The south Kentuckian. [volume] (Hopkinsville, Ky.) 1879-1883, 1881-09-06
SAL 1AYToN's APPLE CUT.

They don't have apple cuts nova.
duys, like they did twenty years or
so ago, said the Sheriff, as lie peeled u
big greening with his jack knife and
threw the peelng OH the stove.
Apple-cuts, said Uncle Ira. They
don't have applc-cuts nor anything
else sensible these days. If the
young fellows that runs things now
can only cock fur cap on their
heads aud get u suit Of plaid clothes,
they're happy, and don't care for
such things as apple-culs. Unless il's
the juice OF The apple, continued
Uncle Ira, after a pause. And that
cuts some OF 'em up pretty bad,
oflcner than's good for 'em.
We usty hev bully good times TO-
them apple-cuts, Sheriff, said the old
Squire. Dance all night, sure, and
half lie next day ii the fiddler held
out. =.
| guess never told you about Sal
Layton's apple-cut, did | ? asked the
SboriG, dropping the core OF Ills apple
in the sleepy dog Csesars car.
llumph! grunted Uncle Ira. Heard
you tell II more'n a hundred times,
und you've told il so much that lin
blamed If don't think you bolleye it
yourself.
That story's cast iron fact, said
the Sheriff, and too good TO be lost.
III tell il again.
II there. wasn't snap In the boys Of
twenty-five years ago, this court
don't know itself, the Sheriff went
on. We never calculated to get left
when there was any fun going on,
und II We did you can make up your
mind that on that day the thermome-
ter was very low. We were always
ready for fight or a dance or sing.
ing-school, and came out particular
strong OH pr0tracled meetings.
There was dance about every night
from the time cold weather set in
until the canal opened in the spring
and we used to make the Pike county
woods just howl There was a fam
lily named Layton lived up in the
hills back o. Lackawack. The old
man had pried II piece OF ground out
from under the stones that protected
the sOil in that garden spot of the
township, and stuck shanty in one
corner OF it. The house was found
ed on rock. That rock, | believe
as much as can be. had an oni-crop-
ping in China. Owing to this rock,
Layton had to build his cellar about
forty rods away, by scooping a hole
in side hill and putting a door Of
beInlock slabs TO it.
Sal Layton was q nice girl. She
was the old mans only daughter, and
could cook slapjack or butcher a
pig with skill and grace. Sal had
big gawk of fellow by the name of
Rube Caikins. lie was terrible mus.
sy-one OF these lick my weight-in-
wildcats sort of fellows who always
want to clean out bar.rooms when
cver.they get outside of three drinks
of court-week whisky. | had Il side
partner named Reeves-Sid Reeves.
he was a team. lie never walked
his shoes off to get where there was q
iight, but ii he thought one would be
likely TO come his way he'd wait all
day for 1t.
There was q ball at the Narrows,
one night. Sui was there with Rubc
and Sid aud | had our girls. Rube
priIned himself with the best the bar
Afforded, and, as usual, swore he
would never be happy until he had
cleaned out every man in the bar.
room. Well, the upshot of il was
that Sid had to drop him out of the
window. This made d little hard
feeling between Rube' and Sid, and
when Sal made up her mind to give
an apple cut, few weeks afterward,
Sid didn't get any invite, aud neither
did |
Sal had been dying TO give an ap-
ple-cnt for long time, but the trou-
lewas, the only orchard on tho old
mans place was wild gooseberry
bush, and there were no apples in
the old mans cellar. lie raised some
potatoes aud little buckwheat and
managed TO fatten apig every fall,
but how they could give an apple.
cut on such products of the soil was
something that neither Sal nor the
old folks could wrestle with and get
the upper holt. But one lucky day
SAILS dad was over TO the Falls, and
who should be-there but some Jersey
man. whv had bag of apples that he
was willing 10 trade off for buck
wheat. Ii Bobby Layton didn't
freeze to that bag, then swapping
turtle won't snap. He took it home
and put it in his side.hill cellar, and
the invitations were given for tho
apple-cut. AS remarked. Sid aud
myself got the grand go.by. But wo
Kept mum.
About three miles from Sails there
lived couple OF girls that Sid aud |
used to 90 and see once in while.
About a. week before Sal's dad got
the apples these girls had a quilting
bee, and didn't invite Sal. So Sal
got back at them by sighting them
in the apple cut. Sid aud | went up
to see the girls one'night, and we
made 1t up to have little apple-cut
of our own. Their old man didn't
have any apples, either. Apples
were scarcer that winter than scales
on catfish anyhow. So we fellows
agreed to skirmish around and get
the fruit for our rival festivity. We
concluded 10 have our party on the
same night that Sal had hers, and,
tho night before the apple cut, Sid
and'l hiiched up to a sled and took a
ride. We didn't have much trouble
in getting all the apples we wanted,
and we had roaring old time at our
apple-cut.
The next day / met one of the fel-
lows who had been TO SAILS party.
Well, says |, how'd you enjoy your.
selves last night2
We busted up in fight, he says
Fight | says. Iow's that?
Well, says he, after we all got to
SAILS and had sot there a spell, talkin'
au' laughin,' Sal says TO the old man |:
Pap, says she, guess yo better go
an fetch in the apples an we'll git to
business. Oh; wait till ye see them