Sugar planter. [volume] (West Baton Rouge [i.e. Port Allen, West Baton Rouge Parish, La.]) 1856-1925, 1869-03-20
JBIJLL FROG

burg. and well known there III tnat CITY,
sonle thirty OF forty years since, sss
practical joker. and was extensively III
business 10 1914, and during that year
and the next | was in lis employ as a
clerk, in which capacity | witnessed
many amusing scene. and usually bore a
conspicuous part. He had his periodical
seasons for joking ; at the time to which
| allude, his great hobby was bull'frogs
Among our customers at that date WIS
a long slab sided dangling fellow from
the Western Reserve, named Ovistt. who
brought Us, three or four times a year, al
assortment of beeswax, ginseng popular
Iy called "gang ", feathers, aud other
notions in the way of trade.
He had made his purchases, and vas
proposing . contract as a means OF en-
iarging bis business, and finished by re-
GREETING that he had nothing else to sup
ply. - 1.-e I".
On this hint Sutton spoke, for it was
like bringing fire from the aint-a single
stroke sufficient.
"Havs you any bulIfrogs in your
neigbborhoodI l wouldn't mind taking
q few thousand put up in barrels, if you
could supply them"
"Rull.frogs, Mr.. Sutton What do
you want with buli-frogs I" 5.- .t..
why, sir, l have . correspondent
down at Baton Rouge who has left 8
standing order with me for ten barrels,
and l can't find any place where | can
get it filed. l would make 1T worth any
mans while to contract with me for the
article" sr.i ~. .'l,to fi4
"Well, now, Mr.. Sutton, l VOW to gra.
cious there's millions 10 our oeighborhood
but, you are quizzing me, | swear"
"Upon my honor" replied Mr.. Sutton,
4" l am serious. l will take five or ten
barrels, or even two, and give fifty dollars
q barrel to any gentleman who would
make q contract with me" .''" '''
Oviatt's eyes spsrkled at the proposal.
"Well, M. Sutton, il you say so. | will
put you up ten barrels. Perhaps your
friend may want more, and l hope you
will give me the preference, If 90. But
you are not joking with me, 1 hope, Mr..
Sutton ?" rt 4a... ~ -tF
my dear sir" said Mr.. Sutton" rest
assured that l have loog been st q loss
to get the order filled, and am perfectly
serious. But observe, my dear sir, tina,
the bind legs only are wanted. Don't
forget that" b. .s.- egss.rrvg
Mr.. Wsbreudorf, his book keeper, was
directed on the spot to draw the memoir
andum in contract form, and Ovistt folded
it carefully away 10 bis pocket.book. and
doubtless calculated deeply on q brilliant
speculation out Of US, seized the reins and
sprsng to the seat Of his Yankee waK0o,
remsrking:
Don't forget, If your friend should
want t'oenty, to let me know 10 time"
We heard nothing Of Ovistt for months.
and by the time he made bis reappesr.
'ance in Pittsburg. Sutton had some new
object on the carpet and forgot all abou.
the frogs. ota A.oI ta0.o7n
Not 80 with me. l anticipated some.
thing amusing, being well aware, as did
Sutton, in making the contract, that by
the time the frogs would be caught the
millions would shrink into hundreds.
l Was silent, however, until Oviatt's
purchases bad been made, bis produce
credited and the account. scjusted, and
himself ready to start. l then remarked ::
Zone thing is forgotten. Do you re
collect our Contract, Mr.. Sutton, With the
Baton Rouge house. for buli-frogsf" go.
&c do declare |" said Mr. Sutton, II
had almost forgot. What about it, Mr..
Oviattl Are you ready Z" ,H .
The contractor looked as If he could
have crawled through an sugur-bole.-
He begsu to whimper like . little school.
boy expecting . whipping. ,-,g II
g hope, Mr.. Sutton. you will let me
of on that contract. l declare to gracious
| had forty boys out for six weeks, sir,
day and night, aud ! never got more frogs
than filed = barrel six inches deep, and
had to give up at last"
my dear sir" said Sutton, you have
90 ide. OF the disappointment. We '
get . letter from these French men that
they do not remind US Of the bull frogs.
They say the price is no object !; only
get the frogs. Besides, 1 told them tbst
yoo could send them twenty barrels. Ny
dear cir. il you cant make ont on fifty
dollars, III give you one hundred dollars
q barrel ; 80 don't think of giving it up.
Put on more boys aud pay them better
wages. Mr.. Cist, just calculate for our
friend, Mr.. Oviatt. what be can aff. ,rd IN