The Andrew County Republican. [volume] (Savannah, Mo.) 1871-1876, 1872-09-20
HOW jim DUDLY HELD THE
CREASED PIC.

pig? They were telling you somethin
about it, ehf Wal, that was q durneC
race, and came mighty nigh havin' tc
git out of the village on account of it
too, now | can tell you. Down on me
rThunderation / reckon you'd thought
so if you'd heard 'em hollerin'. A doc.
tor was never so down on an old mid
wife as they were on me arter that race,
especially Parson Coolridge he was one
of the principal sufferers, you see. 1t
was May Day amongst 'em, and the
whole village seemed to be out thar en-.
jcyin' themselves. -siss
siThey had sock races and wheelbar-
row races. That was the day biindfold
Sam Moody ran the wheelbarrow
through Duh's show window, and thar
was creased pole standing thar with a
ten dollar greenback tackled on top of
it. The hungry cusses were standin
round thar lookin' up at the Autterin'
bill like dogs at a coon on tree top. /
didn't try the pole, but when they
brought out the CREASED pig, a burned
great llabsided black hog, just in good
running order. Iarot sort of interested
in the performance. The pigs tail was
more n foot long, and it was soaped
and creased until it would slip through
afeilow's fingers like newly acquired
fortune. .-4,-s 1stis e IT - - = =
Several of the fellers started after him,
but they ID. just make one catch and be-
fore they were certain whether they
had q hold oft they would 60 one way
and the hog would go another, and then
the crowd would holler | was standin
thar leanin over the fence watchin of
'em for some time, and noticed that
the pig was in the habit of formin q
sort of ring with his tail, leastwise he'd
kind of lap it over like 80 that it cen.
most formed knot-all it lacked was
the endin' through. cal'late1 that a
teller with pooty nimble fingers could
make knot on the critters tail by just
siippin his fingers through the ring and
BY gettin hold on the end of the tail
and pullin it through he'd have a plaguy
good knot that would prevent his hand
from slippin off. Arter thinkin over it
for some time ! concluded if [ could
git up a bet that would pay for the
hardships that feller would be likely
to experience l would try him catch
anyhow.
So says to Jake Swansey, that stood
along side me, Jake, | believe that l
can hold that burned pig by the tail un-
til he gins out" - .----.- --
"Holdf' he ses, surprised like and
raisin his eyebrows just that way,
"what's the matter of yer Ye mout as
well try to hold the devil by the tail as
that deuced clover rooter."
II a r ~
somefhin." So went on and told him
what cal'lated to do, and after a while
he ses, "Wal, go ahead, Jim, I'll back
ye. reckon we can git any amount of
odds SO long as we keep the knot part
of it toourselves."
So l pulled off my coat and gin it to
Jake to hold, and jumpin on to the
fence, / hollered, !" I'll bet ten to twenty
that | kin mold on to the pigs tail till
he gins outr'
Gosh and fishhooksl you ought to
have seen EN- signalin and holdin up
thar hands and hollerin.
-" I'll take that bet, I'll take that bet,
Dudly." got rid of what money l had
about me pooty soon, and Jake was
just spreadin out his greenbacks like
paymaster, and arter he exhausted his
treasures he started after bis sister to
git what money she had. I hollered to
come back i was afraid he'd tell her
about the knot business, but he wasn't
no fool and knew too well what gals are
at blabbin, to trust her with any paying
ecret. ;. -
Old Judge Perkins was thar, jolly as
aschool boy on the last day of school.
he was hoidin of the stakes and his
pockets were crammed full of green
backs. He was pooty good friend of
me, and he couldn't conceive what in
ihunder was bettin on.
and confdentially like, q creased pigs
tail is pooty slippery thing to build
hopes on.n -
"Neyer mind, judge ses I, "witheut
thetailpulls out the hogsnd ] are a gwine
10 split the same current of air for the
next half hour reckon" and with that
Il moved over to whar the pig was
standin listenin to all that was gwine
on. fooled around him a little until
got betwixt him and the crowd, and
when he topped his tail over as ! was
'tellinsye Imsde one desperate lunge,
and I'll swan made 60 of it the first
time; + just hauld the end through
while he was turnin round, and grabbin
hold above my hand rolled it down into
the tightest knot you ever sot eyes on.
The knot was about two inches from the
end Of the tail, and ne moved around SO
aerned lively that no person could see
1t. The crowd allowt d l was hangin on
=. the strait tail and they didn't know
what 70 make Of it anyhow.
- guess I've got ,yenow for sar'
tain," ses TO myself. 81 It's only a
question: Of endurance, as the ga! said
when she had the flea under The hot
nat iron." The gate was open and the
pig pointed for It, and away we went,
pig fust and j arter.a-He ran between
Hne legs OF Old mother Shehon, the fruit
Woman, Just asSshe was comm through
hos ae gs1eway with basket of apples on
nsr arm; didn't like hoistin the old
woman out had no choice bat to fol-
ler where ne led. The money was up.
you see, and was bound to stay by the
nog anyhow till he gin out. As the ral
ses ~ the Scriptures, awhere tbou
goest CO." muttered. and. duck;n
my head, ! follered him. She hollersd
sno the crowd hooted, and the younes.
en went for the scattered apples lie
pigeons for peas, but the pip and kent
ngnt on. Now and agin he'd dauhIs
&C.. occa lorasds the crowd and, they'd
tsnesa soatterin every which way.
Cup. cpn on each Others. feet. Silss,
| n.S tne old man-ofwars-m man. stcn.
st,u.t % on !: Fat crone's bunion, and he
tSsy .ans nun !. welt across the jaw and