The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1893-12-15
THE OLD SETTLER.
His Uncle Snebeckers Story of
the Widow Fudgecrack.

the WIDOW uGgSCrEck-
s'Wull. Squire, " said the Old Settler,
''the summer is past an the harvest is
ended How's yer pigs fattenin'?'
Only $3.50, major" replied the
SQUIRE. That Yorkshire breed o pigs
don't seem to gether heft student ez
they mowt.'
is them pigs o your'n Yorkshires?''
asked the Old Settler
"Nothin' shorter exclaimed the
Squire. Yorkshire from tail TO noz-
zle.-'
..Yorlsshires?" said the Old Settler,
mallciously. ''Wull, now, b'gosh, from
the build on 'em ! thort they was plow-
sheers?'
..Meanin' their heads?" said the
Squire
''Jedgin' 'em from their heads Yes"
replied the Old Settler.
Come To think on IL, jor,H said
the Squire. them heads Is Il leetle sharp
an p'nted, an ca'c'lated pooty well To
turn mp the sile, but / don't keep pigs
for their heads. l keep pigs for their
hams, an teuderlines, an shoulders
an setch. Our folks don't winter over
on head cheese, our folks don't"
Whose folks does, bgosb?" de-
manded the Old Settler, testify.
Il didn't say as anybody's did re-
piled the Squire
but We sinniwated"'
The Squire didn't say whether he
had insinuated or whether ne hadn't,
but a suspicion of a smile lurHed about
him. There was silence for awhile,
which the Old Settler broke abruptly
by saying:
-, % T,a f..afv
an the harvest bein' ended alluz puts
me in mind o the story O the Widder
Pudgecracll an the harvest on her
clcarin', e. my uncle, Snebecker Giles,
usety tell il. 1t all happened in the
Wild Gander Ridge deestric', fer don't
think tina was Il man in the hull O the
Sugar Swamp deestric' cz could \ had
the heart TO do wat Shadracl5 Bif o.
Wild Gander done, an tina was men in
Sugar Swamp mean enough, b'gosh, To
pass lead sixpences on bind fiddler at
a dance, an one of EN- were TObin lid
ft, which / hadn't orter say, l don't
s'Pose, Squire, bein' ez he We're a rela-
ton % your n; but facts is facts"
The Ola Settler paused TO see how
this little reference affected the Squire,
and he seemed disappointed when the
Squire saId:
That's so. He We're meaner than
cow itch. Uncle Tobin were"
But bad his good p'ints," said the
Old Settler. He kuow'd which dim
myjohn had the best stuff in it
That runs in the family, major
said the Squire, smiling again.
An he never drinlzed alone, said the
Old Settler That don't run in the
family"
L
said the Squire, with a stil broader
smile.
The Old Settler looked hard at the
Squire for awhile, but let the subject of
Tobiu Tidft drop and vent on with
the story OF the Widow Pudgecraclz's
clearing
My uncle. Snebecler Giles, were
goin' through the Wild Gander Ridge
doestric' long late IN December, wunst,
sellin' medicine fer snIftics in sheep, an
he came To a clearin' where tina were a
s3ommiclzin' great big chap sot out on
the woodpile 5kinnin' mushrats. Uncle
Snebeci1er pulled up his hoss an hollers
out TO the chap:
.Hullo, neighbor. What clearin' is
this?'
The Wilder Pudgecrack clearin','
says the chap, keepin' on with his
mushrat sllinnin'
- Is the widder imp says Uncle Sne-
becker.
'''Wull, ruther. says the chap, larfin'
like a hyeny. She's ben in these two
weells--way in he says.
''Uncie Snebecller didn't know
Exactly wat To make outen this, but
he says:
"'Kin / see the widder. thiulk?'
".Wull,' says the chap, larfin' ag'in.
not jist now; but if yer a good, stiff
Hard-shell Baptis', an don't bacl1slide,
the chances is that ven run ag'in her
one q these days he says
Uncle Snebccker begun TO git mad
now, an he says, pooty load:
see herer he says. IF We think We
kin pick me up fer consarned idjit yer
barkin' up the wrong tree fer coons!
What's the reason l can't see the wild
der now?'
wall says the chap, larfiI.' more'n
ever. 1 dunno why ye can't unless it's
cause the widder's deadr
Then the chap went on slIinnin' his
mushrats, an Uncle SnebcclSer We're
goin' on, wen the chap hollers to him
an says:
Guess We don't know about the
Widder Pudgecrack, do YEP he says.
Uncle SnebeclSer said he didn't
"Wull,' says the chap, we mustn't &c
way without hcarin' bout the widder,
SAYS he It'll be with yer while
$50 Uncle Snebecker stayed to hear
about the widder.
a year ago, now says the chap
this want the Widdcr Pudgecrack
clearin, cause tina want no WiddeI
Pudgecrack then, an tina want nc
clearin'. The Widder Pudgecrack .hen
were jist plain Tabithy Ann Flint, ez
| teached theWild Gander deestric' school
Tabithy Ann We're gettin' to'ards the
time wen it want no trick at all fer
| her to recomember back fer forty year
| an better, an the chances was that
| she'd be Tabithy Ann Flint when she
! passed over Jordan. But Sampson
! Pudgecrack kim along about then, an
| thini<in' Tabithy Ann mowt be a savin'
sort of a wife TO tie TO, he asst her. an
| Tabithy Ann didn't waste her time a
sayin' no. Sampson he bought this
/ here land an put up that air cabin yen
der, an him an Tabithy Ann sot down
in it. Sampson he bucllled in like a
house afire an cleared off the brush,
an by the time the snow went OFF he had