'More like it was a bear.' That's jest it. The docther's horse was a startled that same night on the bridge by something dark, like the ghaist they saw in the mill.' Icht was black, like von bear, they said,' was the observation of George, our ostler. Hear till that now!' said Robert; 'I always tho't a ghaist wore a white uniform. And where should a bear be a comin' from? Aibleens 't was a dog.' • Oh, yes; I guess it was a dog!' The next morning the mystery was explained. Our black dog Nero came home with a shot in his thigh, which he had received from a watcher, determined to send some lead into the ghost or 'critter,' whatever it was. Such is the variety of tongues and idioms one meets with here on almost all occasions. The Scotch, English and Welsh are rather a thrifty race; but the sons of Erin mostly live as they go, drink and chew and smoke, and lay nothing up for the morrow. That night there was but one obituary which, as it was repeated three times in notices of different persons, with no other alteration than that of the name, deserves to be commemorated, for the benefit of obituary hunters: 'JEZREEL GARDNER, thou has left us, And thy loss we deeply feel; But 'tis God that has bereft us; He can all our sorrows heal.' Obituary notices should contain something like information concerning the party. This may interest friends at a distance; but when all the eastern papers' are 'requested to copy' rhymes, the parties might as well try their hand at something original, and thus give a little novelty, if not some pathos. Conversation turned upon epitaphs in general. There's a droll one in an old church-yard in Connecticut: Here I am; you'll soon follow.' Here's one which a man who had suffered more than the ordinary share of affliction requested might be carved on his stone: .'IN life he knew only sorrow and pain, And to him indeed death was a great gain.' I have often admired the two verses of Martha Day, which are inscribed on her monument at New-Haven: 'I WOULD not wish that those I love 'No; but in each familiar spot, Which both to them and me is dear, Yet ne'er remembered with a tear.' Although in these mountain districts we feel comparatively free from apprehension of the cholera, we have had an impressive reminder of the pestilence in the ravages which a disease, called the Shrews bury fever, has made in a family living a few hundred feet behind us, on the higher part of the hill. It is a kind of typhus, which in the space of two weeks has carried off two of the sons, one just entering upon manhood, the other about twelve years old. Dr. Thompson has this evening informed us that a fine little girl, sister of the two last, who came down to bring us some flowers yesterday, is prostrated in the same way. It cast a gloom over the family, which silenced for the time all sounds of mirth. The Bunkum Flag-Staff and Independent Echo. DEVOTED TO THE PRINCIPLES OF '98: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE STATE OF NEW-YORK: THE FOURTH OF JULY LIFE, LIBERTY, LITERATURE, ADVERTISEMENTS, AND A STANDARD CURRENCY. VOL. I. NOVEMBER 1, 1849. No. 5. FOR great inducements to subscribe to 'Flag-Staff,' readers are respectfully referred to last number. We now add the following am. ple rewards, with a generosity which we hope will incite the public to well-doing. We will give a Small Pocket- Comb to those who will coax any one so as to get the promise that he will subscribe to Flag-Staff.' We will give a Lead-Pen cil for the most distant and remote hope of getting ten subscribers. We will furnish a Tooth-Pick to any one who will write us a bloody tale, and a Paper of Pins for small poems, and a Harmonicon for those who will advertise by the year, and a Steel-Pen for those who will write a laudatory puff; and for those who will say the 'Flag-Staff' is an excellent paper, whether they believe it or not, and adwise their friends to subscribe, we will do as much for them another time. GREAT ENCOURAGEMENT. CONTINUED INDUCEMENT TO SUBSCRIBE TO FLAG-STAFF.' THE PRICE OF BUTTONS IMPROVING. THE KED'NTRY NEARLY OUT OF THE WOODS. APPEAL TO OUR FRIENDS!! The experiment which we fust started some four months ago, hazidus, we must allow, to life, limb, and puss, to judge by the feelinks of our acquaintens, of establishin' for the fust time in this ked'ntry an independen' press, has weathered the shoals and quicksands, and is in the full tide of successful experiment. It affords us the most adequate satisfaction, as we now do, friends and patrons, to announce officiously that the Flag Staff' is established beyond question; we think we may say peradventure. The coolness incidental to a fust undertaking has subsided into a warmth which receives us wherever the post-boy blows his horn. We think the reason of this is evident. Most people at the first, out of pride, out of wanity, are afeard to have their names tackled to a undertaking which they dono but what it may prove to be no go. Arterward they will run themselves out of breath till they weaze with an azma to catch up with a mob which is arter an object which is all the go. We will illustrate. There is Mrs. Butler. In our opinion there is no manner of doubt that we can read a play equal to this lady, and in p'int of fact, we think we may say candidly, her superior. This however, we had ought to do; we being a man and she a woman. Yet should we attempt to do it, we think there can be no doubt that our success would be, to say the least, doubtful. The experiment would be clipt in the bud before it was hatched from the eg. She would have her thousand auditors to our hundreds. Why? Because she is our superior in depth of mind? We should feel inclined to doubt it; but her name is up. It however cost her a great many hard nox and cryin'-spells to get her reputation up. You see the same thing in natur. large bird can hardly rise from the A ground. Why? Because he has head a-one side, stuck our tongue to flop and flop, and keep a flop-out of our mëouth, and tried. And pin' before he can coax the air to here we are, reader, tuggin' at the come under his wings. Having oar like a gallery-slave for your adequately done so, not the least benefit, with nothin' but a mug of difficul'; higher the better; slants beer to help us along, (who will and skims along like a boy on the send half a dozen bottles of the ice; and he who it cost him so much best wine for the editor of the Flagtrouble to rise from the greöund, he Staff: and echo answers who?) and don't care if he never comes down a little dry bread and pork, and a again. So it is with a steam-indian. few beans. Yet we work on, on, We merely wish to illustrate the on; with ability we presume. Many principle, as we have pledged our- encouragin' fax have cum to our selves to stand up for principles, notis. Subscribers are flockin' and we will adhere to it upon from all parts of the ked'ntry to honor. It can hardly get off at the Flag-Staff. Yet we feel confust without enough ile to light a strained to reiterate the cry, circity, and then with a kind of whoop- kelate! cirkelate ! It is a good in'-cough spazzum and convulsion; paper. The editorials are marked arterward it goes over the Long- by candor and great freedom, and Island rail-road track at thirty no inconsiderable degree of talent. miles an hour (tickets to be had at As an advertising medium it is bethe depo,) and done it easy. Just yond question. Mr. J. W. Smith, so it is with an ole gennelman. It of the superior court, met us in is hard for him to get out of his the street the other day. Says he, cheer, but when he done so, walk Wagstaff, you're lookin' uncomfive miles before breakfast and monly well.' Says we, 'Sir, your think nothin' of it. And so it was most.' Said he, Wagstaff, your when we begun to write this edi- paper is attracting a good deal of torial leader for 'Flag-Staff.' It notice: set me down for a dozen come tough. We did n't feel like copies.' We replied that our supwritin' it. scription was paid in adwance, to which he answered, pulling out his pocket-book; but one of the Wisconsin one-dollar Snake Valley Banking Company Bills, P. Pitcher, Cashier, has proved counterfeit, which we shall return. W. Smith is full of the marrow fat of human keïndness. CLARK'S KNICKERBOCKER MAGAZINE Copies out nearly our hull issoo verbattim et literrattim, and not one word of credit. This, we put it to that functionerry, and to other editors. who do the same, is hardly fair. Our articles are compacted with a degree of care. Credit to whom credit is doo. The St. Louis newspaper says he has split off all the They were cryin' out 'copy' from the inner offis. Mr. Thomas come up to us and said, 'Seriously, my dear Sir, we must be furnished with copy! (slapping us onto the back) the press waits for it; the roller-boy is biting his fingers, yet he must be paid; we can't afford to pay him for bitin' his fingers; there is also the devil to pay; several hundred subscribers are now at the door waitin' for their number.' We said to him, 'It shall be done!' We hitched ourself in our chair, unbuttoned our suspenders, turned up our risbans, put our legs out of the winder,nibbed our pen,smoothed down our paper, canted our J. |