Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1866-04-26
Jim Smiley's Jumping Frog.

courses of queer California genius named
Jim Smiley, who was always ready to bet.
| Here is specimen:
well, this yer Smiley had rat-terriers,
chicken. cooks, and tom.cats, and all them
kind of things, till you couldn't rest, and
you couldn't fetch nothing for him to bet
Oh but he'd match you. He ketched frog
one day, took him home and said he csl'la
ted to educate him, and so he never done
nothing for three months but set in the
back yard and learn that frog to jump
And you bet you he did learn him, too.-
He'd give him little hunch behind, and
the next minute you'd see that frog whirl-
ing in the air like doughnut, see him
turn one sommerset, or may be couple, if
he got good start, and cau.s down AaC
footed and all right, like cat. He got
him up 80 in the matter of ketching flies,
and kept him in practice so constant, that
he'd nail fly every time as far as he could
see him. Smiley said all frog wanted
was education, and he could do most any
thing-and I believe him. Why, I've seen
him set Daniel Webster down here on this
foor-Daniel Webster was the name of the
frog-and sing, out, 'Flies, Daniel, fies,'
and quickeri'n you could wink, bed spring
strait up, and shake fly off the counter
there, and flop down on the floor again as
solid as COB of mud, and fall to scratching
the side of bis head with his hind foot as
Indifferent as if he hadn'nt no idea he'd
done any morn any frog might do. You
never see frog so modest and straightfor-
ward as be was And when it came to fair
aud square jumping on dead level, he
could get over more ground than any ami.
NAL of his breed you ever seen. Jumping
on dead level was his strong suit, you un
derstand, and when it came to that Smiley
would ante up money on him as long as he
had red. Smiley was industrious proud of
his frog, and we'll be might, for fellers that
had travelled and been everywheres said he
laid over any frog they ever see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in lattice
box, and he used to bring him down town
sometimes and lay for bet. One day a
feller--a stranger in the camp, ne was
come across him with his box, and Gays:
sWhat might 1t be that you've got in the
boxT
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent like,
1T might be a parrot, or it might be a
canary, may be, but it ain't-it's only just
a frog.
And the feler took it, looked at it care
full, and turned it round this way and that,
and says, sH'm-so tits. Well, what's he
good for p
'Well,' Smiley says, easy and careless -
'He's good enough for one thing | should
judge-he can outjhmp any frog in CalaV-
eras county
And the fellsr studied minute and then
says, kinder sad like, well, I'm only a
stranger here, and I amt got no frog, but
if had frog I'd bet you
And then Smiley says, That's all right
that's all right-if you'll hold my box q
minute I'll go and get you frog and so
the fellow took the box and put up the for.
ty dollars along with Smiley's, aDd set down
to wait.
So be set there good while thinking and
thinking to hisself, and then he got the frog
out and pried his mouth open, and took a
teaspoon and filled him full of quale shot
filled him pretty near up to his ohin-ard
set him on the floor. Smiley he went 20 The
swamp aud stopped around in the mud for
long time, and finally he ketohed frog
and fetched him in and give him to this
feller, and says:
'Now, you're ready, set him alongside of
Dan'l, with his fore paws just even with
Dan'ls, and I'll give the word Then he
says, 'one-two-three-jump! and him
and the feller touched up the frogs from be-
hind, and the new frog hoped eff lively,
but Dan'l gave heave, and hysted up his
shoulder-so-like Frenchwau, but it
was no use-he couldn't bulge; be was
planted as solid as an anvil, and he could Mt
no more stir thanif was anchored out Sui.
ley was good deal surprised, and he was dis
gusted, too, but be didn't have no idea what
the matter was, of course.
The feller took the money and started
away, aud when he was going out the door
he sorter jerked his thumb over bis shoul
der-this way--at Dau'l, and says again,
very deliberate, 'Well-I don't see no
points about that frog that's any better'r
any other frog
Smiley, he stood scratching his head and
looking at Dan'l long time, and at last he
says, i do wonder what in the nation that
frog throwed of for-I wonder, if there
amt something the matter with him, be
pears to look mighty boggy, somehow
and hs ketched Dan'l by the nap of ths
neck and lifted him up and says, why,
blame my cats if he don't weigh about five
pounds and turned him upside down,
and he beched out about double handful
of shot. And then be see how it was, and
be was the maddest man-he set the frog
down and took out after that fsller, but he
ne GER ketched him.