The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1902-02-09


count of one James Mileage" who was
a member of the Legislature from an
adjoining county thirty-seven miles dis
tant. He had sworn to a mileage record
OF one hundred and seven dollars
That's an unfortunate mistake, sir.
said Perkins.
Ten ter yer own business?" answered
James Mileage"
Il call it er purity sharp tricE," grin
ned his partner.
IT call it stealin'," sneered an honor
able member, evidently envious.
And James Mileage" was his name for
all time, but Mileage" shot malicious
look at the member who had called him
thief.
The next morning the paper Of the
opposition had another biographical
sketch on the front page.
II see your name in the paper this
morning, Mr.. Scoggins?" remarked Mrs
Duke, looking pleasantly at the member
who had spoken so rudely TO James
Mileage" the day before.
We'll I reckon I'll make my mark
down here before it's over" chuckled
Scoggins with pride. What do they say
about me MIAMI"
They say you stole lot OF hogs!"
Uttered the landlady.
Mr.. Scoggins turned red.
"Oho. is there another thief in this
hon able body?" sneered James Mile
age"
That's all a lie, Nam, bout them
hogs 1 didn't steal EN-. / just pressed
EN- from a secessioner."
"Jes So" said James Mileage" but
they say you were deserter at the time,
and not exactly in the service of your
country"
eye can't pay no tention ter rebel lies
ergin Union men" explained Scoggins.
eating faster.
Yes, that's So" said James Mileage, >"
"but there's another funny thing in the
paper about YOU
What's that?" cried scoggins with
new alarm.
THAT Mr.. Scoggins met Sherman's
army with loud talk about lovin the
Union, but that a mean Yankee officer
gave him cussin' fur not fightin' on one
side or the other, took all that bacon he
had stolen from his smoke house. hung
him up by the heels, gave him thirty
lashes and left him hanging in the air!"
It's a lie! It's a lie!" beloved Scog-
gins.
Gentlemen! Gentlemen! we must not
have such behavior at my tablet" ex-
claimed Mrs. Duke.
And "Hog" Scogglns was his name from
! that day.
BY the end of the week another pain
| full story was printed about one OF this
| group of statesmen. The newspaper
brutally declared that he had been con-
yieted of stealing rawhide from a
| neighbours lanyard. 1t could not be de-
MED. And then a sad thing happened.
The moral sentiment of the little com
| munity could not endure the strain. 1t
| suddenly collapsed They laughed at
these incidents of the sad past and agreed
that they We're jokes. They began to
call each other James Mileage" Hog
Scoggins' and "Rawhide" in the friend
| Hest way, and dared a scornful world to
make them feel ashamed OF anything.
But the Rev. Ezra Perkins was panied
| by this breakdown He felt that being
safely removed two thousand miles from
his own past, he might hope for fu-
sure.
Mrs. Duke" he complained to his
landlady Il will have to ask you to give
me room 10 myself. I'll pay double. l
want quiet where I can read my Bible
and mediate occasionally"
! Certainly, Mr.. Perkins, if you are
willing to pay for it,"
When they had used up all the funds
of the State in mileage and per diem
they sold and divided the school fund
railroad bonds worth half million for
hundred thousand ready cash. 1t was
soon found that Simon Legree, the
| Speaker OF the House, was the master OF
financial measures and Tim Shelby was
his mouthpiece.
/ Legree organized three groups of thieves
composed of the officials needed to per-
feet the thefts in every branch of the
government while he retained the lead
ership of the federated groups.
The Capitol ring merely picked up the
odds aud ends about the Capitol building
They refurnished the legislative halls
They spent over two hundred Thousand
dollars for furniture, and when it was
appraised, its value was found TO be
seventeen thousand dollars at the prices
they actually paid for It, The ring stole
one hundred and seventy thousand dol
lars on this item alone.
An appropriation of three hundred
thousand dollars was made for supplies
sundries and incidentals." With thi!
they built a booth around the statue o.
Washington at the end of the Capitol AM
established bar with fine liquors an(
cigars for the free use Of the members
and their friends. They kept it oper
every day and night during their reigr
and ia a suite of roms in the Capito
they established a broUhel. From the
galleries swarm of courtesans daily
smiled on their favorites on the floor.
The printing had never cost the State
more than eight hundred dollars in an!
one year. This year it cost four hun
dred and eighty thousand. When Tin
pressed through this appropriation, hi
waved his hand eIoquently toward the
opposition and said, Gentlemen, We
believe in printers ink! We are Coins
to lift this Old North State out of thu
darkness of ignorance!"
-Legree drew thousands Of warrants OF
the State for imaginary persons. There
were eight pages in the House. He drew
pay for one hundred and siXty-two pages
. In this way he raised an enormous cor
J ruption fund for immediate use in brlb
ing the lawmakers to carry though hi
great schemes.