The Westerly echo, & Pawcatuck advertiser. [volume] (Westerly, R.I.) 1854-1858, 1856-07-31
A POtatOe Story.

l.
back to Connecticut
That's true. I'm dead Droke
couldn't scare up an eagle or aquar'er
of a one if had pack of pointers to
get the first scent
No fun, Jed Starvation's grave
matter as Deacon Byles allus see, when
he's serious. Emmy of that Prepared
Gum, left !"
'Yesn
sAll right, then. Let's manufacture
a new pertater-that one they talk
about so much down to Y ork.'
Make pertater zeph, what dye
mean =
Git out. Amt you purity fellow
to be the eldest son of father that's
made fortin' by mahogouy doughnuts
and maple pumpkin seed, can't see
through a milestone 'thout chisellin' a
hole in it Eff it warn't for me, you'd
be livin' on Poor House bread and
Poor House molasses, with superintend-
ent coffee, 50 weak it couldn't support
human natur, 'thout help. est you go
and get me half peck of pertaters at
the store--hcre's my last shlllin' to glt
'em. IF there's any customers there,
jest wait till they're gone.'
This conversation took place in a
small village in the upper part OF Berks
County, Pennsylvania. Half an hour
after it had occurred, Jed and Zeph
might have been seen busily cutting and
fitting bits of potatoe to each other, and
fastening them by means Of their patent
prepared gum, until they had the sem
blance of a huge potatoe, as full of
knobs as DR.. Franklin's celebrated crab
apple cane. 1t was left to dry until
evening, after being slightly washed
over with a weak solution Of gum water
and some dust from the top shelf of a
closet sprinkled over it In this dis
guise, suspicion itself would hardly have
suspected its manufactured character.
Evening came, and the tavern at
which Jed ana Zeph were stopping,
filled with the farmers from the vicinity.
When the room was tolerably full, Jed
came into the bar-room with his potatoe
in his hand, and laid it with app trent
carelessncss upon the table. But he
kept a watchful eye on it nevertheless.
Pooty pig berdador, Mister Bedlar,
said Peter Dickkopf.
Looks like a artichoke, mitter trop-
sy,' said Heinrich Zittimau,
{ More bumps dan de head der frcno-
LOCUS talks nit said Philip Stolfuss.
: That ere, gentlemen said Jed, ap-
preaching the subject scientifically, is
the Dioscorea Batata or Chinese Yam.
1t yields enormously, A single cuttin
will have forty tubers on middlin' land,
each one bigger than this For this,
gentlemen, is but very small specimen
sent me by my cousin, Captain Bogus,
who commands a ship that trades to
China. The inhabitants Of that coun.
try are very numerous, as you know
and the land limited so, that farms art
extremely small. But stitch is the pro
ductiveness Of the Doscorea Bata Ia
that few square yards of ground ar
enough to maintain large family, in
Guiding a few pigs and ducks, wthou
which, no Chinaman's farm is complete
A bushel to the square yard is an ordi
nary yield
The ears of the shrewd Bcrks County
men opened. They are as ready for ;
promising speculation as a Jerseyman
or the downiest Of downeasters.
Vot would you Ak fur slishe or 81
Of der perda1eri
WE'LL said Jed, I'd hardly like Il
cut it, Kalkilated to plant it all my
self. It's fortiu' shure.'
Wouldn't mindt givin' slefy for
cut NIT two eyes,
Wouldn't begin to pay for trunl
room,' said Jed
1t was painful thing to do, but frs
one increased the bid, and then another
the excitement growing as the subjec
was discussed, until the quotations fu
cuttings were fifty cents each, at which
Jed consented to sell one half of th
precious Batata.
Got knife, any on YER was th
next question.
Plenty were offered-the thick usefu
knives of all work in use by the farmer
OF that region -Barlows and Dog knives
Oh. git out. Don't s'pose In
agoin' to cut with any o'them thick
dull things, and spile half the 'tater
suttin Wait till get Zeph's.'
Up stairs he hurried bearing the
Batata carefully along, for he did moi
wish to leave temptation in the way OF
his customers. Ouce there he rapidly
parted the manufactured vegetable care
1uliy, scraped Oft the gum, and carried
twenty odd pieces down to the bar.
room.
Now, don't anybody ask me fur anv
more cuttin's,' said he I've left tbs
rest in my trunk purpose not To bs
asked, and there it shall stay, till gi
hum and plant it
ha