Iowa County democrat. [volume] (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1877-1938, 1884-03-14
Neither Zig Nor Puppy.

a dear friend of mine, who has n
nevcr-failing fund of anecdotes, was.
telling the other day how the eNpressisGl
/ OF neither pig nor puppy" originated.
| During the hnow-Nothing campaign in;
Virginia, James Lyons mot Henry a.
! Wise, his kinSman, on tho stump. Mr..
! Lyons accused his antagonist cf having
changed from one party to anotherwith
ludicrous facility. Wise, in turn, IL.
torted in Kind and said further on: In
| my neighborhood dwell two farmers.
One was hosptable and the other un.
sociahle. They were differently consti-
tuted by nature. The first had an init
| nation that Hon. Abel =. Upshur, then
| Secretary of the Interior, would spend
day ut his house while visiting the
county. Mr. Cpshur was inordlnatcly
fond OF roast pig, but his eNpeetant host
discovered that this dainty was no. pro
durable, SO far rs he knew, in time TO
crafty the appetite of tho Secretary.
The other farmer happened to hear Of
this and, in generous moment, on.
dered negro To catch one of his finest
pigs and carry il to his friend. The boy
did rs he was ordered and forthwith
proceeded on his journey. Half way
there was public house and SaIn3u
stopped to get a drink of whisky. The
bag containing the pig was put behind
a 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
n bit of fun. They removed the pig
from the bag and introduced puppy
in its place.
The negro shouldcred his load. 70.
sumed his Journey, and finally APP
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 tn" present. 10
the CONSERVATION Of the negro and rage
of the farmer the puppy darted ont.
with a lively bark. The negro was
wrathfmlly commanded TO put the
puppy back and 70 home to his master.
who would be seen later. Teaching
TIE tavern on his return trip. the Young
scamps who had previously tricked him
invited him to drink, and while some OF
them pl cd him with whisky, others
hastily removed the puppy and restored
the pig TO his old quarters
The negro again took up his bag and
trudgcd homeward in state of mel
low but utter pcrplcxity. Confronted
by bis master, h. told how he had start
cd with a pig that had turned TO
puppy and could not account for il
short Of diabolical Intervention. The
farmer swcre 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. Obeying
the order out rushed the pig, with
grunt of delight at delivcrance Tic
master famed out at the negro for his
lying propen3ities and threatened him
with condign chastisement. The as
tonished darkey flung up his hands in
desperate protestat:on, wildly eiaculat-
ing: Fore God, massa, when / first
started that was pig, and it turned TO
puppy, and when 1 started again 1t
was puppy and turned to pig! Tho
burned thing can turn to a pig or
puppy whenever it chooscs!"
Mr., Wise had no occasion to make
the application 70 his opponent The
crowd took it in unanimously and bore
the speaker off on their shoulders in
triumph. (Ga.) Chronicle.