The New Hampshire Gazette And General Advertiser

BENNINGTON, (Vermont) Feb. 24.

We have the following Anecdote of an old gentleman belonging to the State of Vermont, from a gentleman of undoubted veracity in the city of New-York.

This aged gentleman from Vermont, being on his way to New-York, on business, put up at a tavern near King's-bridge; having rode the whole day in a storm, he desired the landlord to give him a room, fire, and provide him some refreshment, which was accordingly done; there soon after came in sixteen young gentlemen from New-York, demanded of the landlord the best room in the house; to which he replied it was engaged to a gentleman from Vermont, and he was unwilling to disoblige him--they then requested leave to speak with him, and propose to hire him to quit the room; leave was given, and proposals made, and rejected; but the old man had the complaisance to offer to let them spend the evening with him--to which they replied they should raise the devil: --well says the old man, I will lay him for you--upon which the treaty closed. The young debauchees immediately ordered sixteen bottles of wine, drank them, and broke the bottles against the chimney: the old gentleman (partook with them) called in his bottle and broke it likewise:-- The young fellows still determined to oblige the old man to quit his post, and leave them masters of the ground, agreed that some one of the company should make proposals and execute them himself: first was, to burn all their hats--the second, their coats-- the third, their waistcoats--and fourth their boots; which was accordingly executed by them--and the old man followed suit:--After which, he says, gentlemen, now is my turn to make proposals; to which I demand your compliance under the same penalty as before; to which they readily consented:--The landlord was called, and a surgeon ordered with his instruments-- when the old man proposed that every one of the company should have all the teeth in their heads extracted; set himself down accordingly, and ordered the surgeon to proceed; but to their astonishment the old man had but one stump left to gratify their curiosity, which was sacrificed to execute the proposal; the young men soon discovered that they were out-general'd, and rather than part with their teeth, settled a truce with the old hero, paid him five pounds each; paid the landlord his bill for the wine, &c. and had only the consolation to go home naked and tell their friends, as 'thrice paddy told General Washington, when he had made prisoners of five dragoons-- that One old veteran rake from Vermont, had surrounded them.