St. Tammany farmer. [volume] (Covington, La.) 1874-current, 1881-07-30

grass south OF CnlcaSo, near Wnere
Drexel Boulevard comes into South
park, thinking of my hard luck and
wishing that my future might be
more prosperous than my past.
"That locality was tien a bowling
wilderness compared with what it
is now, aid where to-day the beauti-
ful drives and walks are so inviting
there was nothing then but prairie
and swamp, and here and there a
scrub oak tree.
Chicago was stirring Western
city then, but she was young and
small. She had not then accumu-
lated the fabulous wealth of new
and peculiar metropolitan odors
which she now enjoys, and in place
of the rich fructifying fragrance of
the stock y..rds there was nothing
there but the wild honeysuckle and
the dead horse.
"Out where some of the most
beautiful residences now stand thei e
was nothing but the dank thistle
nodding in the wind or tirid picnic
humble bee hanging on the autumn
bough and yearning to be gathered
by the small boy.
CAS- l sat there in the long ago,
and, shrouded in the September
haze, was dreaming of fortunate
future for myself, l heard the muf
fled tread of innumerable feet draw
ing nearer and nearer to me. The
sound was like the football of regi-
ment of infantry approaching. and
l rose to see what was the cause.
81 had not long to wait. for very
soon there hove in sight a very
singular spectacle. First came a
large Illinois hog at the head of q
large column Of Illinos hogs, all
marching Indian fashion, and grunt-
ing with that gentle, placid grunt
which the hog carries with him.
On closer examination into the
singular phenomenon saw that all
the hogs, except the leader, were
blind, each animal having MS prede
cessor's tail in his mouth through
out the long line, consisting OF
13, ,521 unfortunate sightless hogs,
cheerfully following their leader
toward water.
Il was never so struck with the
wonderful instinct of the brute crea-
ton in my life, and my eyes filled
with tears when / saw the childlike
faith and confidence of each blind
animal following with implicit trust
the more fortunate guide.
"Soon, however, a great, dazzling
three-cornered idea worked its way
into my intellect. Dashing away
my lille tears, l drew my revolver
and shot off the leaders tail, leaving
the long line Of disconnected and
aimless hogs III the middle of a
broad prairie, with no guide but
the dephlogisticated tail of hog
who was then three quarters of a
mile away.
Then I stole up, and taking the
CORY tail in my hand, / led the
trust phalanx down to the stock
yards and sold the outfit at eight
cents live weight.
"This was the start of my dazzling
career as capitalist, career which
l now point to with pride. Thus
from poor boy with one suspender
and sore toe I have risen to be
one of our leading business mon,
known and respected by all, and,
by industry and economy. and bor-
rowing my chewing tobacco, l have
come to be Que of our solid men,"
When Brother Holcombe ceased
to speak there was painful silence
of perhaps five minutes, and then
Brother Woodtick Williams moved
that the rules be suspended and
that Brother Holcombe be declared
the unanimous choice of the Order
for Most Noble Prevaricator, to
serve till 1882.