The Roanoke times. [volume] (Roanoke, Va.) 1890-1895, 1894-08-02
OBSERVATION-DISCLOSURES ri I !
WHAT HIS SHORT STAY IN LOUISIANA
DID FOR HIM.

but Pete Camo Back Completely Changed.
IL never knew any one but Peto
Raines that had ever been to Louisiana, 4"
said Slote Bondcll of Gibson county,
Tenn, "and I never heard him say a
word against it, but from the way he
acted when no came back to Tennessee
from there can't say that I gathered
the idea that Louisiana held out many
inducements for folks to go there and
stay-that is, if the district Pete Raines
went to was any fair sample of the
way things strike visitors in Louisiana
That district was Tangipahoa parish.
saw Pete whom he started for Tangipa-
hoa parish, and saw him Just after he
got back. That's why I can't get up
and shout much when hear folks bray
about Louisiana, although Pete never
said n word. There was good reason for
that, though.
Now, s'pose that when 1 rise to
remark that west Tennessee is the garden
spot of all creation some folks IL smoker
and maybe snort. But they wouldn't if
they knew how 'shamed they'd DO if
they could ever strike luck enough to be
turned loose in Gibson county once, es-
pccially around whore Humboldt is
William zachariah Raines lives there,
Zone day, two years or SO ago, Bill
Zach said to Plunk-Plunk was a mig
ger that worked for Bill Zach, and IA
good ono no was, too-'Plunk, said
Bill Zach, there amt no kind O use,
wo got to do something with Pete
Tho better 1 treat him tho worse he
acts. He won't pillow, and he won't
do nothing that amt cussodness.
Kicked the bay mare i'll the belly this
morning, and she won't DO worth pic
ayune for week Chased the old wom-
an from tho cowyard clear to the house
and into the house and followed her
half way up the kitchen stairs. There
amt any living with Pete any longer.
Something's got to he done. Guess I'll
send him long with you down into
Louisiana.
'Gollyv said PUNK. Who'll fotch
me back ag'in den? Pete he kill me
sure! Dead niger can't walk back from
'Weesyannahn
But Bill Zach had made up his
mind, and the mule had to go with
Punk, dead Niger or no dead nigger
Pete Raines was mule, and slick one
he was too! Bill Zach raised him. He
was years old when all this happened,
and I'll bet his ears We're foot and
half long. His tail wasn't as long as his
ears, but it had tuft on it like IL can
non swab. Pete was fat rs seal, and
his hide glistened like darky's face In
a green cornfield. But Pete wasn't reli-
able. He had a way of kicking and bit
ing and fighting on the spur of tho mo-
ment and without any provocation that
made him practically tho boss of things
around Bill Zach's place, and he knew
it. Bill Zach bought place couple of
years ago down i'll Tangipahoa parish,
La, to which ho intended to send PUNK
down to work, and so he thought he'd
get rid Of Pete in a merciful sort of way
by sending him down there, too, al
though it might he that he'd get rid of
PUNK at the same time
They shipped Pete ON the railroad,
and he went away tickled to death He
had it i'll his mind that he was going
into wider field to spread his cusscd-
ness in, and he fairly yelled with de-
light ill his car when the train pulled
out. 1t is $50 miles from Humboldt to
Tangipahoa parish by rail. When they
unloaded Pete down there, he came out
smiling. He thought he had it i'll for
that country and would make his mark
But he hadn't looked around much be-
fore detection seemed to seize him.
PUNK had mover seen Pete that way,
and he got scared. PUNK was moro I'M
easy still when Pete went listlessly to
the plow and dragged it all day without
once lifting his ears or his heels.
L bet dis whole plantation gin q
alligator what amt kotched yit, said
PUNK, dat dey's earthquake wucllin
i'll dat mool, All dat when it busts it'll
h list dis Niger clean to de udder side
OBJ Jurdan!'
'But it wasn't so. The mule got
down i'll the dumps worse and worse cv-
cry day, and after Pete had been III
Louisiana week PUNK went to tho
field after him one day, and there was
no mule to be seem PUNK hunted all
over that country for three days. but
couldn't find any trace of Pete. Then
Punk sent word to Bill Zach that the
mule had gone off somewhere and died.
And Bill Zach was glad. About three
weeks after that Bill Zach was startled
out of his sleep at half past 3 i'll the
morning by n noise that awakened mem
cries He listened. The noise broke out
again. 1t ratified the windows; it echoed
among the hills; it walled; it yooped; it
heehawed.
"'Pote, by the living jumper' yelled
Bill Zach, jumping out of bed and hur-
rying to the door. A mule was leaning
wearily against the front fence. He was
thin and scranny his nvnS 1yern hnllo1y