The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1893-04-15

doying it, he ups and argys with me
that he didn't, and that the man
hired to rake in the manure pulled
them in heaps with the cause |
hadn't give him better vituals to eat.
The man, old John Carter, was
dead. He died of lockiaw after he
cut his foot with an axe when he was
cutting wood for old PEebe Miller
down near the creek, SO | couldn't
tell him about it,
When the corn got up the crows
came in droves and l asked Jimmy if
he knowed how to shoot, and he said
he did. So | loaded up the old
musket and fixed him in big hole /
dug along the fence, In the corn
field, and told him to shoot the
crows from the hole.
He ran out TO that hole with a
! whoor and said he was going to
play Pawnee Bill. He threw lot of
corn that he had soaked in quart
CT my best whisky that he stole from
the front room closet, on the ground
near the hole, before he crawled
down in it, and covered the top with
cornfodder ard bushes. He hadn't t
been there an hour before we heard
the musket go off and in little
while he Mas running to the house
with both hands full Of crows.
When he got into the house he
threw twenty dead crows on the
floor and then took sixteen more out
of the bosom of his shirt. Gracious
me, if he hadn't killed thirty six
crows at the first shot. | reloaded
the gun and sent him out again, and
he came in soon after with twenty
nine more crows. Then | went out
to the field and never saw such
sight in my life Why, the ground
was covered with crows, all cawing
and staggering about, some 'em try
ing to stand up on their bills. l
walked about and kicked over a hun
dred to death, and found out that
was the way Jimmy had killed what
he took 10 the house.
While l was killing the crows
Neighbor Edmunds and his hired
man came walking over to where |
was. They we're carrying calf,
and laying it down on the ground
Edmunds said: Acton, l guess
you'll have to pay me $50 for this
Jersey calf. This young man, point
ing to Jimmy, shot it awhile ago.
John, saw him do it, and also saw
him drag it and throw it in the old
quarry hole You can have the
carcass and I'll see to getting the
money. I told him l wouldn' t
quarrel, but thought his price was
too high, even if it was a Jersey calf.
| had to pay it. for he'd go to law il
| didn't.
Jimmy allowed he didn't kill the
calf, but the evidence wa, against
him. The youngster got even with
Edmunds, but | didn't know it for a
good while after it happened. He
and my wife got to raising chickens
and pigeons, so did Edmunds and
his wife. Well, Jimmy always had
plenty Of spring chickens and nice
squads to send to market. Do you
know, the young scamp stole 'em
from Edmunds. When Edmunds'
cherries were ripe, Jimmy went over
and helped to pick 'em and he got a
sight more OF the fruit than the
owner did, for he'd sneak a kettle
full to the fence every chance he
could and empty 'em in the high
grass, then he'd go out at night and
| gather 'em up.
| When we had lot of pups l TOLD
Jimmy one day to take 'em to the
dam and drown 'em. But he didn't
He got some dye my wife had anc
dyed 'em all liver color, and one day
fellow came along in wagon anc
Jimmy asked him if he wanted tc
buy some nice: young, high brec
dogs. Well, sir, my name isn't Joe
if he didn't take that chap in to see
the pups. He had seven ard he
talked 'em up so that the fellow tool
the whole lot at s. so apiece. Think
of it S17.5o for worthless pups. He
went off day or two afterwards
and bought lot of geese and wen
and dyed them red and yeller; ther
sent 'em on the railroad to some
dealer in town, who bought then
for Russian geese at S. pair. He
sent four pairs and the man sent the
money back and in letter told hin
to get as many more at the same
price, if he could.
One day he took whole lot 0
black dye and painted our gra,
mare all over with it, and then tool
it to Norristown and traded it off fol
nice bay horse, to an undertaken
One night when our Susan's beat
came to see her, Jimmie got into
the front room and hid himsel
behind the hreboard in the chimney
place. Before he got into his hiding
place he poured lot of light coloree
powder over the bare floor; the folk: