Amos has published another letter which we have looked for anxiously,

but have not found among our files.

our exclusive business."

Hiram must not interfere with

Letters from Mr. Doolittle.

WESTERN REGION, Oct. 2, 1829.

Gentlemen Editors of the Commercial Advertiser and New York Spectator for I believe you hail from both the news-boats which sail under these titles: As you have printed the hasty piece of scribblement which I sent to the Cooperstown paper a few days ago, for want of something better, and brains to make it, no doubt, I presume you will jump at the chance of having something original from me, albeit "a young and inexperienced writer." Not that I exactly relished your criticism about "style," and epithets, and all that sort of thing, or that I can expect to be more of an editor than I am now, as you predict I may be, when I get to writing as well as Queen Anne did. But still there is so much about your paper that I like, that I had determined to favor you with my correspondence for a short time, before I saw how you had honored me. I like the manner in which you support the present administration. Your defence of Amos, from the calumnies of the coalition, is very beautiful; and your occasional encomiastic allusions to Duff, absolutely killing. These gentlemen are particular friends of mine. You will recollect, if you ever read the Pioneers, that my worthy father, the primitive architect of Cooperstown, emigrated from thence westwardly-following the poet's "star of empire." In his progress he became the principal architect of all the successive villages which sprung up with the onward march of emigration; and he is now, in a ripe old age, superintending the erection of a capitol at Indianapolis, the seat of government of the state, which furnishes the first four syllables of this name, at once so classical and beautiful. It was in the west, therefore, that I became acquainted with the illustrious patriots named above. I saw Amos at the time Mrs. Clay sent her carriage to take him to her house, when he was sick, as she was in duty bound to do; but I must say, in candor, that I don't believe he had much money about him then, although in his pathetic apostrophe to the stones and trees of New Hampshire, he solemnly averred that he had seven

teen dollars and fifty cents left, or something like that sum, after paying for his new jacket and trowsers. I knew Duff, also, very

well. I saw him when he started for the Council Bluffs with that drove of cattle, which some people have been wicked enough to insinuate were sold by him to the Indians, and afterwards paid for by the government, under the pretext that they were taken from him by force. But that is neither here nor there. He hacked, and drew a bee-line soon afterwards. But perhaps you don't know what this last sentence means? Indeed! A pretty brace of critics you must be, to talk about Queen Anne's writing and not know the pure English of your own couutry! To "hack and draw a bee-line" then, means to turn round and clear out straight. For this act, however perhaps Duff was not so much to blame, as there was no doubt "a smart sprinkle of bears" in that region, and "a heap of Indians" besides. And some of the latter might perhaps have "knocked out the chunking, and let day light through him." At fault again? Well I see you are not up to the march of mind after all your reading about Queen Anne;-and so I will enlighten you a small matter. Suppose, now, a "Riproarer" of Kentuck should ride up to the door of a "young earthquake," on the Red River—or, in other words, suppose, before Amos and Duff came to Washington to administer the government for General Jackson, that Amos should have called at the shanty of Duff in Missouri for a night's lodging:-Do you think there would have been any such palavering as "Good evening, Mr. General Green: I am very happy to see you." Why, how d'ye do my dear Mr. Kendall?" Not at all. Duff felt in a hospitable mood, would have run thus: Amos. "Holloa, there! Can I get to stay with you to-night?" "Well, I reckon." Amos. "Then boy, hang my horse." Duff. "And give him a smart chance of roughness and der." Amos. "A smart chunk of a boy, that."

And:

The dialogue, if

Duff.

toat in his plun

Duff. "Well, I

reckon; but here's the crack honeylove in the gum."2 Amos. "I don't quite let on to that." Cætera desunt. But enough for our

lesson. In my next I will commence telling you where I have been,

1 i. e.-A large quantity of provender, and take in his baggage.

2 i. e. Smartest child in the cradle, or properly, hollow tree, of which cradles are often made in the new countries. — Printer's Devil.

and some things that I have seen, since I left Cooperstown. At present, "I'm not in the humor on't." The fact is, the Oswego stage broke down with me last night; and we had a fearsome time on't, coming down the dug-way of the Irondequoit in the dark. I'd rather whip my weight in wild cats than try the experiment again. Your friend,

HIRAM DOOLITTLE, Jun.

The next letter opens with a reply to Mr. Sands's squib as follows: WESTERN REGION, Oct, 12th, 1829.

I guess this is the last letter you will have the honor of receiving from me, unless you mend your manners, or I change my mind. I wrote you what I call a crack letter, and a good long one, the other day, from the falls; but if I had then known how cavalierly you had been treating me, a second time, in your paper of the sixth, I reckon a good thing for once would have got into the Courier and Enquirer. A little spot of verdure would have cheered the eye of the disconsolate reader, as it glanced vacantly over that broad Lybian waste of paper. Do you think I am severe upon your enormous neighbor? Ask the good public, which, out in this quarter, has been groaning sine May day, for another Pope to indite another Dunciad. But I am losing sight of your honorable selves, whom I had singled out on this occasion for especial castigation.

"A promising young writer," you say again. Pray, gentlemen, have I ever promised you any thing that I have not performed? If you give these "young writers" an "inch," they will take an "ell" of your room! You ought to be much obliged to me for it, although your dreadful accident-maker may be confined to a more limited space. By the way, the Journal of Commerce beats you all in the manufacture of this species of literature. The people who read that paper here, are alarmed when any of their folks go to York, thinking it a sure thing that they will be robbed, and murdered, and torn to pieces at the Five Points.

As to the charge of "awful impudence," I scorn to reply. But there are other parts of your paragraph of the sixth, that I can't dispose of so readily. Not long since you recommended me to study Queen Anne. But I have not been able to find a volume of her

writings in any of the village libraries, and folks looked so plaguy queer at me whenever I ax'd for them, that I began to think I was running against a snag. Last week, however, you directed my attention to the criticisms of your friend of the National Gazette, and a pretty kettle of fish you cooked for me. Supposing your advice was friendly meant, as I may say, I went to the Athenæum and looked over all the National Gazette papers that I could find; and, having a pretty good memory, I committed all the fine words by heart, and then looked them every one out in the dictionary. The next day I had to go to a convention, to tell them whom Mr. Van Buren wished sent to the legislature, and I thought I might, peradventure, make such a sparkling sort of a speech as Harry Clay used to make before we found out that he hadn't any talents. But as I didn't want to get stuck, and make a fool of myself-the Doolittles have never had a fool in the family yet,—I concluded to lubricate my way with a little rill of eloquence, at the Half Way House. So glancing once more at a number of the Gazette, I rode up to the tavern, and addressed the hostler thus:-"Tom," says I, "here, just be so good as to refrigerate my quadruped, by circumambulating him two or three times about this fountain; then permit him to imbibe a moderate quantity of aqueous particles; after which, administer to him proper vegetable nutriment, and inform me what will be considered competent pecuniary satisfaction." The fellow rolled up the white of his eyes and stared at me as though I had been a Sioux chief. Then turning round to the landlord, who was making a gum tickler for a young Virginian who had been to the falls to see Sam Patch jump-"Here," says he, "Mr. Van Hosen, you came from Sopus, and understand Dutch; see what this man wants." "Sir," says I, "I invoke your interposition. Your hostler has manifested oppugnation, and refused to put in practice desires categorically made. Now, sir, I implore you to impart to this trusty steed quantum suff of provender-and then immediately to provide me some alimentary substance, to strengthen nature, cooked over vegetable fuel, as I equally abhor the gaseous effluvium of bituminous carbon, and the sulphureous tincture of anthracite. Remember, also, to furnish an ewer for my lavations, and a copious libation of some grateful stimulus." "Why, what the devil does the fellow mean?" exclaimed

the landlord. "No Dutchman unless it was the Flying one, ever talked in such nine cornered words. He must be the Yankee Turk that we have read of in the papers." At this insinuation I drew a bee line to the next tavern, where, after abusing you and your advice, and the National Gazette into the bargain, I had no difficulty in calling for two quarts of oats, some cold victuals, and a glass of whiskey in the old way. And I made a good use of them, I tell you, for I was powerful hungry.

Another of your kind cautions is, that I must keep clear from politics, and also, that I must not meddle with Amos and Duff, because, as you say, you have "a property in them." It is very difficult and pretty impossible for a whole hog Jackson man, like I be, to keep clear of politics, and I don't think it argufies much in behalf of your modesty to tell me to do it. And then as to your having a property in Duff and Amos, I can't well deny it, because they have sold themselves several times before. But I had no idea that they would sell out again so soon. Nor do I yet-pardon my "awful impudence" - exactly believe it. If I did - if I were quite sure that Old Nick has given his sanction to the transfer, and assigned his quit-claim over to you, I should then deal very candidly with you-and say at once, that if you havn't got taken in, you are the first of their purchasers that has escaped.

*

* *

You will please to pardon this break, as I have been interrupted by half a score of gentlemen who come to sue for recommendations to be reformed into the post office department. And now that that sharp sighted Bradley is out of the way I think I shall carry them all. I made a grand reform the other day. It was at the post office in the woods, between Lockport and the Indian village near Lewiston. There were but three houses in the village, one of which was the tavern, and another the post office. the third stood forty or fifty rods off. and as the occupant was a "whole coalitionists (who would'nt coalesce in such a place?), I thought it would cheer the poor fellow to reward him. No sooner said than done; and I had the pleasure of stopping there with the mail the other day. I am sorry on the poor fellow's account, that there are no fees derived from the office in this place, as no papers are taken

These were close together, and It was quite a lonesome place, hog" man, and the other two