Maryland free press., 1866-05-17
Jim Smilcy's Jumping Frog.

discourses on queer California genius
named Jim Smiley, who was always ready
to bet, Here is specimen:
Well, this here Smiley had rat-tarriers,
and chicken cocks and Tom cats, and all
them kind of things till you couldn't rest,
and you couldn't sleep, and you couldn't
fetch him nothing to bet Oh but he'd match
you. lie kctchcd frog one day and
fetched him home, and said he calclate
to educate him, and so he never done
nothing for three months but set in the
back yard and learn the frog how to jump
And you bet he did learn him, too. He'd
give him little hunch behind, and the
next minute you'd see that frog whirling
in the air like doughnut, see him turn
one summerset, or may be couple, it he
got good start, and come down fiatiooted
and all right, like cat. lie got him up
so in the matter of catching flies, and kept
him in prctice so constant, that he'd nail a
fy every time as far as he could see him.
Smiley said all frog wanted was educa-
tion, and he could do most anythmg-and
[ believe him. Why, have seen him set
Daniel Webster down here on this floor
Daniel Webster was the name of the frog
and sing out "Flies, Daniel, flies;''
and quicker'n you could wink, he'd spring
straight up and shake fly off the counter
there, and flop down on the floor agin as
solid as dob of mud, and fall to scratching
the side of his hind foot as Indifferent as if
he hadn't no idea he done no more'n any
frog might. You never see a frog SO
modest and straightforward as he was.
And when he come to fair and square
jumping on dead level, he could get
over more ground than any animal of his
breed you ever see. Jumping on dead
level was his strong suit, you understand,
and when it come to that, Smiley would
ante up money on him as long as he had a
red. Smiley was monstrons proud of his
frog, and well he might, ror fellers that
had travelled and had been everywhere,
said he laid over any frog they ever see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in little
box, and he used to bring him down town
sometimes, and lay for bet. One day a
feller-a stranger in the camp, he was
come across him with his box, and says:
What might it be that you've got in the
box :"
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent like,
at might be parrot, Or it might be a
! canary, may be, but it aint; it's only jest
frog"
And the fellcr took it, looked at it care
full, and turned it round this way and
that, and says 'H'm-so it's. Well, what's
he good for?
"Well." Smiley says, easy and careless,
"He's good enough for one thing / should
think-he can out jump any frog in Cal
averas county"
And the feller studied minute and then
says. kinder sad like, "Wcll I'm only a
stranger here, and l amt got no frog; but,
if L had frog I'd bet you"
And then Smiley snaps, "That's all
right-that's all right-if you'll hold my
box minute I'll 60 and get you frog, "
and so the fcller took the box and put up
the forty dollars along with Smiley's and
set down to wait.
So he sot there good while thinking
and thinking to himself, and then he got
the frog out and pried his mouth open. and
took teaspoon and filled him full of quail
shot-tilled him pretty near up to his chin
and set him ON the floor. Smiley went
to the swamp and stopped and stopped
around in the mud for a long time, and
finally he ketched frog and fetched him
in and gave him to this feller and says:
"Now, you're ready, set him alongside
of Danl, with his fore paws just even with
Danfs, and I'll give you the word."-
Then he says, -three-jump.
and him and the fcller touched up their
frogs from behind and the new frog hop
ped off lively, but Dan'l gave heave and
hysted up his shoulder-so-like French
man, but it was no use-he couldn't bulge;
he was planted as solid as an anvil, and
he could no more stir than if he was an
chored out. Smiley was good deal sur
prised, and he was disguised, too, but he
didn't have no idea what the matter was,
of course.
The feller took the money and started
away, and when he was going out at the
door he sorter jerked his thumb over his
shoulder-this way-at Dan'l and says
again, very deliberate, "Well 1 don't see
no points about that frog that's any bet
tern any other frog?"
Smilay ba ctnod ,orot ;,I L.. hal -. i