The Wyandot pioneer. (Upper Sandusky, Ohio) 1853-1868, 1868-11-26

would be there reg lar, to bet on
Parscn Walker, when he judged to
be the best exhorter about here, and
So he was, too, and good man. Il
he ever seen a stradlebug to go any
where, he would bet yon how long
it would take him to get to where he
he was going to, and if you would
take him up, lie would foller that
straddle bug to Mexico but what
he would fiud out where he was
bound tor and how long it would
he on the road. Lots Of tho boys
here has seen that Smiley, and can
tell YOU about him. Why, it never
made no difference to him-he would
bet on anything-the cussedest tel
Ter. Parson Walkers wife laid very
sick once, for good while and it
seemed as il they war'nt going save
her, hnt one morning he come in,
and smiley asked how she was, and
he said she was considerable better
thank the Lord for his inf nit mer-
cI-aud coming on SO smart that,
with the blessing of PROV 'dence, she
would get well yet; and Smiley said
before he thought, well I'll risk
two and-a- half that she don't, any
way"
Thish-yer Smiley had a mare
the boys called her the fifteen rin-
ute nag, but that was only in fun,
on know, hccause, OF course, she
'on|1 90 faster than that-aDd he
used to win money on that horse,
or all she was SO slow and always
al the asthma, or the diste,nper,
or the consumption, or something
VI that kind They used to give
her two or three hundreds yards
start. and then pass her under way +;
but aways at the fag end OF the race
she'd get excited and desperate-like
ana come cavorting and ~traddling g
up, and scattering her legs around
timber, sometimes in the air, and
sometimes out to one side amcng
he fences, and kicking up m re
dust, and raising NOR c racket with
her coughing and sneezeing and
Blowing her n3se-and always fetch
ID at the stand just about a neck
ahea !. rs near as you could ciphe.
it down
And he had little small bull pup
that to look at him you'd think he
warn't worth a red cent, but to set
around and look ornery, and lay for
a chance to steal something. But
rs soon as money was up on him lie
was a different dog; his under jaw
begin to stick out like the fore cas-
tie Of q steamboat, and his teeth un
cover, and shine savage like the fur
naces. And dog might tackle
him, and bully rag him, and bite
him,an throw him over his sholder
two or three times, and Andrew
which was the name OF
the pup-Andrew Jackson would
never let on put what he was salts
fed, and hadn't expected nothing
else-and the bets being doubled and
doubled on the other side all the time
till the money was all up: and then
all of a sudden kc would grab the
other dog by the jint of the hind leg
and freeze to it-ilot chaw, YOU un-
derstand, hnt only grip and hang on
till they tErowed up the sponge, if it
was q year Smiley always came
out winner on that dog, till he har
messed dog once that didn't have
no hind legs. because they'd been
sawed off by circular saw. and
when the thing had gone along far
enough, and the money was all up,
and he come to make a snatch for
his pet holt, be see in mint how
he'd been imposed upon, and how
the other dog had him in the door,
so to speak, and he 'peared surpris-
ed, and then he looked sort of dis
couraged-like, and didn't try no
more to win the fight, so he got
shuck ed out bad. He gave smiley
q look, as much as to say his heart
was broke, and it was his fault, and
then he limped off a piece and laid
down and died. It was o goodpup,
and would have made name for
hisself if he'd a lived, for the stuff
WAS in him, and he had genius-I
know it, because he hadn't had no
opertunitie to speak OF, and it don't
stand TO reason that dog could
under such circumstances If he had
no talent. 1t always makes me feel
sorry when | think Of that last fight
of his and the way it turned out
Well, t,iish-yer Smiley had rat
tarriers, and chicken cocks, and
tom cats. and all them kind things,
till you couldn't rest, and you
couldn't fetch nothing for him to
bet on but he'd match you. He
!etched 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 set in
his back yard and learn that frog to
jump. And you bet he did learn
him, too. He'd give him a little
punch behind, and the next minute
you'd sec that frog whirling in the
air like q doughnut-see him turn
one summerset, or may be q coup
lie, if he got good start and come
down fiat footed and all right, like
u cat. He got him up SO in the
matter Of ketching flies, and kept
him in practice so constant, that he'd
nail a fly every time as far as he
could see him. Smiley said all a
frog wanted was education. and he
could do most anything and 1 be-
lieve him. Why, I've seen him set
Dan'l Webster down here on this
foor-Dan1 Webster was the name
of the frog-and sing out "Flies,
Dan'l, flies! !' and quicker'n you
could wink, he'd spring straight up,
and snake fly off'n the counter
there, and flop down on the floor