The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1883-02-15
The Donkey.

admire his perseverance,, Some
people call it obstinacy, but they take but
. narrow view of the burro's character.
They look at him through single-b bar
relied eye-glass. have seen burro
work for hours to get his foot stuck in
an empty tomato-can. When he sue
eeeded have known him to go miles
out of the way, in the darkness of mid
night, to wake up some drowsy pros
pector with its melancholy tintinnabu-
lation. I have known him to come
back repeatedly with his serenade. al
though he had not been encored and no
horal offerings had been received. I
ing bed of railroad wagon and strain
every nerve to boost it off the road.
True, he did not succeed in his main de-
sire, but he did everlastingly smash two
cofee-pots and destroy the continuity
of his owners bedding.
have seen him desert bundle of
hay to go away and MUNICH cactus and
gravel. He couldn't get the same
amount of nourishment from the latter
In the same space Of time, but he
scorned to be Influenced by such a con-
siderstioa. z~s44 ...s... $50
Irespect his digestive apparatus. One
day stood on mountain side with q
dyspeptic from Greeley who for years
had eaten nothing but graham bread
snd cracked wheat. We were watch
ing burro feed. As the animal slowly
and conscientiously chewed up the -four
and gunny sacks, got away with salt
bags and ham covers, gathered in brown
paper and old socks. and finally tackled
a large-sized sardine box, the tears
welled up in the eyes of the Greeley
man and in 3 husky voice he said:
''Gracious! If could only do that.'
worship the intellect of the burro.
He cannot be humbugged. He knows
when he is within clubbing distance and
when he is not you can yell al him till
you are black in the face, but he won't
move. Some of the incidents that at
test his sagacity are almost marvellous.
was once sitting on soft sandstone
boulder in the little mining town of
c.. Down the meandering street
came old Skipton, driving before him
one of the most remarkable looking
jacks ever saw. In the ruggedness Of
his physical composition he was almost
scenic. Half of his left ear was gone
and numerous clear places on his hide
made it apparent that he was addicted
to the hot bath.
Where did you get that wreck, Skipp"
/ asked. ~ EatE s
.'Wreckr' he shouted scornfully; why,
you tenderfoot, that's Henry Ward
Beecher. He's the father OF his country
and he's just got more brain power than
any jack in this State"
"Intellectual, is hep" inquired.
"Well, 1 should blush! Why, III just
tell you little act he did yesterday.
We was working up, on the High
Hopes, me and Jim Atkinson, my part
ner, and we got to feelin little peekish
along about noon, and I went up to the
shanty to FIRE up. Well. Jim he was
sacking up few pounds of ore to have
sampled, and q. Ward was standing
by, and somehow Jim he slipped and
fell in the shaft, but he caught on the
bucket and she commenced a flying
down like thunder. and the shaft was
near onto hundred, feet. Well, what
did Beecher doe Why, he knew that it
wouldn't do to try and catch the handle,
80 he just backed up against the wind
lass and held hard till he stopped her,
and saved Jim's life; that's what he
did, and I'll take my paralyzed oath on
it, and so Il Jim. See where it took the
skin off his haunches?"
The cuticle was evidently gone, and
Skip looked most solemnly in earnest.
could not doubt him. We went across
the street and Skip took little ginger
in his.-De,aver News.