Walker Lake bulletin. (Hawthorne, Nev.) 1883-1926, 1895-06-26
ON PLANTATIONS.
Darkies Consider the Cory Deeds
Most Amusing.
HAS NO PREJUDICE AGAINST PORK
How the Pig Sticker Goes About to Pre-
pare for His Murderous Work-Run
to Death.
las NO PREJUDICE AGAINST PORK.

pronounce against it, and discriminate
ing fathers and mothers with families
to bring up. recalling ancient Mosaic
laws, and hearkening to the hue and
cry, debar it from their tables or have
it seldom, says the New York Tribune.
On the plantation, however, no such
uncomfortable prejudices obtain.
There it is still the custom to indulge
literally in backbone stew. head cheese,
soused pigs feet, scrapple, brain soufie
and other delectable dishes. with a
reckless disregard of hygienic warn
ings. There they prepare yards and
yards of linked and savory sausages,
black pudddings. liver puddings and
the like. to partake of them and pro-
nounce them good. with no scruples as
to disastrous results. They hang rows
and rows of "sides'' and hams and
shoulders from the rafters of dim
smoke houses. to be cured in the old.
fashioned way, permeated through
and through with the wholesome fumes
of carefully tended corncob fire, alter.
nately burning and smoldering to just
the proper degree.
Hog-killing on the plantation is an
event of Importance attended with
ceremony and excitement, and southern
housewives arrange their social plans
and engagements with reference to its
dem ands on their time and attention.
"We can't come next week because
we are going to KILL" a soft-voiced
matron will say in response to an invi.
tation, innocent Of the murderous-
sounding import Of her words, and her
companion understands Immediately
the uselessness of further discussion
The week, devoted to "killing" on the
plantation is analogous to those
momentous weeks dedicated to spring
and fall house cleaning by the thorough
going northern housekeeper, and every
one knows how futile would be any at
tempt to divert the attention of New
England housewife while those time
honored rites were in progress.
The excitement begins in the kicthen
when the recognized ancient pig-stick.
er, imbued with sense of his import
ant Office, goes to interview the cook as
to the particular carving knives and
other sort of knives, pals and dishpans
she can spare for an indefinite time.
In the beginning she tells him that she
can't spare sny to his tender mercies,
and in the end she let's him have what
ever he wants he acquiring each coveted
article, however, with distinct strug-
gle, wordy war as to his need of it
contrasted with her need to it. and a
faithful promise to bring it back when
he is through promise which she
knows of old he will not fulfill.
Finally. possessed of complement
of murderous weapons. he proceeds to
sharpen them and to dispatch his var
ious aids de-camp on numerous import
ant missions. Two small darkies are
detailed to turn the glindstone, two
small dogs belonging respectively to
each sitting by and looking interestedly
on intuitively shifting fresh meat in
the air and already tasting the tit. bits
that will fall to their share. Two
other ebon assistants are bid to collect
chips and chunks of light wood to
-..NFe a fire under the pot, others to
i'll Win water the big, black three
egged caldron stantrrhs IN its estab.
ished rocks III the back yaru, ~.-s
again to slant an empty barrel at a cor
rect angle. the better to scald the hairy
sacrifice. Others speed to the corn
house to select seductive nubbin with
which to tole the unsuspecting swine
to the slaughter.
These details having been ATTENDED
to. the pig-sticker adjusts his clay
colorel baggipg apron, ties a suporan
nuated scarf about his head to ward o.
the wiltry breeze and hies him to tn
pasture fence. where his subordinates I
are already seated. with the basket {
corn between them, calling on the der
zens of those secluded glades all
thickets to come forth and be regale'
The hogs are not accustomed to } !
called up at that hour of the day, ar |
for some time no response comes TO u t
alluring invitation. s
The venerable swineherd joins J /
thin, cracked falsetto to the stent' :
ian, "Oh! ois' of his younger comp
ions. His charges recognize .
familiar call. and in moment me-
from various directions, they cfe
running with approving grunts toe l
accustomed feeding place. AS y l
assemble and greedily devour the IS L
of corn slung down to them the mem e
the fence reckon on the relse S
weights of certain black. spottepr t
reddish ones. and bets are made 20 /
which one of the three has guesseF. @
rectly. In the meanwhile all the ail S
boys, black and white, and all thegs I
of all sizes and colors have drawn r. t
Then, VIXEN the master OF cerenles t
has finished chewing his tobaccqo +
has decided ON his first victlne G
gives the sign. 10