The Story of a Wooden Leg.

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3103, 28 January 1879, Page 1

The Story of a Wooden Leg.

| : . Sotne few years agoi in a northern town there resided an American citicen (colored) wbo bad the misfortune to lose one of his legi. For som« time, he managed to jo)? along with an ordinary wooden leg, but managing to accumulate aome money and getting a little high-toned, he sent to the , land of the peanut for an " anti-corrosive forty horse power high pressure imitatioa of the human limb.' 1 In due time the leg arrived and a carrier seeing the parcel aboard, addressed to the American citizen referred to, put it on, his cart, and conveyed it to the darkey's residence. The latter, who found the leg of wood ?ery uncomfortable, hastily unstrapped it, and pat on the new one, which he fonnd realised hii highest expectations, and dressing himself in a "par"' of new boots and hat, and a thunder and lightning suit, started to walk round -the town and astonish the townspeople. "He hadn't gone many paces from his own shanty, however, when the-,carrier who had brought; the parcel rushed up to him breathless. "Oh,"«ayi he "Air Blank (the steamboat agent) says that parcel was under bond, and he'll get into a row if it is m ot- returned before the Custom house people come around. Doi/t youjeehim an'me have been smuggling P" The darkey didn't quite like to give up his prize, and he hesitated momentarily, when a thought struck him. So he told the carter to wait, and putting his old wooden leg into the case in which the new leg had come, sailed it up and sent it off by the carter. The latter took it and replaced it on the steamer, and the Custom house officer had it conveyed to the bonded store. ,It happened; however, that on the tariff list there was nothing approaching a wooden leg mentioned as dutiable, and so there was a long correspondence, extending over several months, with the officiala at the "capital, as to what should be charged, until the' duty was finally fixed, when bur noble Ainericac genius was told how much be hai to pay. "And';ifrhat ef I don't stump up," h*e 3Queried. "The property will jb« bB-Tetaifled," replied Mr Customhouse. " Wall, here's how it is," said the Ameri* canised son of Africa—" That 'ere passel is a leg. Thecbap back in the states as sent me that leg said if I didn't wear it as soon as it came all the cork and fixings about it wud exquaporate inter tbin air, owing to the beautiful nature of the ravention. Ho I suppbee if you wur to go inter that ere custom house and open the case you'd find nothiu* remainin' but the woodwork." Mr Customhouse wouldn't believe that, no how, so the two of them went to the bonded store and bad a look. After the inspection, the darkey said: "Thar; ole lighss, ain't I right. G'long with yer. . If|l write and get scrpmpensation from the Congress, you bet! I'm not gwine to pay duty on thet. Yer kin stick to it; 1' and the poor injured African waltzed off evidently in the last extremity of indignant auger.. The true state of the ca«e was not found out till loit.g afterwards.