Iron County register. [volume] (Ironton, Iron County, Mo.) 1867-1965, 1886-11-11
WHAT HE CAUGHT.

Abraham Lincoln Culpepper Goes Fish
| ing and Catches Something Which Hi.
"Mammy" Was Going to Buy.
Nanny" urged Abraham Lincoln
Culpepper, ''gib me dime to buy
some fishin' tackle. know dere's fish
in dat ere pom, an want to ketch
| some.''
Il amt got no dime to spar yo',
Ably" replied nanny, who was busy
cutting up pumpkin into huge iron
| pot on the cook-stove. use been
a-tryin to sabe up money to buy me a
| tea-kittle an fryer. Take fo' bits
fur 'em bof, an Is got no dimes to
SPAR"
but want to ketch some fish, -
| whined Abraham, persistently.
''Ain't no fish in dat ere pom, no.
how" declared nanny
But the boy was not to be silenced.
'.Dere's MINERS" he insisted. "An'
if dere's MINERS, why moutn't dey be
catfish an pike?''
AT last mammy's patience gave way.
EFF you don't quit a-pesterin' me
an hush your mouf, l gwine cuff yo'
years good, Ab'aham Linkum Culpep-
per-" she declared, angrily.
And Abraham took himself out of
the way, muttering as he went.
| eli! whar you gwine. Abe?" called
his sister Maria, coming up from the
spring with long-handled gourd in
her hand.
Maria's woolly head presented a
strange and startling appearance. plait-
ed as it was into innumerable little tails,
which stuck out in all directions, .'like
quilts upon the fretful porcupine.'
':Whar's you gwine, Abe?" she re-
peated, tossing the gourd ON to bed
of onions, and rushing after her BROTH
er, who was just opening the broken
hinged gate leading out into the lane.
.'Oh, l dunno whar," answered Abe,
sulkily. NANNY wouldn't glib me a
dime to buy dat ERE fishin' tackle, an
jes' a good mind to run away"
''Sho, Abe, don't run away. Les /
an you gwi down to de big road an
hunt for dime,'' advised Maria, hope
fully. '.Me be we kin fin one in de
du't"
But Abe.shook his head doubtfully.
NANNY mout of gimme dime"
he unused. I'D of cotched her some
fish fur dinner if she would
Nanny Culpepper lived with her
two children in a half-tumbledown little
cabin on the outskirts of Western
village. A grove of black walnut trees
stretched their great arms above the
humble roof, and a ''sink-hole" pond,
common to that section of the country,
showed its stagnant waters few yards
from the house. Nanny had but re-
Gently moved into the little cabin,
which she obtained for merely NOM
inal rent, and supported herself and
her offspring by taking in washing and
ironing from the village.
Il wusht I could of glib him dime"
she reflected, as she stirred the pump
kin with long-handled spoon; do
I amt got it to spar. Takes power
full sight of money to buy vittles, an
dem chillen amt got no shoes fur de
winter. Hill soon be cole weather.
too, now de frost has come. An der
amt no fish in dat air pom, nohow,"
she added, consolingly.
About an hour later, Abraham came
rushing back, fairly painting for breath,
his round, fat face, beaming with inn
portance.
NANNY, mammy!' he shouted,
eagerly. :.Me and Marier has foun'
punkin in de road-a whoppin', big,
yaller punkin, what roll Off a wagon.
am de man neber stop to pick it up!
Marier's standin' over it a-kiverin' it
with her dress, so dey won't nobody
see it till we kin fotch de wheel-bor' an
cit it. It's too big to tote.'
Nanny caught the infection, and
fastened down the road with the wheel
barrow-a relic from her late husband,
who worked in q brick-yard There
stood Maria. screening the pumpkin
with her skirts. It was ''whopper,"
sure enough, and took the combined
strength of NANNY and the two chill
dren to get it into the wheel-barrow.
'.Say, nanny ventured Abe, after
helping his mother to wheel home the
..wind-falI." You done glib a dime
for dat air las punkin you bought
an hit wasn't nigh SO hefty as dis yer
un."
s.An' you want dime fur a-fnding
it hey?" replied nanny, good-nat-
uredly. "Well. dar, / s'pose I'd a-had
to glib dime fur one, anyhow. So
take it an go, an don't poster me fur
no mo- dimes de longest day you lib"
And Abraham chuckled with delight,
and danced ''pigeon-wing. as he re-
ceived the coveted dime. which man.
my took from a long, black stocking.
leg, hanging up the chimney. The
fishing-tackle was soon bought, and
the young follower of '.Izaac Walton, -
with Maria at his side. sat for at least
an hour beside the pond, in the bright
afternoon sunshine. without even the
encouragement of single bite.
"Tole you dey want nary fish in
dat air POM" said nanny, coming to
look on. her fat hands pressed close to
her sides.
..Hi! dar's bite now." cried Abra-
ham. suddenly pulling in with all his
might. "Golly, it's big feller, too!
Mus be whale. Ketch holt, man.
my, an ne'p me haul him in. -
And indeed it required considerable
strength to haul in whatever it was
that had caught onto the hook.
"Look out, now, he's a-comin's
Hooray! dar he is!''
And with last flourish of his pole.
the triumphant hero landed something
heavy and black and round. NOS
fish, certainly; but what was itp
..'Clar' to gracious's cried mammy,
excitedly, ..ef it amt tea-kittle-a
sure enough iron tea-kittle! an it's
full OBJ rocks, which faint no wonder
twas so hefty."
But when Abraham and Maria had
with hurried fingers thrown out the
rocks, something else was found, firm
" imbedded in the sediment at the bot
tom. which ON examination proved to