Bull hisself couldn't liked tn
looks o tina, load, though guess his is
heftier'n mine is jst now. Tween General
Washington aud Napoleon he's go, abou, all
he wants TO handle, an Nopoleou's still
apilin' itup fer him. \ lee,le hard work.
with Mother Columbia to keep down the
household expenses. an no more pesky wars
a comm along, an IN cit through with !,
some time, reckon"
Ten years later unele sam stopped in his
onward march To review the situation.
This here load q debts giuin' smaller
all right. Chopped most $1,000. 900 of the
thing in ten years, an s,lla chopin. Feel
right sm.r, ehirPer AN | did ten years
ago"
But there was trouble ahead for the ,uug
CLING household, and two years later lohn
Bull forced war upon the county. II was
not until the war was over aud the English
whipped that Uncle Sam had another op.
portuni,y to view the load of debt that the
war had left, sia553AosS.
"Dad bias, the English !" exclaimed
Uncle Sam, rs he looked at the great bag of
deb, and the smoulderiug ruins OF his
capital. "Dad,blast 'em | say. Me an
Columbia was gittin along real nice, and
old John Bull wasn't satisfied to etus alone
Tried takin' my sailors, an Stoppin' my
ships on the seas. Guess few such lessons
as Perry and Jackson gave 'em will teach
em lesson Had to burn up my buildings
and make It cost me lot o. money fer
ships. Don't know as III ever git this deb,
paid now"
But Uncle Samuel was willing to try, and
he went TO work with will. Nine years
later he was surprised 10 find how rapidly
1t had decreased.
"Well, now, she's comm down" he
said. "only 3,7Ss,4s, already. Jist
where | started at IS years ago. an had
the fun o. liekin' them English, too"
Gradually the load slipped away at the
rate of nearly $40, ooo, 900 year, and ono
day in 1885 Uncle Sam awoke to the fact
that it was practically all paid.
OBJ gosh. an who'd thought it," said
he. Down to s37733. Amt worth car
ryjn' on my back now, am old John Bulls
piin' his up stead o. payin' IL off. Beats
all how Columbia can manage when shes
a mind TO. Never could a done il IL Col
umbia hadn't a been sieh helpful crea-
turc."
But Uuele Sans hilarious mood did not
last long. lie took glance over his
shoulder four years later and was surprised
to find tidy little sum Of debt fastened To
his back.
"New, | do wonder how that come
there H' he remarked. Pears 10 me that
Columbia's been gettn' was.eful ideas.
Must been spendin' money on fol de rolls
and SIGH. 'Tain't very big load, an
guess I'd better git TO work and pay it off
fore it grows any"
He did, and by the end of another year
the sIo,454,a2I of 1880 had been reduced
20 s3,S7S543.
That's more like it now said he.
lE.
didn't last long.
Nine years later that little load had grown
to s63, o6I, 1853, but your Uncle Samuel did
not care in the least.
ola IN ha 90 he laughed. "Wasnt
il funny the way them Mexicans did run.
Guess old Gen. Scott surprised EN- a little
when lac walked right into their home town
Nice little load o. debt got now, bat got
Texas long with II, an that more n makes
up.
by the end of another eight years the load
had been reduced To s28. 600, S3I, and Uncle
Sam was feeling quite easy over 1t.
beats all how Columbia can save when
she's mind TO, he said. ''Got more n
half o that last big load of Already
Not until 1866 did Uncle Sam have time
20 again take account OF his Indebtedness.
II was with heavy heart that he footed up
the great total Of $2,773, 236,t73.
Zoo bad Too bad hc said "Im
giuin long in years now, an this great
pack to carry. faint possible that ri ever
gitthrough with II. Everything gone to
wreck aud ruin. Notbn left hut united
family, an all because Of quarrel moug
my boys Can't never pay il off, know,
but the honest ways TO try, an then they
cant nobody say as Uncle Sam didn't make
an honest effort"
For 70 years the old man worked and
saved without again taking account Of his
load of debt. and when he did 50 in 1890 he
was surprised at the way il had been re-.
duced-more than billion dollars of it
paid.
Who'd thought it possible he
asked. "No,mn but harmonious, hard
workin' family could done that
Eight years later came another war and
when 1t was over Uncle Sam footed Up his
Indebtedness
Don't care much about the debt now.
ne said "a great big happy family will
take care o that, an jist think o the fun o.
seem them Spaniards run. Betern the
fun had with the Mexicans back in the
4os. This huanccerin' Of big family
like mine through century has is pleas
ures as we'll as difficulties