The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1892-10-19
A PIG WITH A TIN HEAD.
What a Harlem Doctor Saw as He Was
Out Walking.

"Did you ever see pig with tin
headP" inquired Harlem doctor of
N. Y. Times reporter.
"a pig with tin headP A real live
pig with a tin head?" That was the
reporters answer. 1t was equivalent
to great big "No."
well, I have seen one," said the
doctor. "Saw it the other day up in
Harlem. was taking a walk all by
myself-I'm sorry that you were not
with me-when, all of sudden, l
heard child, little girl, cry out;
.Oh, papa, look at the pig with tin
head on him?
"This little girl was the daughter OF
one of those farmers who raise cab
bages, radishes, lettuce, and other
green things for the city market. The
farmer himself and the farmers wife
were on their knees pulling the weeds
out of the lettuce bed and didn't hear
the child's cry, So the little thing
tried it again; oh, papa. why don't
you look up and see the pig with tin
head on him!
"Then the farmer did look up and
saw that one of his Berkshires, a
youngish fellow, had stuck his nose so
far into great apple can that he real
ly did look like pig with tin head.
The farmer ran to the rescue over the
ground as fast as he could in his great
humping boots. But it was at least
fifteen minutes before he could catch
the pig, which was rushing about all
over the premises, as though he was
either drunk or crazy.
"At last, however, the pig was
caught, and then the farmer and his
wife set at work to take the can off his
head. Do you know they couldn't
bulge it. The can stuck fast. 1t
couldn't have stuck faster if it really
had been part of the pig.
"After trying all sorts of ways to
loosen the can for about five minutes,
Mr.. and Mrs. Farmer at one and the
same instant sat down on the ground
and fixed their eyes upon the pig and
the can, as though each was studying
how to separate the one from the
other. Then it seemed to dawn upon
them that the case was hopeless one,
whereupon each quit looking at the
pig and the can and began looking
at each other. The wife burst out cry
ing and the man had to bite his lips to
| keep from doing the same thing.
"All the while I had been standing
by the fence watching the perform
ance in the yard. / thought it about
time to offer bit of advice.
".What's the matter?' asked.
Looking up the disconsolate pair
saw me for he first time. They did
not answer me in words. They simply
pointed at the pig and the can.
kkTE oEfO T =
just as if 1 had not witnessed the un-
successful attempts to get it off.
"The farmer shook his head sorrow.
fully, and then the wife gave fresh
'boo-hoo.'
"'pll tell you what to do with him,
said l. Take him to a tinshop, and
be quick about it.
"a minute later the farmer, his wife,
his dau ghter, the pig and the can and
myself were speeding down Colum bus
avenue behind the farmers gallopine
horse. We reached the tinshop in a
jiffy, lifted the pig out of the wagon
and carried him into the back shop.
at was the work of about two min,
utes for the tinman to unsolder the
bottom from the can. Then he tool
his shears out and cut path up the
side of the can. A little twitch ther
and young Berkshire was as good a:
ever, except that he had slight cu
just back of his righs ear, where the
sharp edge of the can had rubbed
against him.
"'How much?' demanded the farmer.
"'Twenty-five cents, answered the
tinman. That's our regular price fol
uncanning pigs heads
"Do you suppose, DOCTOR" asked th'
reporter, shat that tinman ever die
such job as that before?"
"No, | DON'T" answered the doc
tor; she was probably trying to b'
| funny"