The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-01-02
PBOFIr ~ GUINEA PIGs.
Reward OF Taree Years Labor in Produc-
inga Caudated VARIETY

II have just come I'm from the country"
said the young man with the fail style
derby land l succeeded I'm making a
large and juicy fool of myself almost
every day ! was there. stayed with
an uncle of mine who has farm sixteen
or seventeen miles from nowhere and
the Reubens got the laugh on me SO
many times that l can't remember the
number.
THE queerest experience that / had,
though. was al one of their country fairs.
They held the fair early this year. for
some reason or other. and was on hand
10 take II in I went out 10 the grounds
with a party OF women who We're visit
ing I'm the neighborhood. and undsmay-
ed by the failure Of my former efforts
TO string the rustics. / started out 90
have some fun with them as soon as
we struck the grounds. We walked
around for a couple Of hours. aud /
was poking all manner OF fun at the
people we met. Finally we came Co.
the shed where the poultry was ON
exhibition. and AS SIC went al0us look
ing II the Variously bred chickens,
got b. rticDlarly funny. AT the end or
one OF the rows of coOps was 20 box With
five or six guinea pigs ln it There were
quite a. NUMBER OF lNNIINI NIl II tAAIfAil'n
around looking nj the queer httle animals.
we walked over and looked at inc
pigs Then | said loudly DO YOU know
that if you pick mp a guinea pig by the
tail its eyes SIN drop our Tine country
men stared. Fact ] continued. PICK
one Of them up by the tam and its eyes
will drop right out Most 1ueeriy COM
structed GaatOmiCally Of any animal
known 10 naturalists. If these piss were
mine / would soon show YOU
"A big. strapping fellow who stood be-
side the box said: Stranger. don't
believe You ! insisted that / was right
but he stood ana doggedly shook his
head and the rest of the cOuntrymcn
sided with him. Now. guinea pig has
no tail, and there is where the joke
comes i'm. / argued for sorue little time
and then made grand bluff. l pulled
cut little roll Of bii.e and Offered 90
bet the Reuben s. that Just that thing
would happen. nnagin' my surprise
when the Reuben hauled greasy
old pocket-book ont Of his jeans and coy
cred the money. / was sure ! had him.
for The let was "a catch one anyhow,
and as the young women who wers with
me were egsins me ON, couldn't think
Of flunking.
Understand / said. 4 claim that
If You pick Up mat guinea pig by IFS
tail it, eyes viii drop out
81 understand. said the cOuntryman,
as be opened the little door in the side
Of the box and pulled out guinea pix
Now, pick this one up and let's see us
eyes drop out
Then / began 10 laugh. liza, nay
friends 7 said. i have played "a little
trick on YOU. that's an. As guinea pix
has no tail you can't pick one mp boy d.
If you could. I DO NOT doubt that IT'S
eyes would drop out
Il reached ont for my half or the bet,
when the big countryman said 'lol on
there mister. YOu just look am see II
this here guinea pig hain't got tail ]
examined H. and may 1 be switched II
it didn't have n tain an inch Ions. The
countryman picked 10 mp by the little
caudal appendasc. and. Of course. its
eyes didn't drop out. Then ne reached
over. grabbed the wad Of money and put
it in his pocket. remarking the while: 1
didn't think when | developed that
breed Of guineas that they would ever
make that much for me-
I'm be blamed If he hadn't been work
ing for three years to produce guinea
pigs With tails, He had succeeded ana
I was chump enough 10 go against the
only cage Of that kind Of animals In the
world with my chestnut about their eyes
dropping out."-BUffalo Express.