The Milan exchange. (Milan, Gibson County, Tenn.) 1874-1978, 1886-01-09
THE BARLEY-CoRN CLUB.
a Mean Trick, and How It's Perpetrator
Was Punished.


The Barley-Corn Club, Sim Peters
President, met in Sims barn to arrange
for a so-called pumpkin festival 1t
was chilly day without, and the shell
ter of the barn, with its big mows of
hay and stacks of barrels of apples, the
boys found to be agreeable-especially
the apples. A heap Of pumpkins, to
which Farmer Peters invited the boys
to help themselves, had been gathered
under the caves of one of the hay
mows.
"Now, boys" said President Peters,
taking from his pocket huge jack
knife, "first marx your face on the out
side of the pumpkin. Scoop out inside,
you know"
each one make his own facep" Inc
CURED Sidney Bright.
"Not unless it is handsomer than this
is, young man. No, make this face
which you see on my pumpkin, allow
ing two inches for an eye, two inches
for the nose, and two inches for the
mouth"
The result was kind of good-nat-
ured baby-face. When the pumpkin
carvers had all finished, q more bland,
agreeable, Juvenile set of pumpkin
faces could not be imagined
''Let's advertise baby-show, and
have these all covered up-and can
die inside of each one, Of course-and
when the people get here we can pull
off the cover-have, you know, one of
paper and show the babies" suggest
ed Sidney.
"Agreed!' shouted one BARLEY
Corner" after another
The boys completed their work and
quit the barn. AS they left the sun
through the purple maze around the
hills appeared very much like one OF
the boys pumpkins transferred to the
sky.
That night, after supper, the lighted
lanterns were placed in row on the
fence, each covered with paper hood
that could at moments notice be
slipped off. Everything was ready,
Each boy stood by his lantern. Differ.
ent families in the neighborhood sent
representatives to the group of specta.
tors gathered.
" Friends" declared the President
with great dignity, ''the hour has ar
rived for our wonderful, beautiful baby
show. We first give you q welcome
Barley-Corners, take out your horn!
and give 'em blast!'
A stunning toot was given on th'
boys tin horns.
Anotherr'
"Now, three times threer'
The spectators cried for ''mercy," anC
the welcome was declared complete.
The wonderful baby-show!" shout
ed the President, majestically. "With
draw covers"
The paper hoods were withdrawn
from the pumpkins, but what baby
show the spectators beheld! The pump
kins had anything but bland, agree
able, infantile look. They had been tam
pered with. Some one had gained en-
trance to the barn of Farmer Peters
where the pumpkin babies had been de
posted. The mouths had been en-
larged and twisted, the eyes and nose
elongated, so that the pumpkins had
savage, tiger-look. In one pumpkin a
eye had been stuffed and closed, so tina
the "baby' looked now like an ugl
prize-fghter who had come out of
contest one orb very badly damaged
The spectators laughed till they sal
their sides ached, but the owners of th
lanterns were filed with rage.
"Ohl ohr' "That's meanV' "Con
temptibler' "What dog has done ftp
Hang him up!" were some of the e1
pressions used.
What one Of the spectators, Sim
aunt had ventured to call the ''pumpki