The Arkansaw traveler., 1883-12-15
F5r Tk< .1yk.s5s7e Tys.slsr THE wEDGEVILLE wEGETA.
 BILE" CLUB.
N WADE wuisrlt.

The map of Virginia does not recog- -lse Wedgeville as a settlement of in-
 oor,ance, but the colored inhabitants of ma, hamlet. notwithstanding official ln- appreciation of their existence, consider he place worthy niche in the structure oi fame, and conspire in many ways from :!ine to time to have knowledge of this
 .oaceii work through into the outer world. The Vegetable club above ..esigna,ed probably contributed as much
 n this direction as any other body of en- :erprsing citizens. and now that Abe marie county was 10 have fair, the en- efsies of this noble organiz ation were e,en more ardently devoted to the cause
 If local pride. The fair was lar enough
 T ;he future to give ample time for that
 agricultural competition which the an- sogncement of prizes always stimulates,
 and !, was to the fac, that special award would be made for the largest pumpkin ,ased for the occasion that special meeting of the Vegetable club was que
 club referred to WIS made Up of the
 unior portion Wedgeville's male popu- .a,ion. the fact will be accepted at once when it is announced that the meeting convened in Jasper Wedges chicken
 coop. and tha, the members made their
 en,ree through yentilator at the rear of the building, the better to preserve nat essential to the tranquility of all such ga;herings-freedom from parental in- reference. The business of the special meeting was delayed sometime by the ron-appearance of Lemuel Spearmint, who had been designated committee e one to celleot samples of pumpkln-pi,s for the uses of the cub. bu, just as the hartman. Mr. Joseph Wedge. was abou, Q appon, posse 10 so in search of the delinquent, welltilled ehini7 bag came lying in a, the window. and eolliding with Mr, luno haisam's spinal celgmn, depos- .;ed tha; worthy secretary in the nes; of an old speckled hen patiently working out an incubation problem over in the corner, and spa,,ered liberal array of pumpkin-pi,s over the general assembly.
 calls dis nee,in' t'order." :" shouted he chairman, al the same time raising himself from his saw-buck perch, and tasting a reprovlng glance at the face of the committee as l, appeared at the ven ;iiater "De kesmi,,ee'll please come Tn an make a mo 'speckful repote, an de
 secretary'll come way fom ladderin' da,
 oaliry an call de roll"
 The committee and the secretary ooeyed with becoming alacrity, bu, while Nr. Spearmin, was bending 10 gather up the scattered pits. the nervous action of Mr. Balsam's ngh, les indicated how strong was the temptation 10 retaliate, and how ye, stronger was his respect for otflcial discipline.
 De secretary'N please call de roll. repeated the chairman. and the roll WAS accordingly called, each member re spending 10 his name as the secretary shouted in turn, '' asper Wedge. Hector Artichoke. Rufus Caulifiower. Lemuel Spearmint. Judas Broomhandle. Maxi millian Squab, Socrates Woodbine and
 uno Balsam."
 Dis meeun' am called began the hartman. when inc intelligence of full house had been officially indicated, . fo' de puppus ob rekoniyin' de fac da, dars ten dollars n pespec;um fur de kopera,ion da, splics de mos bigges' pumpkin to de county far dis Ssp,ober comin. An' de kwes- aon yves 90, ter grapple wid now, am de setilin ob de fac as Ter which am de nos 'greeable sorter seeds ter wes, m de struggle ter coax dem len dollars inter de vacuum dat dis club calls der treas " Da, am de kuestion. gemmen, an de iast ting befo' de house am de report ob de kermit,ee on pits. MT. Spearmin,. will yo' please 'lucidate.'
 Mir. Chairman" began the dis,in- guished committee. dumping his bag of pits on the washboard in front of the oi- hcial throne as he spoke. de repo,e ob dis kermt,ee am da, all de big punkins dat wuz r'ared in ole Ferginny desc seben years am represented in dis var bag. Dar's seeds fom de big Rhynoserhoss punkin dat weighed fo' ton an tuk de prize at de revivunl in Chickville las year. an dar's seeds fom de Woiloper dat growed ober ID lum,own, an dat 'splied 3e witals fo' 'leben dozen pies. an dar's some ob de gre,ienis ob dat mons'us ia; growed up on Ham,op y'ar befo' las. an ia, go, loose on de wine an rolled down de slope an knocked a railroad kear often de track. Dey'm all dar an all marked so de kermi,ee kin sor, 'enl. an wen de has made deir chIce, de specer- Enin,s'll be handed ober to der kerni,ee on plantin'.'
 When the pit committee resumed ,s seat, the august body gathered abou, he specimens and commenced a critical of them, some of the mem oess going SO far as to taste the pits. which nearly abolished Mir Squab, he having go, a of assorted germs jus, as an overloaded roos, fell down, struck him n the small of the back, and gave him such an attack of whooping cough ,ha, most of the mouthful were torn into tat ers by the agitation. As soon as the ex- consequen, upon this even, had 'ubsided, Mir. Hector Arichoke arose and said:
 ~Mr. Chairman, rse posed ter dat Aumtop punkin on ecomical groun's. De wines O dat breed O vegetable mus ,e widout de right stYcnk, 'relse dey