West Virginia argus. [volume] (Kingwood, W. Va.) 1877-1946, 1895-02-14
LATEST LITERARY NEWS.

The greatest literary event of the
season came of one night last week
at the Demosthencs Literary Society
over at the Frog Pond School House.
The subject for discussion was.
Resolved, Chat a Methodist Com
ference is more detrimental TO the
longevity of Spring chickens than
den of red foxes or an epidemic
OF chicken cholera"
The question had been announced
two weeks before, and as the sled
ding was good, people had come
from far and near in bob-sleds,
yankee Jumpers, 60 devils, log. sleds,
stone drags. etc.
Uncle Zephaniah Koonskin. from
Huckleberry Ridge. was chairman
OF the meeting, and the judges we're
jeremiah Hayseed, Deacon Hard
shell and Josiah Wayback.
The debate was opened by Jed
dekiah Flapjack. from over on the
Sassafras fork OF Turkey Run. lie
admitted that he had never attend
ed a Methodist Conference, but
gauged the chicken consumption
thereof by the number that disap-
peared at Quarterly Meeting time
when only two or three preachers
were around, and claimed that he
had an old rooster that regularly
took to the woods and remained
hid for three days at a time every
three months. lie further said
that den of red foxes could be
cleaned out and caught and killed
off, and that the county even paid
bounty for their scalps i'm order
to encourage it and foster the
chicken industry, whereas no such
law or custom prevailed as to
poachers who were not only allowed
TO run at large and devour chickens,
but actually encouraged and pro-
tected in it by the law. So that
while den of foxes might be det-
rimental to birthday parties for
acknowledged pulle.s for awhile,
a.
they could soon be killed off and
the danger removed, but that
preachers were increasing all the
time and no chicken had any lease
for It's life any more at all.
lie was followed by Adonijab
Hardacre, from the Red Brush
Ridge of Hacklebarney, who did
not attempt to deny the arguments
of the speaker for the affirmative,
but cluimed that the chickens were
sacrificed In good cause, and
nothing was too good for the
preachers, not even the women.
And that the assertion that they
always feathered their nest by
picking the flock, was fowl SANDER.
The debate was closed by Joab
Hayrtck, from Seng Diggers' Hol.
low, who declared that the preacher
on their circuit had stopped at his
house while holding their big meet
ing this winter, and out of large
crop of chickens they had raised
last year, they hadn't even one now
to crow in the morning, and he
had oversight himself several times
on account of il. He said that as
for the chicken cholera. it could be
cured, and never lasted long any.
how, whereas the appetite of a
preacher for chicken was chronic
and fncurable, unless the Kelley
Institutes could manage it.
The judges unanimously decided
III favor OF The Affirmative. The
verdict gave general satisfaction, in
spite Of the fowl nature of the pro.
ceedings.
The next question for debate was
proposed by Abijah Flaxbrake, and
is, Resolved, THAT, which is the
hind end of a Wind mill ?" 1t will
be discussed by Ebcnezer Cornrow,
Timothy Tugmutton, Ezekiel Dat.
cake and Jeremiah Doolittle. AS
all these are farmers Of the old
sickle and chaff-piIer variety, who
have handled wind mills in clean
ing out their grain all their lives,
it is to be hoped that this vexed
and long delayed question will be
settled.
In this issue, on orr frst page,
mo Ill 4. L.