Mexico weekly ledger., 1885-02-05
Horse Flesh Prestige.

every mans honesty. ability and
prospects ofsalvation depended upon
the horse he owned. The owner OF
a good horse was admitted into the
best circles of society. Special room
was made for him when he entered
church, and his children, in attend
ing the school where the classic
master had written" upon q board,
"Greak and Latun is no longer
teached here," were always given
extra time at recess to stuff them
selves with corn dodger and ham fat.
Having been reared in heathenish
neighborhood I had not been taught
that the ownership of equine proper
ty as the great end to which man
should aspire. Consequently, one Of
my abilities, such as hooting like all
owl or believing in a superb imitation
of a steer, found thxt recognition
tending to make man satisfied with
himself. The men of this communi-
ty were very religious, and were such
excellent shots that when they '.pull-
ed down" on each other somebody
gaped. One of my acquaintances,
Abe Nickleford, shot a hole through
the head belonging to Nat Parker.
Everybody knew that the sounds of
revelry had just begun, for old man
Parker and his other three sons
found great delight in the ignition Of
gunpowder. I was a little uncom-
Portable for I did not know but that
during the war of determination I
might be killed, because I had been
known to associate with Nickleford,
and especially as I owned nothing in
the shape of horse. While every
one was waiting to begin, the "set-
tIement" was started by the report
that Nickleford had married Parker's
youngest daughter, and that the old
man had taken him home amid the
glad acclamations of great JOY.
While party of men were standing
in the road discussing the curious
twist affairs had taken, old man Par
ker appeared, wearing a new hat and
otherwise dressed in the extra linsey
of great occasion.
| "Look here, old man." said JUS
tice of the peace, ''we want you te
explain yourself. We air all willin
an ready to put up with an ordinar,
disappointment, but when a mai
raises the expectations o this her
settlement an then fings 'em on tn
ground without givin' due notice
wy we nachully arise an demand
APOLOGY or fight"
"Gentleman," replied old Parke,
removing his hat, 81 know that 20
all feel hurt at mean my boys an {
course I KANT blame you under tn
circumstances, but when I tell ,yo
the reason, I low that you'll ak tn
, ole man to come out to the cross
roads an take drink. 1t was ou
intention to kill Nickleford, an W
, gathered up our fuzees an starte
out for that purpose. We seed hil
in the road ahead O. US an we pu
:. out airteer him like old Satan {
treadin' out grain. He seed US
!, comm an you oughter seed him
diggin' dirt. He got out O. our wa
lam we didn't see him no more ii
! the next day."
- "Wall," said the justice of Il
peace, "why didn't you kill hims"
el easy now, easy" replied old ms
: Parker. easy, I say. He hs
e traded aroun' an got possession
, that iron gray hoss that uster belol
b ter Cal Dye. The hoss looked at
o when we come up an sorter snorte
is I tell you it undone all O. US, g
J. ridin' alongside O. Nickleford ,
It shuck hands with him an cried Ii
70 children. Now, boys, didn't we
a. right7"
,e "That's what you done," repG
,e the justice of the peace, much aff'
n ted. "Thar want nuthin' else to
r. under the circumstances" wiping t
, tears from his eyes. ''Come on, {
" man, ar we'll take drink"
" Shortly after this touching in
OF dent had occurred, the county jud
If came to me and said:
he Il noticed that you was at
Of house last night, jinin' in the +
,r. tivities of the occasion"
in "Yes, and I enjoyed myself "
AZ much"
A, $50 I seed, but has the fact Il
q, you want invited found its way il
n that cavity whar you think your M
of holds swayf"
ew Il thought everyone was invite
ma ssThat's what the notices tackled
70, the trees said, but, ding it, .
st want included. You amt got
ad hoss. Do you reckon that I can !
,b- my gals to 'sociate with yous II
IN. Think, sab, that want everyb
nj, in this neighborhood talkin' alb
wn my family Want to ruin the re
no tation that I have been year
ab- buildin' upf I have been talkin' '
as a lot O. the boys this mornin,'
,dv we've decided that you've got to
mo a hoss or leave this here settlem
tn s ,ciety kaint afford to let such
an lers as you ar tramp ON 1t, an
.th. me tell you! The next time you
tn set vour number eleven bropa]