The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1866-01-04
KENOsHA, WISCONSIN, THURSDAY, JANUARY 4 1866.
Jim Smiley'S Jumping Frog.

Mark Twain a San Francisco contributor
to the New York Saturday Press, discourses
of a queer California genius named Jim
Smiley who was always ready to bet
Here is specimen:
Well, this yer Smiley had rat-terriers and
chicken cocks, and tonl-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 and took him home and said he
calated to educate him; and so he never
done nothing for three months but set in his
back yard and learn that frog to jump
you bet he did learn him, too. He'd give
him little bunch behind, and the next
minute you'd see that frog whirling in the
air like doughnut-see him turn one sum
merset, or maybe couple, if ne got good
start, and come down fiat footed and all
right, like cat He got him up so in the
matter of ketching flies, and kept him in
practice so CONSTANT that he'd nail fly eve-
ry time as far as he could see him. Smiley
said all frog wanted was education, and
he could do most anything believe
| him Why, Eve seen him set Dan'l Webster
down here on this floor-Dan'l Webster
was the name of the frog-aud sing out,
! Flies, Dau'l, flies and quicken you could
wink, he'd spring straight up, and snake
| fly off the counter there, and flop down on
the floor again. as solid as a COB of mud and
fall to scratching the side Of his head with
his hind foot as indifferent as if he hadn't
no idea he'd done any morn any frog might
90, You never see frog so modest and
straightforward as he was. And when it
Came to fair and-square Jumping on dead
level he could get over more ground than
any animal Of his breed you ever see. Jump
ing on dead level was his strong suit, you
understand, and when it came to that,
Smiley would ante-up money on him as
strous proud of his frog, and well he might
be, for fellers that had travelled and ben eve
rywheres said he laid over any frog that
ever they see.
Well, Smiley kept the, beast in little
lattice box, and he used to fetch him down
town sometimes and lay for bet. One
day feller-a stranger in the camp, he
was-come across hun with his box, and
says:
What might it be that you've got in the
box?'
And Smiley says, sorter Indifferent like,
1T might be parrot, or it might be a
canary, may be, but it aint-lts only Just
a frog
And the Teller took it, looked at it care
tul. and turned it round this way and that,
and says, 'H'm-so tbs. Well, what's he
good for? ............
Well Smiley says, easy and careless,
He's good enough for one thing | should
judge-he can out jump any frog in Calav-
9 as county
And the teller studied minute, and then
says, kinder sad, like, 'WelI-Pm only a
stranger here, and | 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
minute I'll go and get you frog and so
the teller took the box, and put up his forty
dollars along with Smiley's and set down to
wait. .t
So he set there good while thinking and
thinking to himself, and then he got, the
frog out and pried his mouth open and took
a teaspoon and filled him full of quail shot
E-hlled him pretty near up to his chin
and set him on the floor Smiley he went
oul to the swamp aud stopped around in the
mud for long time and finally he ketched
a frog and fetched him in and gave him
to this Teller and says:
Now, you're ready, set him alongside of
Dan1 with his fore paws just even with
Danfs, and I'll give the word Then he
says, one-two-three and him
and the Teller touched up the frogs from
behind, and the new frog hoped off lively,
but Dam gave heave, and hysted up his
shoulders -so-like a Frenchmau, but it
was no use-he couldn't bulge; he was
planted as solid as an anvil. and he couldn't
no more s tir than if he was anchored out.
Smiley was good deal surprised, and he
was disguised too, but he didn't have no
idea what the matter was of course
The Teller 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'i, and says
again, very deliberate, Well don't see
no points about that frog that's any better'n
any other frog
Smiley, be stood scratching his head and
looking at Dan'l long time and at last bet
says, i do wonder what in the notion that
frog throwed off for-I wonder. if there aim
something the matter with him, he pears
to look mighty Doggy, somehow'-and he
ketched Dan'l by the the nap of the neck
and lifted him up and says, why, blame
my eyes if he don't weigh five pounds r.
and turned him upside down, and he belched
out about double handful of shot And
then he see how it was, and he was the mad
dest mamie set the frog down and took
out after that Teller, but he never ketched
him