Lincoln County advocate. (Canton, Dakota Territory, [S.D.]) 1876-1877, 1877-01-17
"Can you BUILD a pen,

sent him OF after tools and materials,
having the pig tied to tree by one
leg. My family gathered about the
new conner and viewed him with deep
interest. He was q little fellow, but
healthy, as was proved by the capacity
of his lungs. ~
Mercyl" cried Susan, what a
noise he makes. He must be hungry,
James," Susan's experience with
babies encouraged her to this con-
clusion.
"I know what'll make more noise
than that" said my Fred, with roguish
twinkle in his eyes.
"What is it?" asked, to encourage
my son.
1.-TWO more pigs" said Fred.
When came home at night the pig
was fast asleep in his pen on heap of
straw, and felt quite a pride in him.
I had secret hopes of my own in regard
to him, though I did not impart them
to Susan. He cost only $2-that is,
per Sc. The pen cost about $40 more;
and Peters fare brought the sum total
up to $14.S3.
watched the growth of our porker
with a high degree of interest. The
swillpail always stood by the side of the
wood-house door, and, though it was
not an agreeable object in an aesthetic
point of view, I could not for some
time get over a vexatious kind of curl
osity as to it's contents. I found some
strange things in it sometimes-viewed
as articles of food; one of Fred's boots,
for instance, or pair of scissors, or 8
teaspoon. Once when I found silver
fork in the swill, I demonstrated with
the servant girl-a stupid German
creature, who had succeeded to our in
telligent Bridget when the latter got
married. =.
ut is not so much that I care for the
silver, Kathrine," said I. "but don't
want the porker choked to death in his
prime"
My wife discharged Kathrine, in an
impatient moment, soon after this, be-
cause the girl threw into the swill-pail
four quarts Of rich cream covered
milk that had been procured with
great trouble from the country, to
make a prize pudding for dinner
party that I gave to some of my
friends. Kathrine WAS pure city-bred,
and had never seen such milk before
in her life; she supposed it spoiled, and
into the swill.pail it went.
We had our porker about month,
and he had grown with marvellous eel.
Gritty. The condition of things in my
back garden occupied large share of
my attention; for though small, it had
been literally stocked and diligently
cared for, and there was quite arivalry
between my neighbor Jones and myself
in this matter. Jones boosted of very
superior erudition in these things, and
being q gentleman Of leisure he had
more time to look after them than
had; but I struggled hard not to be dis
tanced. There was no disputing the
point Of jones' Isabellas being rather
ahead of mine, but in most respects
felt myself his peer.
September showed our garden rich
with an abundance of tomatoes, cab
bages, onions, beets, beans, and so on
while the apple tree, the two plum trees
and the grape-vines hung heavy witt
their load.
One day our porker got out of hi
pen, and went roofing around the gar
den with a tumultous exercise of hi
freedom. OF course these women neve
saw him; it was washing day, believe
The havoc he had made by the time
came home at night was thrilling tt
witness. Nobody could tell how lon,
he had been out of his pen; but judging
by the devastation I witnessed he mus
have been out since morning. Tenny
sons verse in Maud may give a fain
Indication of my emotions, as l stoot
in the back-door that evening:
" The roots of my hair have stirred 4
And my pulses closed their gates with
shock on my heart"
There was nothing to do now, how
ever, but to put him back in the pen
As he had grown, the porker had de
veloped very ugly expression Of coun
tenance, and as I looked at him nov
with his tushes protruding in 8 mos
villainous way, confess it was not s
cheerful sight for timid man. How
ever, I got big stick and went at him
with loud "shoos" and extravagan
Furnishings of my weapon. He eyec
me quietly out of his vicious little on
tics, and whisked his tail defantly.
soon found there was no driving hin
back to the pen. He lodged me in tn,
most exasperating manner. He doublet
, and twisted in a way to set at naugh
all my calculations. I was no mattel
for him. Jones came out while I wa
exercising myself with the porker, ant
laughed at me over the fence.
"You don't 90 at it the right way
, Dobb," said he.
perhaps you'd Ike to try it your
} self, Mr.. JONES'" I said, with some dig
nifty of manner and very red face.
"Take him by the TAIL" said Jone
calmly in reply. sect his nose Anne,
toward the pen and then pull his tail
The more you pull one way the NOR,
i, he'll pull the other, and he'll be in tn
pen before you know it."
Susan, who was standing on the bacl
steps looking at me, laughed so hearth,
) at this, that felt quite good hunore,
again, and asked Jones to come owe
, and give us the benefit of his superio
wisdom. After little banter, and tn
handing of a splendid cluster of Isabel
las to Susan, he climbed the fence.
"Now, Dobb," said Jones, "we'll form
!; aline-you and and Mrs. Dodd and tn
servant girl"
II beg to be excused, Mr.. JONES'
laughed Susan, with timid glance q
the poker.
"My dear madam" said Jones, gal
lantly, "there's no danger at all. I an
quite in earnest, I assure you. 1t is
pigs nature to yield to -oFerwhelmin,
numbers. We have only to form a lin,
and close down upon him in sort O
crascent and ha Mill niuo ~, 4La .,4.,,o.