>Resent-Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 06:16:43 -0700 (PDT) >X-Sender: psmartoc@eastnet.educ.ecu.edu >Date: Sat, 15 Aug 1998 09:15:29 -0400 >Old-To: Pridgen-L@rootsweb.com, NCWilson-L@rootsweb.com >From: psmartoc@eastnet.educ.ecu.edu (psmartoc) >Subject: [NCWILSON-L] Humor >Resent-Message-ID: <"Y844YD.A.gcB.4oY11"@fp-1.rootsweb.com> >To: NCWILSON-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-From: NCWILSON-L@rootsweb.com >X-Mailing-List: <NCWILSON-L@rootsweb.com> archive/latest/104 >X-Loop: NCWILSON-L@rootsweb.com >Resent-Sender: NCWILSON-L-request@rootsweb.com > >And you wondered why the name is spelled so many ways: I found the excerpt >below in "Missing Links" by Julia Case....an email newsletter.I have seen >many references to the fact that our census takers in the past could barely >read and write themselves but usually they WERE the best in the area. > > * * * * * > >HUMOROUS LINKS: Peter W Bond <peter.bond@lineone.net> writes: >"I bought an old book dated 1888 by Artemus Ward. It was about >his great adventurist journey across the United States with his >travelling show. One chapter is regarding the Census. Read on." > >The Sences taker in our town bein taken sick he deppertised me to >go out for him one day, and as he was too ill to giv me >informashun how to perceed, I was consekently compelled to go it >blind. Sittin down by the road side I drawd up the follerin >list of questions which I proposed to ax the peple I visited: > Wat's your age? > Whar was you born? > Air you marrid, and if so how do you like it? > How many children hav you, and do they sufficiently resemble > you as to proclood the possibility of their belongin to any > of your nabers? > Did you ever hav the measels, and if so how many? > Hav you a twin brother several years older than yourself? > How many parents have you? > Do you read Watt's Hims regler? > Do you use boughten tobacker? > Wat's your fitin wate? > Air you trubeld with biles? > How does your meresham culler? > State whether you air blind, deaf, idiotic or got the heaves. > Do you know any Opry singers, and if so how much do they > owe you? > What's the average of virtoo on the Ery Canawl? > If 4 barrils of Emptins pored onto a barn floor will kiver it > how many plase can Dion Boureicault write in a year? > Is Beans a regler article of diet in your family? > How many chickins hav you, on foot and in shell? > Air you aware that Injianny whisky is used in New York > shootin galrys instid of pistils, and that it shoots > furthest? > Was you ever at Niagry Falls? > Was you ever in the Penitentiary? > State how much pork, impendin crysis, Dutch cheeze, > popler suvrinty, standard poetry, childrens' strainers, > slave code, catnip, red flannel, ancient histry, pickled > tomaters, old junk, perfoomery, coal ile, liberty, hoop > skirt, &c., you av on hand. > >But it didn't work. I got into a row at the fust house I stopt to >with some old maids. Disbeliven the answers they giv in regard to >their ages I endevered to open their mouths and look at their >teeth, same as they do with hosses, but they floo into a vilent >rage and tackled me with brooms and sich. Takin the senses >requires experiunse, like any other bizniss. > > >Carol Pridgen Martoccia 903 East Fifth St. Greenville, NC 27858 >PRIDGEN Homepage : http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Meadows/6297 >PRIDGEN Archives: http://searches.rootsweb.com/cgi-bin/listsearch.pl >List manager for the Pridgen Family and for Wilson County, NC... > > >