The interior journal. [volume] (Stanford, Ky.) 1872-1881, 1876-06-09
rghof ~ Horseshoe Eid.


While walking up Broadway last
evening Mr.. Maguffin picked up near
Bond street horseshoe which lie car
ried home and hung over the inner side
Of the boarding house door. After
dinner the horseshoe was fruitful
source of discussion among the board.
ers. Mr.. Magruder, with characters
tic impetuosity, expressed his belief
in all forms of superstition.
you shouldn't call these things
mere superstition said Mr.. Magru.
der. "IIcar me--beforc / came to
New York when dwelt in Eagleville
there lived in the same town man
named John Snortwell. Snortwell
was young farmer in small way,
with a little farm and house, a few
pigs, horse, n COW, and wife aud
baby. What he made in year would
not pay your board here for a month,
but he was contented and happy.
One day, while walking home from
the store, Mr.. Snortwell found horse
shoe in the road, and took it home and
hung il OH nail over the door for
luck, and thought no more about IT.
About week after he found the
horseshoe, the baby had measles
enough for whole family, aud Mrs.
Snortwell tripped on the doorsill and
broke her .kpeepan. The next day
the roof of the pig sly fell in and kill
ed all the pigs, and somebody stole
the cow-and while Mr.. Snortwell
was driving to find the Sheriff his
horses leg was broken. The very next
morning, as Snortwell was splitting
kindlings to heat some medicine for
the baby, the axe slipped AM cut of
one of his toes; aud all this together;
as you can readily understand, LETT
the family with just about as much of
a show for getting along comfortably
as a man falling over a precipice with
his pocket full of nitroglycerine car
tridges would have.
Zone day Col. Horace Featherstock
who was known as the fighting editor,
but who really was as kind-hearted a
gentleman as ever lived, dropped in
to see how the Snortwells were get
ting along, say something bracing and
CHEEKY, and quietly leave few stamps
on the shelf without posting it upon
the house after he went. When the
Colonel was ready to 60 his eyes fell
ON the iron shoe over the door, and
said he:
He'll! What are you doing with
that muleshoe here?'
"Wha-at?" said Snortwell, raising
in bed.
"What you got that muleshoe hang
ing up here for?"
"You don't mean to tell me that
amt a horseshoe, Colonel
Horseshoe be-" said the Colo
mel, chats a muleshoe!"
"Snortwell jumped out on the floor,
grabbed the shoe, and threw it cut OF
the house with a force that carried it
threw window on the opposite side
of the way. Then he bolted out and
went out ripping and l'aring and tear
ing up and down the streets of Eagle
vile till everybody thought the man
was crazy; but he knew what he was
ebout, and he kept slashing up one
street and down the other, with his
eyes on the ground all the time, and
about half an hour after he started,
the man that followed him on horse
back to see that he didn't jump into
the river, saw him stoop and pick up
something. This time he'd got real
horseshoe, and he made for home and
hung the shoe over the door.
II suppose, Magruder, that you'll
boot at the idea that what followed
had anything to do with finding of the
true horseshoe, but give it to you as
ground-hoor fact, that within q
month the baby had got well, Mrs.
/. SnortwelPs kneepan was alright, the
COW came home, the neighbors bought
, him a horse aud some pigs. and Snort
|, wells toe grew on mean, healed uF
, and he was getting along better
than ever. Snortwell is one of the
wealthiest men in the State of Ar
kansas.