St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1901-04-27

ories were refreshed in his mind by
the murmuring breezes that came gen.
tly down from far-famed Alexandra
and the undulating domains Of the la
mented Lady Fairfax. IT any rate he
paused in his walk and remarked half
aloud: Il have half mind to give
it to soldier" A passerby hearing
that remark would not have been able
to interpret its meaning, but the read
er Of this story win know that he
still had his mind on the Pamunkey
post Office. But there is the rub, |"
he went on. (which one? There il
McMurry-he is a veteran of the civil
war, and no better soldier ever shoul-
dered musket. Then there is Ram
dali, soldier OF the Spanish-Ameri-
can war, and he must not be sighted.
and last comes Murphy who now has
a son at the front. Well, I have nc
choice in the three, now which shall
it be2"
The troubled man walked on in deep
thought for a few moments, then pull
ing out his watch to ascertain the time
he exclaimed: 81 have it! will leave
it to chance, and may the disappointed
candidates and their friends have
mercy on me. 1 can make no mistake
in the three. Either of them would fill
the bill. Tonight will not wind my
watch. 1t will stop in the morning at
about the time l awake. If it stops on
an even number of minutes, McMurry
gets the post office; if it stops on an odd
number Randall is the winner, and if it
stops five seconds either way from the
minute mark Murphy will be open for
congratulations"
With that the old warrior and states
man thrust the watch into his pocket
and went back to his work of framing
caustic speech against measure pre-
pared by the other side of the house.
The matter of the post Office vacancy
at Pamunkey was out of his head %
far as he was concerned. He had left
it to mechanical agency which would
soon settle the fate of the multitude OF
aspirants.
In the meantime great anxiety pre-
vailed at Pamunkey. The newspaper,
had caught the spirit Of the contest
and published all sorts of predictions
as to the result. One started guess
ing contest and sold coupons on ths
result. The acting postmaster squan'
dered the proceeds of the sale of fine
Jersey COW in purchasing coupons for
his friends to vote for him. A large
installment of his votes came into the
office of publication on the very night
the congressman's bejeweled watch
| was counting off the minutes to decide
whether it would stop at odd or even
or for the man with the son at the
| front.
When the genera! awoke the next
| morning he lay still for several mo-
| ments and looked at his watch, which
| reposed on his dresser. He wondered
| whether or not it had stopped. and il
| it had who had won. Finally be arose
placed the watch to his ear and lis
tened. 1t was as dead as the chances Of
a host Of candidates at Pamunkey. He
| hesitated to look at the face of ths
| watch, and finally dropped it into his
| pocket with the thought that he coulo
lust as we'll look at it after break
| fast H F
On coming out Of the breakfast-rooM
the general was about 10 draw hi.
watch from his pocket and decide th'
momentous question, when he noticed
a young second lieutenant coming W
the steps. A moment later the gen
eral advanced toward the young volun
teer infantryman, extending his hand
and exclaiming: Hello. Ferguson
where did you drop from7"
"Just in from the Philippines" re
sponded the soldier. grasping the hant
of the congressman. The two wen
into the hotel and had long talk ovel
the situation in the orient. Felix Fer
guson was a son of an old comrade o
the generals, and his home was in Pa
munkey. When the two reappeare<
from the steps the congressman wa
asking the question: SWELL, now tha
you have received your discharge. wha
do you expect to do?"
To be frank with you, general, IN
going back to old Pamunkey and mar
ry pretty Elsie st. Clair and settle
down." responded Lieut.. Ferguson, col
oring slightly.
At that the general took out hi
watch and appeared to wind it in me
chanical sort of way. This act set tn
wheels going and ruined the chance
of some post Office aspirant. 1t vii
never be known who won on the stop
ping of the wheels. but it is known tha
one of them lost on their starting.
"You are just the man l am looking
for" said the congressman. "The.
need a man in the post Office down a
Pamunkey and I'll have you appointed
this very day. This will give you ant
your young bride a good start in life.
Thank you," said Ferguson, "thi
is more than l expected"
The papers the next day bore tn
news to Pamunkey, and thus ended tn
great post Office fight.
The British Wolf.
Britain has been infested will
wolves from that remote period con
ventionally termed the earlies
times" Their fossilized remains ar
frequently discovered, their bones lii
about the untidy floors of prehis
toric caves, the barrow-folk mad
necklaces of their teeth. They ar
mentioned in Welsh and Saxon laws
The Norman. however. fond of tn
tall deer" was not affectionate to
ward the wolf, for in many feuda
tenures. down to the year 1889, ar
MAINS m obl;p.f;on m hunf him A.