The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1866-02-21


jaw'd begin to stick out like the fore
castle of steamboat, and his teeth would
uncover, and shine savage like furnaces.
And dog might tackle him and throw
him ever his shoulder two or three times,
and Andrew Jackson-Andrew jackson
was the pups name-Andrew jackson
would never let on but that he was sat
isfed, and hadn't expected nothing else
-and the bets being doubled and dou-
bled on the other side all time, till the
money was all up, and then all of a sud-
den he would grab the other dog just by
the joint of the hind leg and freeze TO it
NOT chaw, you understand, but only
Just grip and hang on till they throwed
up the sponge, if it was year. Smiley
always came out winner on that pup till
he harnassed dog once that didn't have
any hind legs, because they'd been sawed
off in circular saw, and when the thing
had gone along far enough, ana the mo
lney was all up, and he came to make a
snatch for his pet holt, he saw in min
ute how he had been imposed on, and how
the other dog had him in the door, SO
to speak, and he 'peared surprised and
then he looked sorter discouraged like,
and didn't try any more to win the fight,
and so he got shucked out bad. He gave
Smiley look as much as to say his heart
was broke, and it was has fault, for put
ting up dog that had no hind legs for
| him to take holt of, which was his main
dependence in fight. and then he limp
ed off piece and laid down and died. 1t
was good pup, was that Andrew Jack
son, and would have made name for
himself if he'd lived, for the stuff was in
him, he had genius-I know it, because
be hadn't no opportunities to speak Of,
and it don't stand to reason that dog
could make such fight as he could un-
der them circumstances if he hadn't no
talent. 1t always makes me feel sorry
when | think Of that last fight of his n,
and the way il turned out.
Well, this yer Jim Smiley had rat ter
riers, and chicken cocks, and tom cats,
and all them kinds of things, till you
couldn't rest, and couldn't fetch nothing
| for him to bet on but he'd match you.-
He ketched frog one day and took him
home and said he kal'lated to educate
him; and so he never done nothing for
three months but sit IN his back yard and
learn that frog 20 jump. And you bet he
did learn him, too. He'd give him lit.
tie hunch behind, and tho next moment
you'd see that frog sBi,ifling -in- the ali
like doughnut-see him turn one sum,
merset, or may be couple, if he got /;
good start, and come down fat-footed
like cat He got him so in the matter
of catching flies, and kept him in prac
tice so constant he'd nail fly every time
as far as he could see one. Smiley said
all frog wanted was education, and hi
could do most anything-and 1 believe
him. Why, have seen him set Danie
| Webster down here on this foor--Dan'
i Webster was his name-and sing ou
"Flies! Dan'l, fesp' and quicker'n yol
could wink, he'd spring straight up anc
snake a fly off'n the counter there, anG
! flop down on the counter again as solit
as COB of mud, and fall to scratching
the side of his head with his(hind foot a
Indifferent az if he hadn't no idea he,
| done any more'n any frog might do. Yol
never see frog so modest and straight
| for ard as he was, for all he was so gifted
| And when it comes to fair and squar
Jumping on dead level, he could ge
over more ground at one straddle thar
i any animal of his breed you ever see.-
Jumping on dead level was his stron,
suit, you understand, and when it come
to that, Smiley would ante up money O
him as long as he had red. Smiley wa
monstrous proud of his frog, and we'll h
might be. for fellers that had travele
and been everywheres all said that he lai
over any frog that ever they see.
] Well, Smiley kept the beast in littl
lattice box, and he used to fetch hir
down town sometimes and lay for be
!, One day feller-a stranger in the camI
he was-come across him with box, an
t says:
"What might that be that you've &c
in the box?"
) And Smiley says, sortcr indifferer
: like, "It might be parrot, or it might b
a canary, maybe, but it ain't--it's onl
just frog"
t And the feller took it, and look at
careful, and turned this way and tina
and says, "Hi'm--so tbs. Well, what
he good for?"
aWell," says Smiley, easy and care
. less, "he's good for one thing, l shoul
judge--he can outjump any frog in Ca
5 veras county"
r The fellow took the box again, and too
and another long, particular look, an
( gave it back to Smiley, and says very de
liberate, "Well-I don't see no point
about that frog that's any better'n an
9 other frog"
"Maybe you don't" Smiley says
"Maybe you understand frogs, and mayb
j you don't understand em; maybe you ain
t only amature, as it were. Anyway
3 I've got my opinion, and I'll resk fort
: dollars he can outjump any frog in Ca
. yeras county.
e The feller studied minute, and the
!; says, kinder sad like, "Well-I'm only
E stranger here, and / amt got no frog
but if had frog I'd bet you
Then Smiley says, "That's all right
: that's all right-if you'll hold my box
e minute I'll go and get you frog" an
D so the fcller took the box, and put up hi
t forty dollars along with Smlley's and ST
d down to wait. So he set there goo
p while thinking aud thinking to hissel
!, and then he got the frog out and prize
his mouth open and took teaspoon an