52 A Vermonter Among the Yorkers. [January, 



A VERMONTER AMONG THE YORKERS. 



" A PARTY of young men were amusing themselves in Albany, skip- 

 ping and throwing stones from a wharf, and excited considerable interest 

 among themselves, in sending them the greatest distance in the water. 

 A tall Vermonter soon appeared among them, who taking up a half 

 brick, jerked it far beyond the point any of the party had reached. 

 This raised a cry of ' bravo ' from many voices. He continued throw- 

 ing, and stretching farther into the river every time. One of the class 

 seemed nettled with the feats of the stranger ; he walked up to him, 

 and said : 



' Where do you come from, stranger ? ' 



• Me ! wall, I hails from Var mount, jist naow, friend,' he replied. 

 ' Havn't been in these parts long, eh, I reckon ? ' 



< VVall — ^no — not edzactly here, but up and douwn, sorter ! ' 



' Yes — I s'posed so.' 



' Yaas,' continued the Vermonter, and taking up a billet of wood, 

 and twirling it over his head, sent it many rods off into the water. 



' You've a little strength in those clinchers of yours, neighbor,' said 

 the green jacket Albany boy. 



' Some punkins in those flippers, stranger, I guess ; I driv them are 

 knuckles, a month ago, rite through a board more than an inch thick ! ' 



* Haw, ha, hah ! ' shouted the company. 



' May be you don't believe it, eh ? Wall, naow, look ye, friend, up 

 in our country we've a purty big river — may be you've heard of it — 

 called Injun Eiver ; wall, I hove a man clean across that river, t'other 

 day, and he came down fair and square on t'other side.' 



* Hurrah ! hah ! ha ! he ! ' shouted every one. 



' Wall, neow, you may laff", but I can deu it agin.' 



♦ Do what ?" demanded green jacket. 



' Why, I can take you and heve you across this here river, jist as 

 easy as open and shet.' 



' I'll bet you ten dollars of it ! ' said green jacket. 



' Done,' said the stranger, and drawing forth an X bill, he covered 

 the shin-plaster. He then said : ' Can you swim, feller ? ' 



' Like a duck,' said green jacket. 



" The Vermonter instantly seized him by the collar and seat of his 

 pants, and raising him with almost superhuman strength, threw him 



