The star. (Reynoldsville, Pa.) 1892-1946, 1894-08-08
HOWP'ETEW EWASCURED
WHAT HIS SHORT STAY IN LOUISIANA
DID FOR HIM.

Bill Zach Thought Pete RaIncs Was Incur
| able and Sent Him Awny-PlunlS Took
| His Life In His Hand, So He Thought,
but Pete Came Back Completely Changed.
II never knew any one but Pete
Raines that had ever been to Louisiana, "
said Slote Bondell of Gibson county,
Tenn, land l never heard him say
word against it, but from the way he
acted when he came back TO Tennessee
from there 1 can't say that 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 l
saw Pete when he started for Tangipa-
hoa parish, and saw him just after he
| got back. That's why / can't get up
and shout much when hear folks brag
about Louisiana, although Pete never
said word. There was good reason for
that, though.
"Now, s'pose that when rise to
remark that west Tennessee is the garden
spot of all creation some folks II snicller
and maybe snort. But they wouldn't if
they knew how 'shamed they'd be if
they could ever strike luck enough to be
turned loose in Gibson county once, es-
pecially around where Humboldt is
William Zachariah Raines lives there
Zone day, two years on so ago, Bill
Zach said to Plunk-Plunk was mig
ger that worked for Bill Zach, and
good one he was, too-'Plunk, said
Bill Zach, there amt no kind o. use,
we got to do something with Pete.
Tho better / treat him the worse he
acts, He won't plow, and he won't
do nothing that amt cussedness.
Kicked the bay mare in the belly this
morning, and she won't be worth pic
ayune for week. Chased the old WON.
an from the 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 be done Guess I'll
send him long with you down into
Louisiana
'Golly! said PUNK. Who'll fotoh
me back ag'in den? Pete he kill me
surel Dead nigger can't walk back from
'Weesyannahr
but Bill Zach had made up his
mind, and the mule had to go with
PUNK, dead nigger or no dead Niger.
"Guess l forgot to say before that
Pete Raines was n mule, and slick one
he was tool Bill Zach raised him. He
was years old when all this happened,
and I'll bet his ears were foot and a
half long. His tail wasn't as long as his
ears, but it had tuft on it like can
non swab. Pete was fat as a 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 the mo-
ment and without any provocation that
made him practically the boss of things
around Bill Zach's place, and he knew
it. Bill Zach bought a place a couple of
years ago down in Tangipahoa parish,
La, to which he intended to send PUNK
down to work, and so he thought he d
get rid of Pete in 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 in his mind that he was going
into a wider field to spread his cussed-
ness in, and he fairly yelled with de-
light in 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 in for
that country and would make his mark.
But he hadn't looked around much be.
fore detection seemed to seize him.
PUNK had never seen Pete that way.
and he got scared. PUNK was more un-
easy still when Pete went listlessly to
the plow and dragged it all day without
once lifting his ears or his heels
81 bet dis whole plantation gin q
alligator what amt kotched yit said
PUNK, dat dey's Earthquake wuckin
in dat mool. an dat when 1t busts it'll
hist dis Niger clean to de udder side
OBJ Jurdan'
"But it wasn't So The mule got
down in the dumps worse and worse ev'
cry day, and after Pete had been in
Louisiana a week PUNK went to the
field after him one day, and there was
no mule to be seen. 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
| ,v,,,1o had uouo s,fP rov,, oxu,y, oro o,,d diad