Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1882-02-09
PARTING WITH The FAMILY PEI.

The other morning. says the San
Francisco Post, while the proprietor of
TIE approaching circus and menagerie
was picking his teeth in front of the
Russ house. tall. sun-burned, bald
headed man with pine burrs in his
clothes and "A stick Of sassafras in his
mouth. approached aud said:
"Be you the wild animal man, mis-
terY -
The proprietor Of the circus admitted
that such wa the fact.
"Then." proceeded the man from the
mountains. IL think I'll get you to
make me an offer for large sized Cali.
fornia lion I've got"
Good specimen. ehTr asked the cir.
Gus man.
Good Well, / should say so.
Measures eleven feet from the tin of
his nfse to the tip Of his tail. Caught
him myself when q cub. Just four
years old tomorrow"
"IIum-good appetizer"
"Appetite2 Great Scott-appetitel
Well. should smile-that's Just the
why I'm parting with jay call him
Jay Gould because he takes every thing
In. fit wasn't for his appetite, and
the queer little things IL makes him do.
/ wouldn't part with Gould for for
tune"
Savage, eh9r
"Well. no; dent know as should
call Jay savage. exactly-sOrter niblish.
though. he may be. Has kinder
habit Of gnawng up things, so to speak.
In fact, the neighbors-I live i'm Blad-
der's Peak-have got to be so fussy
and particular OF late that can't as
much M unchain j. G.. for II tie fresh
air without their getting grumpy about
H."
There's no pleasing some people,
said the hippodromer.
III should say not. Now. F'rinstance
about three months after Jay got TO be
as big as u boarding house sofa. came
home one day from picnic and found
he had eaten up Aunt Maria, who had
been left at home to mind the house
leastwise she was nowhere % be found |:
and as Jay Gould seemed sort Of bulgy.
like. and kept coughing up hairpins and
false teeth for day or two. we kinder
suspiciOned the whole thing"
maternal Aunt p inquired the show
man thOughtfully.
Exactly. My wife took on dread
fully for day or two and wanted me
10 shoot Jay right Oft. But as 1 told
her that most likely he'd catched rheu-
matism and things from the remains.
we'd better call 1t square
"And did sheP"
"Well. she kinder cot reconciled az.
ter a while. especially as Jay seemed
fond OF playing with the children. One
morning soon aftSr that, my wife's
mother-whOle family lived with me.
you see-didn't come down TO break.
fast. AS all her false hair was hang
ing over a chair back. and Gould crawl
ed out from under the bed. licking his
chops. and his tongue n good deal coat
ed-mother-in-law was always taking
things for the liver complaint-we saw
nc once II was another visitation of
providence. and that the heavy hand of
afiiiction was again upon u.s."
Looked that way, didn't t."
"Well. as y,u may suppose. the old
lady-that's my wife-pranced around
good deal then: and cot down the
bresch-loader tight away. But just
then arrived gold medal from the ).
II. G. A. society, awarded ON sccount
OF my fOrbearance m the Aunt Maria
business. and 80 got her Gained down
after n while"
-Pacided her. ehf"
Yes, managed 90 arrangca reprieve
for Jay somehow. You see | was nj.
ways fond Of pets, and tender hearted.
and all that, you understand. argued
that the poor animal didn't know that
he was doing wrong-merciful man is
always merciful to his beasts. etc That
smoOthed things over for another
month.
"what hsppened thenY-
"Well. one day I sent Johnnie. our
youngest son, down 10 the store for
some sugar. and he took Gould along
FOR company. Now wether IL was be-
cause Jay was fond Of sugar or not.
don't know, but he came home alene
and soon we noticed a peculiar kind
OF bulge ON his ribs. about as big AS
Johnny. and we concluded that the
dread archer had marked another Skid.
mOre-my name Is Skidmore-for his
own. The whole family took on like
mad, and Mrs. Skid. was about TO shove
the powder-keg under Jay Gould and
touch Il OF herself when pointed out
That II wouldn't do 10 desecrate our of.
springs tomb In that way. Sol lust
had the burial service read over the
lion and tied a Grape around his neck
Tor thirty days. How does that strike
youY
% After T. that you kept the animal
well. no. The fact Is I set ont IN
get chain several times, but one thino
sna another prevented, until one dav
iAst week actually missed the "a
lazy herself. / looked around for =
couple OF days. when somehow ~ n
sudden 1 sorter intentioned WHORE shs
waA 1 gave Gould about half a nonnd
or emeuc right away. but all we conld
ges out OF him was a pair OF hIoh beel
"a shoes and a chest protector. m was
TOO late. too late. We put the shoas
and things In the coffin and had Tes
led behind the hearse to the cems.sry
wanted to have as much Of the cornss
present a. possible-dont Won sseS
We had the animal decorated with
covers and things, a. nne as you please.