Knoxville journal. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1874-1986, 1874-07-09
A Shot at a Ground Hog.

A MILFORD (Pa.) correspondent of the
New York San tells how Geo. Taylor, OF
the New York City Press Association,
and Ed. Cahill of Park Row, came to
that place recently to fish for trout.
They were joined there by Ed, Quick and
Bub Wells, two professional rod-swingers.
On Monday they started for Dingman
Township to cast the fly. On the way
Taylor tried his $25 revolver on every
chipmunk he saw Pretty soon Cahill
shouted: /" Blazesl see that ground hog!
Let him have it, Taylor!"
"Hes beautyp' said Wells, and
Quick cried: Sweet Christmas, but amt
he fat?"
The animal was jogging along leisurely
across field. Taylor acted upon Cahilfs
suggestion and got out of the wagon to
shoot it, In his hurry he forgot to put
down his fish-pole and carried it in his
hand. In his other hand was his re
volver, ready cooked He gave chase to
watching him from his wagon, waiting to
see HIM kill the animal. 1t was pretty
one, all over white and black spots.
TAYLOR was bound to have its hide.
When he got within shooting distance he
went. His fish-poe ran about foot in
the ground and broke off. His pistol
went off and blew the whole roof out of
brand-new straw hat that he had pur-
chased for the occasion.
He was soon on his feet again, but the
ground hog had got to the other side OF
the field and sat by the side of hole,
evidently waiting for the anxious sports
man. Taylor caught up to within few
feet of his game and raised up to fire.
The ground hog suddenly turned his
white tail toward Taylor and disappeared
in the hole.
TAYLOR that instant knew he hadn't
brought enough Florida water with him
from the CITY, He knew he hadn't struck
a mint patch nor yet bed of roses. He
felt that it wasn't good to be there, and
he wanted to go home. In short, it came
across him by degrees that the boys
played skunk off on him for ground
hog He returned to the wagon and, re-
marking that the ground hog was too
quick for him, got in. Ed. Cahill put his
handkerchief to his nose. Ed. Quick
said he guessed he'd get out and walk a
way. Bub Wells thought he would, too.
Cahill said he promised to bring his wife
some elecampane root, and as that was a
good place to find it, he'd get out and
look for some. Taylor wouldn't ride
alone and made up his mind to walk with
the rest Cahill couldn't find any ele
campane root and got back in the wagon.
Quick and Wells got tired and jumped in
again. Taylor then thought he would
ride awhile. The boys began to think
the joke was as much on them as it was
on Taylor.
When they got to the creek Taylor oh.
iected to going in the woods for fear he
might get lost CahiIl told him to keep
half IA mile to the windward of them and
they would be sure to know where to find
him Taylor fished in Spring Brook
The trout wouldn't bite. They came TO
the surface and looked at his fly, but as
soon as they got their noses out of the
water they dove down and rubbed them
in the gravel Taylor got disguised and
went TO find his comrades. He came to
| them near Mother Jagger's, where they
stopped for dinner. Cahill took Taylor
| aside and said
Say, Taylor, we want to get some
thing to eat here. You mustn't go in
with u.s. or you'll kill the whole thing
| Wen eat first, then you come in. See?
Taylor was hungry and had to submit
Mother Jaeger got the boys up nice
dinner, They ate it at their leisure
Taylor sat on a log about hundred
yards from the house and whistled
Bury me under the violets." The boys
| finished their meal and went out. They
to. Taylor to get his dinner. He en-
tered Mother Jagger's kitchen and sal
down to the table. The old lady began
to sniff, and, kicking the old hound that
| lay by the stove, calculated
| Cit out, Ring! III kill that internal
critter yit. He's alters huntin' skunks.'
Ring "got out" Mrs. Jaeger poured
Taylor's coffee. Then she shifted again
| and looked under the table and on the
floor. Taylor fell TO eating. Mother
| Jaeger took down her horn spectacles
| earnestly at Taylor. Then she squeezed
| her nose together with her fingers and
| said:
bod rot be, blister, eff it amt you
Jist help yerself to eddything you wadtn
And Mrs. Jaeger sought the outside OF
| the house.
The party fished all day. They got
| back to Milford about tea time The
| piazza at Dimmick's was full of ladies
They all rushed out to see the trout. One
| by one they went back, remarking how
peculiarly balm-laden the zephyrs were
that morning. Taylor's wife said: oh
aren't they beautiful but what makes
them smell so, Georgey"
George said, "The creek in which they
| were caught is strongly impregnated
| with-aheml-wi hemlock, which gives
them peculiarly pungent flavor; but il
is destroyed by cooking. Cooking knocks
| It."
Strangers who visit Milford hereafter
may sec mound in the Dimmick Hotel
garden. Beneath it is suit of clothes.
1t Belonged TO George Taylor, He hunted
ground hog in it and destroyed its use
fulness. And so they laid it away.
A BosTog correspondent tells the fol-
lowing: Mark Twain, IN one of his ar
ticles, speaks of the lady who treasures a
precious slice of bread from which Dick
ems had taken bite This sounds like
the broadcast burlesque, but the following
anecdote, which Is literally true, and
illustrates many peoples foolish desire
for relics, shows that Twain was hardly
burlesquing in his essay. The last time
that Mr. Dickens was in this country he
I Il.