The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1878-03-23
Grandfather Lickshingle,s Stories.

AiChSlIInSle'S StOrleSs
ONE evening, when the family were
seated about the fire, grandfather called
the children together and said:
My little chicks, this cold, crisp,
hog-killlng weather reminds me of
something | feel l should not carry
down to the grave with me. 1t is
story OF large pork. / am reminded of
it more forcibly by your father sitting
there In the corner reading the paper.
Before going out this morning to kill
his hogs he told me he had some of the
largest pork ever butchered in this
country. One of these hogs, he said,
would kick the beam at 800 pounds.
Compared with some | have fattened,
it is mere shoat. was considered
the greatest hog-raiser of my time. |
raised your father. Therefore do not
think it is meet that he should tell me
anything about the business. For the
information of a certain person | will
tell you of two hogs / fattened in the
fall of seventeen hundred and some
thing. Perhaps it will take some con-
ceit out of a certain person, although |
suspect he could lose great deal and
never miss it.. These hogs were of the
Durham breed. | paid seventy dollars
in gold for them when they were a
week old. | fed them in my own way,
and when they were q year old they
were as large as horses. These enormous
hogs partook very much of the nature
of horses, and acted very much as if
they wanted to be hitched up to the
wagon and allowed to work. They
wouldn't associate with ordinary hogs,
they were so large, and your father,
who was then q small boy, could not
get near them. | had to attend to them
myself. was not long in finding out
that they were heavy draft hogs and
would probably be valuable on the
farm. One day I'put the harness on
them, they seemed to crave it so much,
and was not a little astonished to see
them march out to the empty wagon
and take places on each side of the
tongue. | hooked them up and started
off. They were a little frisky at the
start, and the off hog kicked over the
traces few times, but as soon as they
got warmed up they cooled down, so to
speak. Then they went along like an
old team. Pull? Why, children, those
hogs could draw a heavier load than
any team of horses in the country. |
used to take them to lodgings and they
would drag the stuffing out of any two
horses or mules on the grounds. Trot?
You ought to have seen them trot. The
nigh hog was trifle stiff in the shoulder
from bad cold, but they could make
their mile to a heavy farm wagon in
three minutes. The off hog was the
little flyer, though. Oh, how that wretch
could go! used to hook him up in a
single harness, and there wasn't nag
in the State that could touch him with
a forty-foot pole. He could make his
mile in 2:30 without skip or jump.
Under the saddle he racked like streak
of lightning and as easy as a stuffed
rockingham. Oh, l tell you he was a
daisy! A gentleman named George
Washington, the father of his country,
offered me 5000 in gold for him. He
said he wanted him for his wife to ride.
He would make splendid palfrey for
a lady, but knew if he kept on grow
ing he would bring more money than
that as fresh pork. l quit driving the
hogs soon after that and put them up
to fatten. | fed them six months and
butchered them. How much do you
suppose they dressed? Have no idea,
of course. | trust your father will I'M
derstand me when | say these hogs
dressed $500 pounds each. Pork was
worth twenty cents a pound then, so
you see this S00-pound shoat, at three
cents pound, which was murdered to-
day, doesn't amount to shucks. In my
day it would have been regarded as a
wicked sin to kill such Il poor little in
nocent pig"
Grandfather fell asleep, and mamma
turned to papa and asked: ado you
really believe that George Washington
offered to buy that ridiculous hog for
Martha to ride on?"
Father said he didn't see why not.
Grandfather said so, and, besides, hog
that could make his mile in 2:30 was
something not picked up every day.
Even if it could not trot a mile in six
weeks, and he reckoned that was about
its gait, it was good enough for wom-
an to gallop to death.-OU City Derrick.