The servant withdrew, but soon returned to say that his master was engaged and could not see him that day.  Smith followed the servant into the hall, calling out to him in the most boisterous manner, demanding to be told the reason why he could not see his master.  The noise which Smith purposely made, soon brought into the hall one of the agents, a Mr. Longworth, a short, fat man,—­weighing in the neighborhood of three hundred pounds!  When he saw Smith, he strutted about, assuring him that this disgraceful uproar was quite uncalled for, and finally putting on a severe look, told him that he could not have anything for his improvements; of course not,—­ he really could not expect; certainly not, &c.  Smith plainly assured the agent that his “blarney” would avail him nothing; he had come by their own appointment to get his pay, and that he certainly should have—­if not in the way they themselves agreed upon, he would choose his own method of getting it!  Thus saying, he stepped back, threw down his woolly head, and goat fashion, let drive into the fat Englishman’s “bread basket!” He sprawled about and soon recovered his standing, but continued to scream and halloo with rage and mortification, more than with pain, until he had brought to the spot landlord, boarders, and servants, to witness the affray; but Smith, nothing daunted, administered two or three more effectual butts with his hard head into the lordly agent, when the subdued and now silent English gentleman, drew from his pocket book, and carefully counted out, every dollar Smith had at first demanded.  Smith accepted it pleasantly, thanked him and withdrew, amid the shouts and jeers of the spectators, which the agent was more willing to avoid than he.  That was the way the land agent paid the squatter.

It seemed, however, a little too bad, to make a fine English gentleman, feel as “flat” as Longworth appeared to feel; yet it was undoubtedly the only method by which Smith could recover a farthing.  The agents, it was supposed, did not design to pay for any improvements; indeed, some very hard and unjust incidents occurred in connection with, that matter, and probably Smith was about the only one, who ever received the full value of his claim.

There was committed about this time, a most shocking murder, in the London district.  A farmer who had a respectable family, consisting of a wife and several children, became so addicted to the use of spirituous liquors, that he neglected both his family and farm so much, that his friends felt called upon to request the distiller, who was his near neighbor, to furnish him with no more intoxicating drink.  This, so exasperated the poor, ruined and besotted wretch, that he raved like a madman—­such as he undoubtedly was—­crazed and infuriated, by the contents of the poisoned cup of liquid damnation, held to his lips by a neighboring distiller; a fellow-being, who for the consideration of a few shillings, could see his neighbor made a brute and his family left in destitution and sorrow.  Perhaps, however, he did not anticipate a termination so fearful; yet that is but a poor excuse for one who lives by the sale of rum.  When a rumseller gives that to a man, which he knows will “steal away his brains,” and make him a maniac, how can he anticipate his future conduct?  And who is responsible?  Ah, who?