The Wichita daily eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1890-1906, 1893-10-31
THE OLD SETTLER.
His Uncle Snebecker's Story Of
the Widow Pudgecrack.

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."
rs them pigs o your'n Yorkshires"
asked the Old Settler.
"Nothin' shorter!" exclaimed the
| Squire. Yorkshire from tail to noz.
zle."
"Yorkshires?" said the Old Settler,
maliciously. "Wull, now, b'gosh, from
the build on EN- 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 it, major" said
the Squire, them heads is leetle sharp
an p'nted, an ca'c'lated poorly well to
turn up the sile, but don't keep pigs
for their heads. keep pigs for their
hams, an tenderlincs, an shoulders
an setch. Our folks don't winter over
on head cheese, our folks don't"
"Whose folks does. bgosh?" de-
handed the Old Settler, testify.
Il didn't say as anybody's did," re-
piled the Squire.
"Butye sinniwated."
The Squire didn't say whether he
had insinuated or whether he hadn't,
but suspicion of smile lurlSed about
him. There was silence for awhile,
which the Old Settler broke abruptly
by saying:
''Speal1in' o the summer bein' past
an the harvest bein' ended alluz puts
me in mind O the story o the Wilder
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 man in the hull O the
Sugar Swamp deestric' ez could a had
the heart to do wat Shadrack Biff o
Wild Gander done, an tina was men in
Sugar Swamp mean enough, b'gosh, to
pass lead siXpences on a bind fiddler at
a dance. an one of 'cm were Tobin It'd
fit, which l hadn't orter say, don't
s'pose, Squire. bein' ez he were rela-
ton 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. He were meaner than
COW itch. Uncle Tobin were"
But bad his good p'ints," said the
Old Settler. HE know'd which dim
nyjohn had the best stuff in it"
That runs in the family, major"
Sc id the Squire, smiling again.
AN he never drinl1ed alone, said the
Old Settler. THAT don't run in the
family"
That's onfort'nit for you, major"
sais the Squire, with a still broader
smile.
The Old Settler looked hard at the
Squire for awhile. but let the subject of
Tobin Tidfit drop and went on with
the story of the Widow Pudgocrack's
clearing.
my uncle. Snebecker Giles, were
goin' through the Wild Gander Ridge
dccstric' long late in December, wunst,
sellin' medicine fer sniflles in sheep, an
ic " IL ClSdIta WhC1C bLo WCTC d
slommiclzin' great big chap sot out on
the woodpile 5kinnin' mushrata Uncle
Snebeclzer pulled up his boss an hollers
out to the chap:
'Hullo, neighbour! What clearin' is
this?'
The Wilder Pudgecrack clearin','
says the chap, lleepin' on with his
mushrat sl1innin'.
lis the wilder imp says Uncle Sne-
becker
"'Wull, ruther!' says the chap, larfn'
like q hyeny. She's ben in these two
weells-way in,' he says
Uncle Snebecker didn't know
exactly wat to make outen this but
he says:
Kin 1 see the wilder. think?'
"'Wull,' says the chap. larfin' ag'in.
mot jist now; but if yer good, stiff
Eard-shell Baptis', an don't backslide,
the chances is that yen run ag Tin her
one o these days he says.
Uncle Snebecker begun to git mad
now, an he says, pooty loud:
"'See here" he says If We think We
kin pick me up fer consumed idjit yer
barkin' up the wrong tree fer coons!
What's the reason can't see the wild
der now?'
"'NuIl.' says the chap, larfi,.' rnore'n
ever. 4 dunno why We can't, unless it's
cause the widder's dead!'
Then the chap went on skinnin' his
mushrats, an Uncle Snebecker were
goin' on, wen tho chap hollers to him
an says:
Guess We don't know about the
Widder Pudgecracls, DC yep he says
Uncle Suebecker said he didn't.
WALL says the chap. we mustn't go
'way without hearin' bout the widder,'
says he. ian De with yer while
80 Uncle Snebecker stayed to hear
about tbs wilder
A year ago, now SAYS the chap,
this want the WiG6er Pudgecrack
clearin, cause tina want 10 Wilder
taen. an tina want no
ciearin'- Tke WiddsE Pudgecrac6 :hen
we've jisf plain Tahithy Ann Flint, CT
Ann were gcttin' to'aris 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. Bat Sampson
Pu6gecraclS kim along about then. an.
thinkin' Tabithy Ann nowt be savin'
sort of 4 wife to tie to. he as, her. an
Tabithy Ann didn't waste her time a.
sayin' no. Sampson he bought this
here land al put up that air c. Din YEN
der, an him an Tabithy Ann sot down
IN II Sampson he buckleG iu like =
house afre an cleared off the brush.
an by the time The snow wen. rtT l,r had !