Morning journal and courier., 1890-07-08

minute, and then approached the committee.
Excuse me, gsntlemen,' said he, but IL
you'll tell me where can go out and kill
i've ace snake I'll show ron trfcka'
D "The COMMITTEES looked at the man httle
startled, for they thought sure he was crazy.
BE stared back for spell and then said:
"'Seems like you don't undsutand me.
Cant be, san IL, that you don't have any Ave
ace snakes around heref
"The committee were kind hearted and
didn't want to hurt the strangers feelings, no
they said the Eve ace snake was . new one to
Columbus.
"swell, then,' exclaimed the stranger, ev-
identity delighted, and sitting down in front
of big lemon pie, I've got somsthing 10
tell You that can't help but cheer you up.
rrn from up north. Henry county is my ns-
tive heath and Black swamp is my donicile.
have long known that Henry county is the
only one in Ohio where the black bear still
has his range, but thought that perhaps
the Eve ace snake had by this time spread
around the commonwealth, but seems like Il
hasn't. The five acer had Its origin in Hem
~ county, and the history Of that is what
want to cheer you up with.
"'Don't 'spect var ever knew Junius Can.
felda 'Tain't likely. Junius used to be q
great chum of mine, and We always cabined
together when we hunted around Black
swamp. But discovered in singular way
once that Junius had betrayed the confidence
I put In him and we parted. We were iv-
ing in Black swamp cabin, and when We
weren't out after wild game we enjoyed our
selves with domestic game, principally poker.
Some folks call 1t draw. There was O snake
in Henry county in those days that we called
the white whistler. It was Q short, chunky
snake, harmless as ginger pop and tame an
hies. 1t could whistle something like .
quail, and I've known greenhorns to come
out there hunting, and follow one Of these
white whistlsrs around all day, just by the
sound of its whistle. thinking they were af-
ter quail. I made a pet Of one of these
snakes, big she one, and she was useful to
me in good many ways. She had way of
hanging around when was having q little
game of draw with any one that shs wasn'i
| acquainted with, and, kind o. skinning hel
eye over my hand and then over the stran-
gers. If the strangers hand sized up lit
| tie better than mine Sarah Ann-that wa.
| my snakes nsme-would whistle low anS
careless chirp, and laid down right ther,
and then. But Sarah Ann knew Juniu
Canfeld well, and trusted him as did, and
never interfered when he and / we're having
i q recreating gsme-that is, never until the
one time that is now historic in Henry eoun
ty.
"sAs said, Junius and were living in I
Black swamp cabin. One day We were play
ing our favorite game, and the hands tina
Junius held were amazing. Aces were hi
strong hold that day. but never suspected
him. By and by pulled in hand that hat
three kings and an ace and another card II
it. held the ace to the king and drew ont
card, and that card was another king. Ju
| MUS drew one card too.
"t"Ssems like I got you this timei"
said to myself.
| Sarah Ann had noticed the hands tina
Junius was holding, and abe had got uness,
and begun to move around. She saw m.
hand and then slipped behind Junius snt
got q squint at his. I had raised Juniu
back two or three times by this time, an,
was ready to ait there all night and stay b.
him, but just as was about to get back O
him again the heaviest kind heard Sara
Ann whistle. looked up surprised. Bu
there was Sarah Ann on a shelf behind Ju
MUS, her eyes bulging, and she shakin
her head at me like mad. looked al m
hand. There were the four kings and th
ace.
I "'"By the spotted buckeyei" 1 said
myself, 'there's nothing in the deck but
straight flush can beat this hand"
"sThen looked at Sarah Ann. She vi
, still shaking her head at me and looks
wild. She had never fooled me yet and
| knew it.
> "s"Junius filed as sure as sguei" said
and laid down as meek as q lamb
: "Tf there ever was a disappointed M
that man was Jvnius. he was mad too; b
he didn't say anything and began gatheri
y the cards to deal. Sarah Ann came ba
Z and laid on the table nsar me. She had b
eyes plumb on JuDius. Then il seemed
strike him all at once that she had given
hand away, and he up with the whole hsi
| of cards and slammed them all on the snak
She wasn't expecting il and II scared her g
/ most into fit, aud she went OF TO her he
Il M rf.u. atva frsa n
still / didn't suspicion Junius OF dol
| crooked work on me.
!. "'About q week after that Sarah Al
Q dug hole in the sand, ont in front OF
: cabin, and laid It full Of eggs. They hatch
out when il was time, and Sarah Anns lit
family began TO come up ont ont OF the "a
: a. lively as crickets. 1 didn't pay much 9
= = tsntion to 'em until one day saw one 0, !
y Young snakes, which had grown to be abe
IS foot long, aud noticed that &c was cover
all over with red and black spots. pick
b the snake up to examine 10 closer, and If e,
It any man was astonished was. And 60
y reason had for being sstonished / thin
1t for that snake was marked rs regular o
b bright as could be, with every card there
in q decki / caught q lot OF this snak
is brother and sisters, aud every one OF
m was marked the same way. OF course
,e understood it after q while. Sarah Ann
"a been terribly startled by Junius Cans
Il slamming the cards on her, and 1t had mi
a. q vivid pre- natal impression thar had b
reproduced In her lively young, and he
\. the msrks of the pack of cards on hsr
\, spring. But further examination Of
young snakes resulted In discovery {
ssddened me. i counted the cards on
!, snakes and found there were ffty three,
- more than enough for a regular pack. II
:, counted the suits, and found them all q
plete and an ace of spadei to spare.
king was plain. Junius Garfield had run
extra ace in on me, and here unerriug nat
had revealed TO me his psrfdy.
"I called those snakes the five acers.
they and their progeny have grown to be
merous and useful Inhabitants of He
county. We never spend money for play
10 cards up there. If we run ont of q deck
In step ont and kill FIVE acer, dry his akin
snip pack of cards out of it, and there
arel Seems like il was q shame this sn
~ hasn't been planted around the state NOR
.. "The stranger had hardly finished his
ry,n said the McMillsn avenue man, "w
'ly In came the answer of the strees rail,
ais company to the strikers COMMITTEES.
/, - committee were gazing ut the man from
:, ~ county dumbfounded and speechl
The company's offer to the strikers conn
All tee was way below the demand, but be
w. the committee could recover from the In
nm ence of Henry county and the i've scer
accepted the compspyis offer and the 81
so was over. When the committee came &
MS was too late to bsck down, and the man
ly- Henry county, the big lemon pie and
N, pound cakes had disappeared"