The Pulaski citizen. [volume] (Pulaski, Tenn.) 1866-current, 1880-07-29
FLIES, FROGS AND SNAKES
Some Of the Evil Effects that Follow
over-Indulgence in Ken
lucky Bourbon.


Not long after the Sun printed
Frank Wilkeson's account of the
frontier dipsomaniac who, to ties
his ability to conquer his passion
for liquor, shut himself up in ;
lonely cabin with a jug of poisoned
whisky beside him, and YVES founC
dead next day by friends who camt
to look for him, several of the emf
nent gentlemen who gather every
Sunday in the big rotunda of The
Gait House were talking of tn,
story.
al never knew but one man,
said the Colonel, "who, having al
over mastering mania for liquor
was really cured Of it, and that " a,
Asa Bayard. Most of you are &C
quainted with him, Pm sorry t
say, for since he stopped drinking
he plays a most astonishing game
of poker"
Did none of you ever hear o.
how Asa was cured? He told it tC
me one day when 1 happened tc
ask him how he broke his leg-you
know he walks lame. You hayen't
heard it? Not that any of you
needs the moral; but the story Is
instructive, and I'll tell it so that
the Major can make use of it the
next time he runs tor congress and
goes in for the Sunday law.
casa and L were walking down
Third street as 1 asked the ques-
ton. How'd l break my leg? said
he Its solemn experience,
Colonel, surely
eve were on our way to the
room, and, as The other three hadn't
come yet, Asa pensively shuffied
the cards and continued-Tll Try to
tell the story just as he did.
"1'd been drInkin' harder'n usu-
al that month. said Asa, and went
Into the Willard Hotel one evening
to brace Up with one square drink,
meaning afterward to knock off for
while, at any rate. Jimmie poured
out a tumblel full before l raised my
finger. ''Take out that fly, jim
mie," said l. "There's no fly there,
Asa" said he, looking at me a kind
of curious.
81 looked at Jimmie and then at
the ticker, and then l put the tum-
bier down. "Reckon I'll go with
out it tonight, Jimmie" said L.
81 went straight to my room. 1t
was up in the third story, and
looked out on the back court. l
must ha' got to sleep right off, for
l don't remember nothing more till
l woke up by hearing a queer noise
on the stairs. 1t was like the noise
of ten thousand little canes tap
ping on the foot boards. Well, l
opened wide my eyes, but it was as
dark in that room as Clarence Prem
tice used to say it was when he went
down in the bottomless pit at Nam
moth Cave.
"'All of a sudden, an you may
not believe me, but the door opened
and that room was as light as
though there was a million suns a
shinin', exceptin' that it was a
steady light and didn't dazzle. L
sorter raised up on nv elbow, and
bless me if there didn't come a
marchin' into the room q brass
band, and the musicians wasn't none
of EN- taller'n my little finger. Fol
lerin' the musicians was an officer
on horseback no bigger'n the play
ers, and the horse small accordIn'.
Behind him come a marChin' in ii
company of little soldiers. They
marched and they marched, while
| was lookin' at 'em all the time,
until they filed opposite my bed.
: hen the Colonel, he got off his
horse, an you may not believe me,
but as soon as he struck the floor
he began to grow and grow till he
was as much as eight feet tall. l
kept a watchin' him all the time till
he stepped up on my bed and put
his finger in his vest pocket and
took out string. Then he fetched
out screw from his pants pocket
and screwed it in the ceilin' over
his head. Then he stepped down
on the floor again and took one O.
them little soldiers by the nape O
the neck and tied one end O. the
string around his neck and the 9th
er to the screw in the ceilin' and
left him danglin' there. Then he
stepped down again, and Pm liar
if, as soon as he touched the floor,
he didn't begin smaller and smaller
till he wasn't no bigger'n be was
before. Then he says, Forward
marchr and the band began
TO play, and the soldiers marched
out toward the door.
"'You may not believe me, but /
kept a watcnin' him all the time
without sayil' word. But l
couldn't help nOticin' one little sol
dier who was a watchin' me and
was in the front rank. He was on
the outside, and after the Colonel
got out the door he just fell back
one file at time till be and me was
alone.
"'He drew back to the side of my
bed, and says he: ASA, put down
your foot"
Bd1o NOUAA wv anu Viz
little cuss got a-sJraddle of it. Nov
lift up, Asa" says he.
~ lifted my foot up In bed and
the little soldier runs up to my ear.
ASA" says he, confidential, did
you see what the Colonel did to
that msn?" Yes says l, II was
a watchin' of him all the time"
''Well, says he. CASA. I'm the only
friend you've got among all these
and Pm a telling you the
honest truth. That Coloners a.
comm back in a mint, an he's a
goin' to serve you in the same
way.
You may believe / was scared.
But what must j dor" says l.
You must get right out of that
window" says he.
"'rhat was all till woke up two
or three hours after, aud DIR. Dave