The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1873-03-19

ABOUT, always bettlng on anything
that turned up yon ever see, if he
could get anybody to bet on the other
side; and if he couldn't he'd change
: sides ANY way that suited the
| ether man would suit him--any way
just SOS he got bet, he was satisfied
But still he was lucky, uncommon
: lucky: he almost always come out
winner. He was ALWAYS ready and
laying for a chance; there couldn't
be no solitary thing mentioned but
that felIer'd offer to bet on it, and
take any side you please, as was
Just telling you. If there was a
horse race, you'd find him flush or
you'd find him busted at the end of it,
if there was dog fight he'd bet on it,
if there was chicken fight, he'd bet
on it; if there was cat fight he'd bet
on it, why, if there was two birds set
ting on fence, he'd bet on which one
would fly first; or ifthere was camp
meeting, he would be there reg Tar, to
bet on Parson Walker, which he
Judged to be the best exborter about
hero-and so he was too, and good
man. If he even saw straddlebug
start to go anywhere, be would bet
YOU how long it would take him to
get where he was going to, and If
YOU took him up he would follow that
straddle-bug to Mexico, but what he
would find out where he was bound
for, or how long he was on the road
Lots of the boys here has seen that
Smiley, all can tell YOU about him.
Why. il never made no difference to
hini-he would bet on anything-the
dangest feIIer Parson Walkers wife
/ laid very sick once, for a good while,
and it seemed as if they warn't going
to save her But one morning he
come in and Smiley asked how she
was, and she was considerable bet
ter-thank the Lord for his infinite
merey-and coming on so smart that,
with the blessing Of Providence she'd
get well yet; and Smiley, before
thought SAYS: Well I'll risk two
and half that she don't anyway.
This yer Smiley had a mare-thc
boys called her the fifteen minute nag,
but that was only in fun you know,
because of course she was faster than
that-and he used to win money on
that horse for all she was so slow,
and always had the asthma, or the
distemper or the consumption, or
something of the kind They used to
give her two or three hundred yards |
start, and then pass her under way:
but always at the end of the race
she'd get excited and desperate like, |
and come cavorting and straddling
up, and scattering her legs around |
timber, sometimes out to one side |
among the fences, and kicking up |
more dust and raising more racket |
with her coughing and sneezing and |
blowing her nose-and always fetches |
up at the end just about a neck ahead,
asnear as you could cipher it down.
And he had little small bull pup.
that to look at him you'd think he
wasn't worth cent but to set around 4
and look ornery, and lay for chance
to steal something; but he was a diff
ferent dog; his under jaw'd begun to
stick out like the fo'castle of steam
boat, his teeth would uncover, and
shine savage like the furnaces. And
dog might tackle him, and bully
rag him, and bite him, and throw
him over his shoulder two or three
times, and Andrew jackson, which
was the name of the pup-Andrew
Jackson would never let on but he
was satisfied, 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 be
would grab the other dog jist by the
jint of his hind leg and freeze to it,
not chaw, you understand. but only
jest grip and hang on till they throw
ed up the sponge, if il was year.
Smiley always come ont winner on
that pup, till he harnessed 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 snatch
for his pet holt, he saw in a minute
how he'd been imposed on, and now
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 chucked out
bad. He give Smiley a look, as
much as to say his heart was broke,
and it was has fault, putting up a
dog that hadn't no hind legs for him
to take hold of, which was his main
dependence in fight, and then he
limped off a piece, and laid down and
died. 1t was a 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, because he hadn't
had and opportunities to speak of, /
any it don't stand TO reason that a
dog could make such a 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, thisyer Smiley had rat-tar-
riers, 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 be cal'klatcd to
edercate him; and SO he never done
for three months but sit in
his back yard and learn that frog TO
Jump. And you bet he did learn him
too. He'd give him little punch
behind him, and the next minute you'd I
see that frog whirling in the air like
a doughnut-see him turn one sum-,
merset or may be couple, if he got
a start, and come down flat-footed ;
and all right like cat. He got him
so up in the matter of catching flies
and kept him in practice so constant,
that he'd nail a fly every time as fer
as he could see him. Smiley said all {
a frog wanted was education, and he {
could do most anything, and believe {