Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1893-07-22

The Gentleman Who Made . Fortuse N
Alabama snd Lost IL In Keutucky.

The Gentieman Who Made . Fortsse n
Alabams sind Lost II In Kentucky.
'Iwent down into the Black Belt shortly after
the war. when il was good deal blacker shan 10
Is now" said traveller TO writer for Horpe-'s
Weekly. 1T was in central Alabama. The
nigeers were so thick that they actually DARK
ened the landscape. The whole region wss
gloomy with Africans. IL seemed like partial
eclipse OF the sun all the while. / had . plan
at one time to set up refectors here and there
to tighten up things little, but never carried
it out 1 said that 1 engaged in hog rsising.
did, but I did not grow the native razor
back variety. You know the old southern excuse
for this style OF swine-that il doesn't nav
to raise . hog that can't run faster than Q
niger. Still ] determined to grow the
obese style Of porker which we see in the
fashion plates of the agricultural papers.
1 determined to raise portly. short-iegged
hogs. j knew what I had TO contend with
1 owned at that time a fine ful-blooded bull
dog named the whited Sepulcher. he vss
very intelligent beast. and game. ] sent
TO New Orleans and had made q rubber hog
that Is, a rubber bag which, when inflated. had
the exact outlines of one OF my fne swine 10
was light. strong and plisble. put this On my
dog precisely as diver puts on his suit all
lowed the animals feet nose and ewes 10 re-
main on the outside: and then / blew NO this
artificial skin with a small bellows. IL frame
formed him into very presentsble half-srown
blooded pig. A farmer or stock raiser could,
no doubt. have distinguished him fros the
genuine article, but / believe that he you'd
have deceived the editor OF an agricultural
paper. / then trained him TO STAY with my
swine. but not TO run on with them when they
were frightened. In fact, intelligent the
beast was. doubt il / could have taught him
TO run from anything. The chapter on The
Retreat seemed to have been lost from thst
dogs book Of military tactics
The first evening had my hogs turned one
in the pasture in charge OF my inflated dog I
determined TO watch the proceedings. The
swine were busily engaged in hunting for
pecan nuts when q friend and brother, IN the
Ruise of a large colored person, with a foudness
for fresh pork. emerged from some neiehbor-
ing brush. Instinct seemed TO teach all Of those
hogs except one TO make on a. fast their
short and largely ornamental lees would carry
them The dark voter came up rapidly and
started TO fall upon this lettering swine. vss
myself startled 10 see that hog rear on his hind
legs, utter q deem, blood-curdling BARI and
leap for the throat Of the gentleman from AZ
rica. He just missed, and the Niger tarned
and ran ~ 1 never saw another free Amsricsn
citizen run before or since. The Whited sepul-
cher kept close behind, giving vent TO hollow
barks. They crashed away through the under
brush and were lost TO sight In q aalf
hour the dog returned, and was alarmed -
see . calm expression Of satisfaction in his eye
which made me fear the worst. However,
conducted my hog plantation for two years and
never missed hog. I cleared ESQ. 900, but LOSE
IL all the next yesr on popcorn farm In Ken
lucky. 1t is a matter Of public record In the
reports Of the Agricultural Department that
tramps fired my barn. where 1 had my crops
stored. OF course, the corn popped. and. there
being several thousand bushels OF Il, IL fosmsd
ali over the township to the average depth Of
ten feet / was sued right and left for heavy
damages, and came out with only e2,ooo 10 III
world"