Fayette County herald. [volume] (Washington [Washington Court House], Fayette County, O. [Ohio]) 1860-1???, 1878-11-14


to go putty much as he said. He was a
good deal sot by, Parson Williams was,
and his wife was a Derby, and one O.
'em rich Salem Derbys, and brought him
lot O. money, and so they lived putty
easy and comfortable so far as this worlds
goods goes. WeA, now, the Parsen wasn't
really what you call worldly-mtnded. but
then he was one o. them folks that knows
what's good in temporals as well as spir-
ituals, and liked to have the best that there
was goin', and he alters had an eye to
good hoss.
'FNow, there was Parson Adams and
Parson Scranton, and most of the other
ministers, they didn't know and didn't
care what hoss they he'd; jest logged
round with these 'ere poundin', pot-bel-
lied, sleepy critturs that ministers mostly
hes, good enough to crawl round to funer-
ais and minister's meetin's and associa-
tiOns and SIGH, but Parson Williams he
alters would hev hoss as was hoss; he
looked out for blood, and when these 'ere
Vermont fellers would come down with a
drove, the Parson he he'd his eyes open
and knew what was what. Couldn't none
of 'em cheat him on hoss-fesh; and so
one time when Buel was down with
drove, the doctor he bought the best horse
in the lot. Zach said he never seen
parsOn afore that he couldn't cheat, but
he said the doctor reelly knew as much
as he did, and got the very one he'd
meant to "a kept for himself.
This 'ere hoss was peeler, I'll tell
you. They called him Tamerlane, from
some heather feller or other; the boys
called him Tam, for short. Tam was a
great character. All the fellers for miles
round knew the DOCTORS Tam and used to
come clear over from the other parishes
to see him.
oval this 'ere sot up Cuffs back high,
tell you. Cuff was the doctors Niger
man, and he was nat'lly drefful proud
crit ur, The way he would swell and
strut and brag about the doctor and his
folks and his things! The doctor used to
give Cuff his cast-of clothes, and Cuff
would prance round in 'em and seem to
think he was a doctor of divinity himself,
and had the charge of all natur'.
''Well, Cuff, he RELY made an idol o.
that 'ere hoss, regular craven image,
and bowed down and worshipped him; he
didn't think nothin' was too good for him
he washed and brushed and curried him,
and rubbed him down till he shone like
lady's satin dress; and he took pride in
ridin' and drivin him, cause it was what
the doctor wouldn't let nobody else do but
himself. You see, Tam warn't no lady's
hoss. Miss Williams was 'fraid as death
of him, and the parson he he'd to git her
sort O. low sperited crittur that she could
drive herself, but he liked to drive Tam ,and
he liked to ride round the country on his
back, and fine figure of aman he was on
him, too. He didn't let anybody else back
him or handle the reins but Cuff, and Cuff
was dreful set up about it, and he swell
ed and Dragged about that ar hoss all
round the country. Nobody couldn't put
in q word, bout any other hoss without
Cuffs feathers would be all up stiff as
tom turkeys tail, and that's how Cuff got
the doctor into trouble.
eye see there nat'lly was others that
thought they'd got hosses, and didn't
want to be crowed over. There was Bill
Atkins, out to the West parish, and Ike
Sanders, that KEEP a stable up to Pequot
Holler; they were down a-lookin' at the
parsons horse, and bettin' on their'n,
and a-darin Cuff to race with 'em.
''Well, Cuff couldn't stand it,and when
the doctors back was turned he'd be off
on the sly, and they'd hev their race; and
Tam, he beat 'em all. Tam, We see, boys,
was hoss that couldn't and wouldn't
hev hoss ahead of him-he jest soouIdn't.
| Eff he dropped down dead in his tracks
the next minute, he would be ahead, and
so his name got up; and fellows KEEP
comm to try their hosses, and Cuff 'ud
take Tam out to race with first one and
then another till this 'ere got to be reg
| lar thing and began to be talked about.
''Folks sort o. wondered if the doctor
knew; but Cuff was sly as weasel, and
alters had a story ready for every turn.
Cuff was one of them fellers that could
talk bird off a atree-master hand he was
to slick things over.
"There was folks as said they believed
the doctor was knowin' to it, and that he
felt sort o. carnal pride, such as a min
lister oughtn't fer to hev, and so shet his
eyes to what was goin' on. Aunt Sally
Nickerson said she was sure on It; twas
all talked over down to old Miss Bummin-
) gers funeral, and Aunt Sally she said the
church ought to look into it. But every
body knew Aunt Sally, she was alters
watchin' folks haltings, and sittin' on
herself up to iedge her neighbors.
s'Wal, I never believed nothin' agir
Parson Williams; it was all Cuffs con-
trivance, but the fact was the fellers al
| got their blood up an there was hoss
| racin' in all the parishes, and 1t got 81
the'd even hev hoss-races on Sunday.
! 'EWal, of course, they never got th'
t doctors hoss out Sunday. Cuff woulC
= not burst do that, Lord massy, no! H
was alters there in church sit up in tn
a doctors clothes, rollin' up his eyes an
s looking as pious as eff he never though
o of racin' hosses; he was an awful sol
o emn-looking niger in church, Cuff was
: 'sBut there was lot O. them fellers u
o in Pequot HOller-Bin Atkins and TX
:, Sanders and Tom Peters and them He
It kun boys--used to go out arter meetir
d Sunday afternoons and race horses. 7
see, it was close to the State line, and
's the s'lectmen was to come down on ZEN
a they could just whip over the line, an
they couldn't take 'em.
t. oval, it got to be great scandal; IL
s. fellers talked about it up to the tavern
le and the deacons and tithingman they too
o. it up and went to Parson Williams abo'
ct it; and the parson he told 'em to kee
g still, not let the fellers know that the
was being watched, and the next Sunda
H. bo ord tho titI,inCman and the COnstab
lr they'd ride over and catch 'em in the ver
act.
IS $50 next Sunday afternoon farso