Holmes County farmer. [volume] (Millersburg, Ohio) 1857-1926, 1864-05-05

SnEprr NELSON'S NArrEn. We dislike
10 tell "a big thin" on Sheriff NELSON, but
n recent dorg and rat transaction Of his is
such good joke that il is impossible for us
10 withhold it from our readers. We, how
ever, tell il as secret, aud expect them TO
say nothing about IT,
JouN FRENcn, w. G. McDowrLL, w.
NJ. LowTHEH, JONI WETNAN, SAMUEL
YATES, Henry YouNG and ourself each
boast Of having an extra dors. The sheriff,
anxious TO surpass all of US in the dorg line,
prevailed on Judge SAUNDERS to let him
have "Dick," for which the sheriff traded
n bullcyc watch and five dollars in silver.
Dick is an offspring of the setter breed, aud
through the blowing of Judge SAUNDERS
and the Sheriff he has gained quite a rcpu
tation as a rattcr. The Sheriff was anxious
to demonstrate Dicks splendid abilities as
rattor, but he had much difficulty in finding
a subject to perform upon. At last BILL
LowTHER caught furious old, bob-taied
rat, the one that killed his Canarics, and
whose vicious appearance and desperate eff
forts to ciaw everything within reach gave
promise of glorious sport for Dick. Last
Saturday evening the rat was taken to the
basement of the Empire House, and the
Sheriff invited all his friends who wanted to
see the way Dick did rats, to call in Soon
a large crowd assembled, the doors were Sc
curcly closed, N. F. JOSS, Louis MAYERs and
BENJAMIN Conn were chosen moderators ;
Dick and the rat were then turned loose !;
but Dick, the boasted Dick, the bully dorg,
made most enthusiastically cowardly move
ment toward the door. The moderators,
who were standing on chairs, said the dog
did not appear to see the rat.
The Sheriff told the moderators to keep
their breath. lie thought he would not
give Dick any reason for not seeing the rat
again; so he tied the string that held the
rat to the dog's hind leg. He saw the rat
that time, and jumped on the chair by Lou
is MAYERs. MAYERs laughed and showed
him off. Tried the stove next. Got off the
hot stove without being showed. The rat
however, being an old stager, and not being
used to such treatment, made demonstra
ton on Dick rear, and it is questionable
whether little Flora Temple ever made bet
ter time in the same limits than that dor!
and rat made around the room.
First heat, dog had the lead, (the Sheriff
shouting, "steady Dick, ~ closely followed
by rat, who, on striking the half mile pole
(footstool in the corner,) broke badly-il
fact, nearly broke his neck-and before h,
could be brought down, Che was sliding oil
his back, dog led him by wlDle length o
string. Didn't stop for wind, but starteC
on the second heat. Got on well togthel
(tied) and went finely around, neck and tail
until they reached the judge stand, (Joss
MAYERs and Conn, on their chairs, against
which dorg brought up solid, bringing the
judges down pre-cminently sudden, if MOI
dignited. The heat was decided against the
dorg you may bet, and it was only aftel
much persuasion that the judges would agar
take their stand.
The third heat may be aptly termed deat
heat They got off as well apart as the do!
conveniently could, and sailed lively unit
Just as they struck the last quarter, whel
the rat, which ran about as well on his bacl
as on his legs, SHE'D the track, and got rath
cr queerly wound around table leg. Dor
kept on as fast as the string and length c
his hind leg would let him. On raising tn
rat he was found to be non con,pos, total
defunct, in fact, dead Dick was not muc
better off.
JOHN FRENCH said that that dog couldn'
kill MICE Sheriff told him that he had eel
tainly killed the rat; but, on viewing tn
fact in scientific light, the Sheriff confesse
; he did not feel quite satisfied with the per
formance of his pet, and on Monday morn
ing he gave him away to Il. w. FoRBs, O
the Ohio House, who wanted ratter tt
free his stable from the dcpredatons of tn
vermin. 1t has not yet been ascertaine
which will leave him first, the rats or tn
dorg