The south-western. [volume] (Shreveport, La.) 1852-1870, 1870-07-13
"reminiscences of DR., Bennett.

OF which and kindred trifea we hope our readers will
pardon US tor inflicting upon them-more especially
"' tis ahe when no subject of absorbing interest is
before the public, and the general outlook is
bleak waste OF political trekery and shameless tuFpi
tude
Once upon time there lived in Shreveport an old
man BY the name of Bennett who reioieed too in the
prefix of Doctor. He was known far and near, even
throughout all the South as the cunningest Of men,
ihe number OF tricks that old gentleman played upon
unsuspectng travellers if written out in detail would
Ill an octave volume. He was the original " thmble
rig man, and could manipulate the little Joker" as
he called the pellet used in the game, with mar.
Velous de2terity. His life was like unto game OF
whist, and be rarely failed to win the odd trick His
custom it was to count the of shingles on house
ana days, weeks, even months afterwards propose
bet on the subject. Weighing small pieces of wood
or stone and casting them into the street for future
WagerS was iavorte pasme of this Doctor of Tricks
de owned an educated dog, answering to the name of
Greenland. Greenland would loaf around on the
} street like ordinary canine lying in wait for
softs" Men are prone to boast of their dogs, their
horses Or their gunsrarey Of their wives Such men
were ' ducks for the Doctor.
"PshaT," he would sneeringly remark to one of
this class who might be expatating upon the intel
ectua capacity of favorite cur tbere's an old dog
out in the street can teach in FIVE minutes to do
more than your educated dog can do"
bet would result, and it is scarcely necessary to
say that the stranger went up"
/ Charley S. once weighed Greenland, and shortly
after called the Doctor into his store-a frame build
ing at the corner of Texas and Spring Streets where
our friend OF the tribe Of Levy ho'1- f-. "4'a
proposed TO trU nuuured dollars that be could come
nearer guessing his weight than the Doctor could The
bet was taken S. guessed first, when the Doctor
guessed half pound over him. Greenland was put
upon the scales The Doctor won He had suspected
something of tHskind from an occurrence needless to
mention, and in passing the store that day had mo-
toned Greenland to 60 in while he passed on. After
little while the dog came out and followed his mas
ter into thicket of busheswhere Baers and Jacobs
houses now sandwhen he slipped around to the rear
of the old hotel then standing upon what is known as
the Reynolds property; looked into the pantry, and
finding nothing else at hand set down large plate of
butter before Greenland Master and dog, after the
hurried though dainty repast, went back and "cane
up out of the bushes both looking innocent and un-
suspecting couple of lambs. The result has been
SEEN
In those days Jake P. was a merchant here. Now
T. was as clever fellow as the town could boast but
bad some little vanity on the subject of horses and
httered himself that he had little of the fastest
pacing piece of flesh, in the form of small pony on
this continent After awhile rough looking old horse
might have been running large for months upon
the commoa-and the whole town was very common
at that time-apparently without an owner That old
horse had been brought from Georgia, Alabama or
some other State by the Doctor, when on one of his
professional" tours solely with view to catch Jacob
and which would have been done, but that the thing
leaked out and the latter was warned in time
The Doctor had racing called Limping Bess,
who had been trained go lame when brought on the
track, whereupon odds or distance would be given.
This was the with which he won the race but not
the money in the Indian Nation, though the limpiDg
accompaniment was not then called into requiston.
Here's how it was: The mare beat the horse of the
quarter race, but they refused to give up the
stakes because the mare got the start.
See here, Mister Indians" argumentatively eug-
gested the Doctor, eff my mare starts behind and
comes out ahead will you give up the money then ?"
They could but agree to reasonable proposition,
and Alss Ass@vs ao.o ota. ted Br.s behind
lut came out with Bess again ahead.
snow, Mister Indians" queried the Doctor, II :
eckon you'll give up the money!
Not bit of it. They counted the tracks, and find
ng that their horse had made the most thew claimed
% have Won, and upon the Doctors becoming little
unreasonable, they tied him to tree and thrashed
him. lie was won't years afterwards when the sore :,
less had worn off, to relate this incident with apparent
elsh.
Space forbids further chroncling of the events -
Incident to the career of this eminent man, and We
asten to the one the recollection of which has almost
nconsciously beguied US into this naicton.
Age had no doubt somewhat blunted the keen edge b.
t the Doctors wit, else he would never have fallen
ctm to the prepared for him. the particulars of
'hch will be hereinafter related. os
In the times of which write there also lived in !"
hreVepor, gentleman of the name of" Peter Nc 70
elsh who pursued the then lucrative calling of keeper OF
drinking saloon 1t so CHANGED that Peter and te
Doctor got into discussion as to the probable on
leld per acre of the field of corn in question: then
ndef the atters management. 1t resulted as most MI
lacnssons did in those days. in wager-the Doctor co
nefng to stake $500 that the yield would be sixty $40
asnels 10 the acre, which bet promptly taken DO
u gathering time the Doctor he would lose and ev
roPosed compromise. The other party agreed to no
sease him upon condition that he would give a free
eat tor one day at each of the three drinking &c. OF
IONS in town In an evil hour, and probably when mi
lie guardian spirit, which the Doctor thought pre- III
ded over his wagers and his fortunes was taking the
loFt nap, the proposition agreed to. Now, mark
e result
MI spe
The first day was devoted to Bostwick's aaloon vb
nd what day that was Innocent and unsusnectne T.
rangers were pulled up to the bar and supplied with
INK after drink till drinking nature could drink M oao
ore 1t reminded one of hoty contested election lax
y, when the friends Of rival candidates were milling A
q hauling voters to the pos except that in this th;s
sc all had the same end in viewto elect the Doctor nit
The supply Of champagne was ex. ira,
"i,en coudeurinK no more they clinked -
'pty glasses, and each clink cost the candidate 49,.
nefor those were the good old days when toddies
Juteps were only ten cents "per.n Bostv;ek linz
'ugh not large man, took one hundred and ffty ub(
INKS before breakfast-amost the daily allowance and
lager to which our German friend, -. now re-.
lets himself In short the eventful day closed unon
core against the Doctor of the modest little sum of nan
zen hundred dollars The next day was devoted 10 of
N-r- c.