Barbour County index. [volume] (Medicine Lodge, Kan.) 1880-current, 1884-01-18
Neither Pig Nor Puppy.

A dear friend of mine, who has
never-failing fund of anecdotes, was
telling the other day how the expression
of neither pig nor puppy" originated.
During the Know-N othing campaign in
Virginia, James Lyons met Henry A.
Wise, his kinsman, on the stump. Mr..
Lyons accused his antagonist of having
changed from one party to another with
ludicrous facility. Wise, in turn, re-
torted in kind and said further on: In
my neighborhood dwell two farmers.
One was hospitable and the other I'M
sociable. They were differently consti-
tuted by nature. The first had an init
nation that Hon. Abel p. Upshur. then
Secretary of the Interior, would spend
day at his house while visiting the
county. Mr.. Upshur was inordinately
fond OF roast pig, but his expectant host
discovered that this dainty was not pro-
durable, so far as he knew, in time to
CRAFTY the appetite of the Secretary.
The other farmer happened to hear OF
this and, in generous moment, or
dered negro to catch one of his finest
pigs and carry it to his friend The boy
did rs he was ordered and forthwith
proceeded on his journey. Half way
there was public house and SambC
stopped to get drink of whisky. The
bag containing the pig was put behind
door for fancied security. Warmed
with the liquor, the negro told the
whole story OF his mission. Some wild
fellows heard it and determined to have
bit of fun. They removed the pig
from the bag and introduced puppy
in its place.
The negro shouldered his load, re-
sumed his journey. and finally ap-
peared with his burden before the de-
lighted farmer. who was profuse in
thanks. He told the boy to unite the
bag and let him see the present. To
the CONSERVATION of the negro and rage
of the farmer the puppy dartcd out,
with a lively bark. The negro was
wrathfully commanded to put the
puppy back and 90 home to his master,
who would be seen later. Reaching
the tavern on his return trip, the young
scamps who had previously tricked him
invited him TO drink, and while some of
them piled him with whisky. Others
hastily removed the puppy and restored
the pig TO his old quarters.
The negro again took up his BAG and
trudged homeward in State of mel
low but utter perplexity. Confronted
by his master, he told how he had start
ed with a pig that had turned to a
puppy and could not account for il
short of a diabolical Intervention. The
farmer SwOre that there was no puppy
about his place, and emphatically or
dered the poor negro To unite the bag
and let the dashed thing 90. Ubeying
the order, out rushed the pig, with a
grunt of delight at deliverance. The
master famed out at the negro for his
lying propensities and threatened him
with condign chastisement The as.
tonished darkey flung up his hands in
desperate prOtestat on, wildly ejaculat-
ing: d" Fore God, masSa, when / first
started that was pig. and il turned tC
puppy, and when 1 started again it
was puppy and turned to pig! The
burned thing can turn to pig OF
puppy whenever it chooSeSr'
Mr.. Wise had no occasion TO make
the application to his opponent. The
crowd took it in unanimously and bore
the speaker off on their shoulders in
triumph.-Auyusta (Gd.) Chronicle.