The Columbian. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1866-1910, 1893-11-17
THE OLD SETTLER.
His Uncle Snebeckers Story OF
the Widow Pudgecreck.

Squire. THAT Yorkshire breed o. pigs
don't seem to gether heft suddent ez
they mowt."
'.Is them pigs O. your'n Yorkshires?"
asked the Old Settler
"Nothin' shorterl' exclaimed the
Squire. yorkshire from tail to noz-
zle."
"Yorkshires?" said the Old Settler,
maliciously. "Wull, now, bgosh, from
the build on 'eIn thort they was plow-
isheers?"
''Meanin' their headsp" said the
Squire.
"Jedgin' 'em from their heads Yes"
replied the Old Settler.
: 'Come to think on it, major" said
the Squire, "them heads is leetle sharp
an pnted. an ca'c'lated pooty well to
turn up the sile, but don't keep pigs
for their heads. keep pigs for their
hams, an tenderlines, an shoulders
an setch. Our folks don't winter over
on head cheese, our folks don't"
"Whose folks does, b'gosb9" de-
manded the Old Settler, testify.
II didn't say as anybodys did," re.
piled the Squire.
But we sinniwated"
The Squire didn't say whether he
had insinuated or whether he hadn't,
but suspicion of smile lurked about
him. There was silence for awhile,
which the Old Settler broke abruptly
by saying:
"Speakin' O the summer bein past
an the harvest bein' ended alluz puts
me in mind O. the story o. the Widder
Pudgecrack an the harvest on her
clearin', ez my uncle, Snebecker Giles,
usety tell it. 1t all happened in the
Wild Gander Ridge deestric', fer don't
think tina was "a man in the hull q the
Sugar Swamp deestric' ez could n had
the heart to do wat Shadrack Biff o
Wild Gander done, an tina was men in
Sugar Swamp mean enough, bgosh, to
pass lead sixpences on bind fiddler at
dance, an one of 'em were Tobin It'd
fit, which l hadn't orter say, don't
s'pose, Squire, bein' ez he were rela-
tion o. your'n; but facts is facts"
The Old Settler paused to see how
this little reference affected the Squire,
and he seemed disappointed when the
Squire said:
That's so. lie We're meaner than
COW itch. Uncle Tobin were."
"But bad his good p'ints," said the
Old Settler. "He know'd which dim
myjohn had the best stuff in it,"
That runs in the family, major"
said the Squire, smiling again.
'An' he never drinlled alone, b" said the
Old Settler. THAT don't run in the
family"
That's onfort'nit for you, major"
said the Squire, with a still broader
smile.
The Old Settler looked hard at the
Squire FOR awhile, but let the subject of
TUbin Tidft drop and went on with
the story of the Widow Pudgecracl;'a
clearing
"My uncle, Snebecker Giles, were
goin' through the Wild Ganicr Ridge
deestric long late in December, vunst,
selln' medicine fer sniilles in sheep, an
he came TO clearin' where tha were u
slommickin' great big chap sot out on
the woodpile 5kinnin' mushrats Uncle
Snebeclier pulled up his hoss an hollers
out to the chap:
'Hullo, ncighbor! What clearin' is
this?'
1.-THE Widder Pudgecrack clearin',
says the chap, keepin' on with his
mushrat skinnin'.
is the widder imp says Uncle Sne-
becker.
"'Wull, ruther" says the chap, larfin'
like a hyeny. She's ben in these two
weel,s--way in he says
'Uncle Snebecker didn't know
exactly wat TO make outen this, bat
he says
"'Kin l see the widder. thinll?'
"'Wull,' says the chap, larfn' ag'in,
not jist now; but if yer good, stiff
Hard-slell Baptis', an don't backslide,
the chances is that yen ran ag'in her
one O. these days, he says.
''Uncle Snebccker begun to git mad
now, an he says, pooty loud
"'See herer he says If ye think ye
kin pick meup fer consarned idjit yel
barl<in up the wrong tree fer coons
What's the reason can't see the wild
der now?'
"'Wull, says the chap, larfr.' more'r
ever, 4 dunno why ye can't, unless It'll
cause the widder's deadv
''Then the chap went on skinnin' ht'
mushrats, an Uncle Snebecker were
goin' on, wen the chap hollers to hin
an says:
''Guess ye dan't know about tho
Widder PudgecracI1, do yep he says.
"Uncle Snebecher said he didn't.
"'Wull,' says the chap, 'ye mustn't gc
way without hearin' bout the widder,
says he. 'Itll be wuth yer while
$50 Uncle Snebecker stayed TO heal
about the widder.
"A year ago, now says the chap
this want the Widder Pudgecracl
clearin', cause tina want no Widde
Pudgecrack then, an tina want m
clearin'. The Widder Pudgecrack :heI
were jist plain Tabithy Ann Flint, C
teached theWild Gande deestric' school
Tabithy Ann were gettin' to'ards tn
time wen it want no trick at all fe
her to recomember hack fer forty yea
I. an better, an the chances was tina
,lri,he'd be Tabithy Ann Flint when sh
y A<~ D,.x