The Bloomfield times. [volume] (New Bloomfield, Pa.) 1867-187?, 1873-12-23
Gbe Gnnes, Nep Bloonrtlelo, 1la.

"-SAA 'NAo OA'nB h"u Boho dlOuB lar enOuBn
and the money was all up, and he come to
make a snatch for his pet holt he saw in
minute how he'd been imposed on, and
how the other dog had him in the door, SO
to speak, and he 'peared surprised, and
then he looked sorter discouraged like, and
didn't try no more to win the fight, and SO
he got shucked out bad. He give Smiley
look, as much as to say his heart was
broke, and it was his fault, putting up
dog that hadn't no hind legs for him to
take hold of, which was his main depend
ence in fight, and then he limped off
piece, and laid down and died.
1t was good pup, was that Andrew
jackson, and would have made name for
hisself if he'd lived for the stuff was in
him, and he had genius; / know it, be-
cause he hadn't had any opportunities to
speak of, and it don't stand to reason that
a dog could make such fight as he could
under the circumstances if he hadn't no
talent. 1t always makes me feel sorry
when think of that last fight of his'n, and
the way it turned out.
Well, this yer Smiley had rat tarriers
and chicken cocks, and all them kind of
things, till you couldn't rest, and you
couldn't fetch nothing for him to bet on
but he'd match you. He ketched frog
one day and took him home, and said he
cal'klated to edercate him and so he new
er done nothing for three months but sit
in his back yard and learn that frog to
jump. And you bet he did learn him to.
He'd give him little punch behind, and
the next minute you'd see that frog whrl-
ing in the air like doughnut--see him
turn one summerset, or maybe couple, if
he got good start, and come down flat
footed and all right like cat
He got him up in the matter of catching
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 frog
wanted was education, and he could do
most anything and believe him. Why,
I've seen him set Dan'l Webster down
here on this floor-Dan'l Webster was the
name of the frog-and sing out, "Fles
Dan'l flies ~ and quicker'n 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 been doing any more
than any other frog might do.
You never see frog so modest and
straightfor' ard as he was, for all he was so
gifted. And when it came to fair and
square jumping on dead level, he could
get over more ground at one straddle than
any animal of his breed you ever see.
Jumping on dead level was his strong
suit, you understand and when it comes
to that, Smiley would ante up money on
him as long as he had red. Smiley was
monstrous proud of his frog, and we'll he
might be, for fellows that had travelled and
been everywhere all said he laid over any
frog that ever they see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in little
box, and he used to fetch him down town
and lay for bet. One day a feller-a
stranger in the camp, he was-come across
him with his box, and says:
"What might it be that you've got in
that box?"
And Smiley says sorter Indifferent like
" 1t might be a parrot, or it might be
canary, maybe, but it ain't-it's only just
frog"
And the feller took it and looked at it
careful and turned it round this way and
that, and says "H'm! so it's. Well
what's he good for 90
"Well," Smiley says, easy and careless,
"he's good enough for one thing, should
judge-he can outjump airy frog in Calav-
eras County"
The feller took the box again, and took
another long, particular look, and gave it
back to Smiley, and says, very deliberate {:
"Well, don't see no p'ints about that
frog that's any better'n any other frog
"Maybe you don't" Smiley says.
"Maybe you understand frogs, and maybe
you don't understand 'em; maybe you've
had experience, and maybe you amt only
an amateur as it were. Anyways, I've got
my opinion, and I'll risk forty dollars that
he can outjump any frog in Calaveras
County.
An the fellow studied minute, and
then says, kinder sad like, "Well, am
only stranger here, and amt got no
frog but if l had a frog I'd bet you"
And then Smiley says, "That's all
right--that's all right if you'll hold my