The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1873-03-14
FRENoNT sANpUsKY COUNTY,. OHIO: FRIDAY MARCH n I873

l W NOOh az (Ou u Juluh NC WISH b
worth cent but to sit around and
look ornery, and lay for chance to
steal something. But as soon as the
money was put up on him he was a
a different dog; his under jaw'd be-
gin to stick out like the fo'castle of
a steamboat, and his teeth would un-
cover, and shine savage like the fur
naees. And a dog might tackle him,
and bullyrag him, and bite him, and
throw him over his shoulders two or
three times, and Andrew Jackson
which was the name of the pup
would never let on but he was salts
fed, and hadn't expected nothing
else-and the bets being doubled
land doubled on the other side all
1.-THE time, till the money was all up;
land then all ola sudden he would
Igrab the other dog jest by the Jint
lof his hind leg and freeze to it, not
lchaw, you understand, but only jest
lgrip and hang on till they throwed
Iup the sponge, if it vas a year. Smi-
Hey always come out winner on that
Ipup, till he harnessed a dog once
THAT didn't have no hind legs, be-
Icause they'd been sawed of by a
Icircular saw, and when the thing
had gone along about far enough,
land the money was all up, and he
came to make snatch for his pet
holt, he saw in a mintue that he'd
Ibeen imposed on, and the other dog
had him in the door, so to speak,
land he 'peared surprised, and then
The looked sorter discouraged like,
land didn't try to win the fight, and
he got shucked out bad. He gave
Smiley l2ok, as much as to say his
heart was broke and it was his fault,
Iputting up dog that had no hind
llegs for him to take hold of, which
was his main dependence in Alright,
land then he limped off piece, and
laid down and died. It was a good
ipup, was that Andrew Jackson, and
would have made name for himself
lif he'd lived, for the stuff was in him
and he had genius; I know it, be-
cause he hadn't any opportunities
to speak of, and it don't stand to
reason that dog could make such
a fight as he could under the circum-
stances if he hadn't no talent. It
always makes me feel sorry. when 1
think of that last fight of his'n and
the way it turned out
Well, this yer Smiley had rat tar
riers and chicken cocks, and all them
kind of things, till you couldu'trest,
and you couldn't fetch anything to
bet on but what he'd match you.
He ketched frog one day and took
him home, and said he cal'klated to
edercate him; and so he never done
any thing for three months but sit
in his back yard and learn that frog
tOjump. He'd give him little
punch behind, and the next minute
you'd see that frog whirling in the
air like doughnut-see him turn
one summersault, or maybe a couple
if he got a good start, and come
down flat-footed like a cat. He got
him up so in the manner of catching
flies, and kept him in practice 80
constant, that he'd nail a fly every
time as far as he could see him.
smiley said all a frog wanted was
education, and he could do most
anything; and I believe him. Why,
I've seen him set Dan'l Webster
down here on this 1oor-Dan'l Web
ster was the name of the frog-and
sing out, "Flies, Dan'l, fliesr' and
quicker'n you could wink, he'd
spring up, and snake a fly off'n the
counter then flop down on the floor
again as solid as a COB of mud, and
fall to scratching the sides of his
head with his hind foot as indi fferent
as if he hadn't no idea he'd been do
| ing any more than any other frog
might do. You never see a frog so
modest and straight for'ard as he
was, for all he was so gifted. And
when it come to fair and square
jumping on a dead level, he could
get over more ground at one strad-
die than any animal of his breed
you ever see. Jumping on a dead
level was his strong suit, you un-
derstand; and when it comes to that
Smiley would ante up money on
him as long as he had red. Smiley
was monstrous proud of this frog,
and well he might be, for fellers that
had travelled and been everywhere
all said that he laid over any frog
they ever see.
Well, Smiley kept the beast in a
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-eome across him with his
box, and says:
"What might it be that you've got
in that boxP
And Smiley says, sorter indiffer-
ent-like:
at might be q parrot, or it might
be canary, maybe, but it ain't-it's
only jest a frog"
And the fellow took it, and looked
at it careful, and turned it round
this way and that, and says. "Hum
so tits. Well what's he good for"
"Well," Smiley says, easy and
careless, she's good for one thing
should judge-he can out jump any
frog in CalaVeras county"
The feller took the box again, and
took another long particular look
and give it back to Smiley, and says,
very deliberate, "well, l don't see no
pints about that frog that's better'n
any other frog"
"Maybe you DON'T" Smiley says.
'Maybe you understand frogs, and
maybe you don't; maybe you've had
experience, and maybe you amt on
ly a amature as it were. Any ways,
I've oOt NV ODiniOn. and PlI risk