Little Falls weekly transcript. (Little Falls, Morrison Co., Minn.) 1894-19??, 1894-08-17
! LITERAL
Shelby Thought He Meant II, and tho Hog
Suffered.

Shelby Thought He Meant Il, and tho HoR
Suffered.
I The following is to take the place OF the
George Washington Ratchet story. IS is
sent in with the assurance that it can be an.
thenticated if Senator Cullom denies it:
When he was young man, before be
dreamed Of listening senates or looked like
Lincoln, he was farmer boy. One day in
August, when the blistering heat was
parching the crops. and even the dog fennel
hung its head, young Cullom was on the
porch of the farmhouse trying to keep cool
and kill flies. The boss Of the farm sat
on the far end of the porch DOING. He was
aroused by passing neighbor, who called
out to him that a drove of hogs had broken
into the watermelon patch back of the
: barn. The watermelon crop was about all
that was left. The old farmer had had
some trouble with his hogs before, and this
information aroused his religious nature
and shattered it.
''Shelby!" he roared at the young man.
"Yes, sir" was the respectful reply
'"Take the shotgun and go down to that
melon patch and shoot every id hog you
find. Pm getting tired of this They have
ruined everything on the farm, and now
they are into the melon patch. Hurry up :"
The young man moved away, and the old
man resumed his seat and again fell asleep
The city reader probably needs to be in.
formed that in the country, where there is
no such thing as cold storage, the killing OF
hog in August or at any. time in hot
weather is like throwing away money. In
those days particularly there was no way
of curing pork in summer.
An hour later young Shelby returned to
the house, put up the gun and resumed his
place on the porch. The old man, halt
asleep. opened one eye on him and asked in
lazy manner:
'Well, kill 'emf"
KILLED seven, and two got away" was the
equally quiet response.
WHAT" shrieked the old man. jumping
from his chair and standing before young
Shelby in rage. you don't mean to tell
me that you killed seven of them hegs-my
Poland Chinas-this time of year when they
are useless? You young saphead?"
Yes, sir" responded young Shelby, with
meek obedience that reminds one of the
Washington Ratchet story; Il did as you
told me, sir; only I let two get away"
The old man looked at him as he would
at curiosity. His rage quieted, and he sat
down on the floor of the porch and nursed
his head for some time. After awhile he
called out quietly:
SHELBY Mp
Eyes, sir" was the response.
"Come here. You say you killed seven
of them shoats in the melon patch-seven
shot 'em-killed 'em dead?"
KILLED 'em dead" responded Shelby.
The old man looked at him, took off his
. big straw hat, famed himself for a mo.
ment and then said, with some solemn de.
iberation:
''Well, Shelby NJ, wish may be Id
if you amt the d-dest, most obedientest,
ID obliging farmland that I ever had
around. If you keep on mindin this way,
you'll be president some day."
THANK you, SIR" replied Shelby, who
went in the house to hide his bushes. The
old man looked after him and said to him.
self:
Il reckon he thinks mean it. Still this
is a --o of a country for the - fool.''-
Exchange