The Princeton union. [volume] (Princeton, Minn.) 1876-1976, 1890-08-21
Hoosier ShreWdness.


Hoosier ShreWdness.
+ One day, as I was riding through
the lower end of Upton County, In
diana, I came upon. a native, who
was engaged in picking trash" and
burning logs in a little clearing by
the roadside, writes Ed. r. Plitchard
IN the ArkansaW Traveller. Not
knowing exactly the best way to go
to reach the neighborhoodI desired
to visit, | reined my horse up at the
fence and asked the Hoosier to di-
rect me the way to Bennet's mills.
Wall, he replied, pausing in his
work and seating himself on a stump
that stood conveniently near, II
low it's matter offve miles, though
it mout be a leetle grain less. You
jess keep this road fer bout a mile !.
furder on; then you turn to your
right an go north till you git to the
mills"
I thanked him and was about start
ing off when he hailed me and said:
1 rekon it mightent be none of my
business, stranger, but I'd like to
ask you question er two eff you've Z
no objections
''All right, fire away said I.
well, then, I'd Jess like ter know
what you re goin> down to Benefits
fer"
"Well,' said I, Athere is a man
down there that owes me some mon
ey, and as Pm hard up myself
thought I'd see if | could collect it,
q thought SO, he answered; ssand
now I'll bet dollar kin guess the
teller s name the first pop; an I'll bet
anuther dollar on top O. that one
that you don't git a. cent
"Well?"
% see you won't bet, SO I'll Jess tell
you fer fun. The teller is Jake Rod !.
key an he hain't worth shucks.
You're jess Wastin your time a-ridin-
round the country tlyin' to git mon
ey out of him. =
The fellow had named the very man
/ was going to see and about whose
financial soundness ! myself had seri-
GUS doubts, but having got this
| much information from an entirely
unexpected source, I was naturally
anxious to get more.
ssWell, my friend" said, you've
| guessed the man; but what makes
| you think that he won't pay me
what he owes? The claim is just, and
besides, has been standing a long
| time
"It's fer a mowin' machine you
sold him more'n two years ago,
hahn it?''
EYES, I answered. now more puz-
lied than ever that man whom had
never met before should know more
about my affairs than | did myself.
Yes / continued, ssand there's a
balance OF nearly fifty dollars still
DUE
s:Mout as well be fifty thousan,' !, - y
answered the native. Jake could
pay it jess as easy
Concluding that the fellow was.
chatting me and thinking to let him.
know that fact I said:
"Oh, | think Jake will pay me, at,
any rate I'll just ride over and see.
/ him. .
S'Wall, . he answered with grin.
l IL y ou 10 DouAu w SCC ull1 y Ou u
better take some men with spades.
an a screw driver, 'relse you'll find
him pretty hard to git at. =
What do you mean?'
"Why, nothin';; only that Jake
Rodkey's deadern a mackerel. We
!. buried him a few days ago over in the
Bald Hill buryin' groun', bout er
mile north of the mills =
''Is it possible?' exclaimed.
Course tits. / was at tile funeral,
an reckon l know a dead man
when see him.
I've no doubt of it, answered;
and bidding him good.day I pur-
sued my journey. Sure enough |
found on reaching Benefits mills
that my man was dead, and also
that / stood no earthly show OF col
lecting my bill. never did learn,
though, how the native knew who /
was and the nature of my business,
4 but I have always supposed he sim
/ ply did a good job ofguessing