The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1861-04-13
Dorg-Phite in Frogtown.


) suits, distractions Of the town, its down
fall and ruin
A fanciful genius named Joe Tucker
man about town, q loungcr, without visibl
means of support, donothing, liquo
loving, cigar smoking, good natured fellow
owned dorg, an intelligent and rathe
pretty beast, always at Joe's heels, ant
known as well as his master, and Liked
far better by the Frogtowners.
One day Joe and dog were passing Bun
lons grocery store, where a great piebalt
ugly looking dog, standing along side of 1
wood wagon, bounded on Joe Tucker.
| dog, knocked him heels over head, and sc
! frightened Bob Carter's wife, who was thea
! passing towards her husbands blacksmith
/ shop with his dinner, that she staggered
backwards, and her old sun bonnet flap
ping off, scared the horse attached to the
wagon. He started, hit Lantherims bar
Der pole, upset the load of wood, half oi
which falling down Gumbo's resreshment
cellar, struck one of his children on the
head, killing it for time stone dead, and
so alarmed Mrs. Gumbo that she dropped
a stew pan Of boiling hot oysters into the
lap of a customer, who sat waiting for the
savory concoction, by a table in the corner.
Mrs. Gumbo screamed-the child scream
ed-and the customer yelled!
'Oh, oh, oh, my poor child!' cried Mrs.
Gumbo
"Eh, eh, G e e." screamed the child
ooh. murder rr! Oh, my everlastin Q
sin, I'm scalded 20 all eternity roared
the customer.
The horse and part Of the wagon and
some OF the wood were on their mad ca
reer. The owner Of the strange dog came
=, al l.
Tucker seize rock TO dernoiish the saw
age dog and not waiting to see Joe let
drive, gave him a puuch in the back, and
poor Joe fell forty rods up the street, and
striking the foot of long ladder, on which
Jim Eiderterry was perched, paint pot in
hand, some thirty feet from terra tirma,
brought ladder, Jim, and paint pot sprawl
ing on the earth, crippling poor Jim for
life, and sprinkling blue paint copiously
over the brcadcloths, satinets. and calicoes
of Abraham Miller, formal and even
tempered Quaker, who ran out 10 the door
Just as the two dogs had got fairly at it,
hip and thigh, MP and tuck.
A glance at matters seemed to convince
Abraham Of the true state Of the case and
ia an unusually elevated tone of voice,
he called out to Joe Tucker who had right
ed up;
Joseph Tucker, thy dog IS fighting"
Let EN- fight it out, yelled the pug
nacious owner Of the strange dog. " Let
en- fight il out Il bet load of wood
my dor- can eat any dorg in town, and
can eat bis owner.
We have said Abraham Miller was a
mild man. Quakcrs are proverbially so
But the gauntlet thrown down by the
stranger from the country stirred the gall
Of Abraham and he through the store in
10 the back yard, and, having slipped his
collar, brought forth 4 brindled cur, long.
strong and powerful.
Friend, said the excited quak ker ''thy
dog shall be well beaten, promise thee
like. seize him Tuck, here boy r AHd
the dog went AT it.
Bob Carter the smith, coming up in
time to hca" the strangers defiance to The
town, and bent on = sight with somebody
for the insult and injury to his wife, clamp
ed the collar of the stranger and by Sc
ries Of ten pounds ten on the face, back,
and sides of his burly antagonist Bob
stirred up the strength and ire Of the bul-
ly stranger 10 the top OF his compass, and
they made the sparks fly most dreadtully.
Joe fuckers dog, reinforced 10y that of
Abraham Miller, took a fresh start, and
between the two the strange dog was be-
inc cruelty put TO his trumps
Deacon Pugh, one of the most pious and
substantial men in Frogtown. came up;
and, indeed, the whole town was assemb-
ling; and Deacon Pugh, armed with his
heavy walking stick, and shocked at the
spectacle before him, marched up to the
dogs. exclaiming:
Fie, fie, for shamel disgraceful you
men, citizens of Frogtown, will you stand
by and
Don't thee, don't thee strike my dog,
Deacon Pueh :. cried Abraham Miller, ad
vancing to the Deacon, who was about cut
ting right and left among the dogs with
his cane.
Your dogs!" shouted the deacon with
evident feryer.
Not my dogs, Deacon Pugh,' echoed
the Quaker.
what did you say so for, then? shout
ed the Deacon.
Il never said so, Deacon Pugh."
You did responded the Deacon with
excitements
Deacon Pugh, thee speaks groundlcss
"You tell a falsehood, Abraham Miller
The utters meudacious assertion
Abraham.
"You-you lie!' bawled the Deacon.
"Thee has provoked my evil passions,
Deacon Pughl' shouted the stalwart Qua
Iser; - / will chastise theeI
And into the Deacon's wool went the
Quaker. The Deacon, nothing 10th, en-
tered into the spirit of the thing and we
leave them thus nip and tuck, to look !
after the stranger and Bob Carter fit and |
fought, fought and fit, until Squire Catch
EN- and the town constables came up, and .
in their attempt to preserve the peace I
md arrest the offenders the Squire was 1
thrust through the window of a neghbor-
ne watch maker shop, doing q heap of |
lamage, while lawyer Hooker, in attempt |
ng to aid the constable. was hit in mis-
AXE by the furious blacksmith, in the
short ribs, and went reeling down Gumbos
With frightful velocity The friends and
elbow churchmen of Deacon Pugh took
sides against the Quaker antagonist, and \
he shop boys of Abraham, seeing their
thus beset came to the rescue
While two Irishmen; full of fun and frolic,
it to be free fight, tried their
hands and sticks indiscriminitely upon the |
so that in less than one hour,
he quiet and happy village of Frogtown
vas shaken from its propriety 10y one |
grand, sublimely ridiculous and terrific I.
battle. Heads and windows were smash |
and women screamed-dogs |
bark eCl-dust few-labors ceased, and so
furious, mad, and excited became the |
whole community, that quiet locker on,
f there had been any, would have sworn
.he evil ones were all in Frogtown.
A heavy thunder storm finally put an
end to the row; the dogs were all more
Dr. less killed, child severely wounded,
/, man scalded, wagon broken; the horse
ran himself to death his owner was aw-
fully beaten by Bob Carter, whose wife, and
the wives of many others were dangerously |
scared the painter was crippled, dry |
goods ruined. Deacon and a Quaker, two
Irishmen, Joe Tucker, town constable, |
lawyer Hooker, Squire CatciIem, and some
ffty otharS Shan,afulIy vhinpe1 Law