The Virginia enterprise. [volume] (Virginia, St. Louis County, Minn.) 1893-19??, 1895-01-18

, EG = ~ - cSsfE
I saw him last FIVE years ago. He was
then Is years old. and he was as hale
and hearty as he had ever been.. He ut
tributed his excellent physical and mental
condition to habitual economy in the
use of water, both Us a beverage and
Tor lnvatory purposes. ~i$s'@s9F ~ 1%1f& .
Although l am Prohibitionist,', he.
water, either taken internally or used
externally, is as bad as too much rum,
BUT there is only one excuse, for a man
to get drunk he went on. The only
time that a man is eXcusable for getting
drunk. ,nd he is fool if he doesn't do
It. then, il when he has NJ felon on his
niger. 10 get good and drunk is. the
felon. I have tricd.it aed know what l
am talking about: The only time ever
tasted liquor in my life was when |
had Il felon on my finger. l hadn't had
Il wink of sleep for three nights. Some
one said that good drupk would cure
mo. l thought l would try it, told
my daughter what l intended doing. and
the kind of stuff they sell in Cory. After
loading myself l had 'em fill quart
bottle Of the best they had. and took
that and the load had to my daughters.
| didn't like the whisky, but the prcscrip-
ton called for Il good drunk, and got
it. For while, as I found out after
ward, I made things lively at MY daugh-
! approved manner of confirmed old topers.
Then sank into oblivion, and for time
| it was Il question. whether l would come
! out Of it again. But did, and, although
the pain and swelling had gone from my
finger to my head. the change was Il
great relief, and was all right iii a
day or two. and my felon troubled me no
n ,O1x- hi1f
J. ever get another felon I'll 20 off on my
second drunk. I don't care if I'm as old
! as n century, IT,
! "One summer day l thought I would
drive out and have n chat with old
Baries:- as everybody called hinl-he
and when I got to the. lonely farm
house saw pair of big bare feet stick
ing out Of the open front door. l got out
Of the wagon and found that the feet be-
longed to Barnes Greeley. and that the
rest of the easy going old farmers person
was stretched on the bare floor. A news
PAPER covered his face. presumably to
made it rattle. indicating that the indie
pendent brother of the great Horace was
! very much asleep. Chickens were peck
ing about on the floor of the room, and
several contented pigs were grunting and
roaming about the threshold. l didn't
| nave llc HcIfI l~uIStuTD Tue Olu Se!luc-
mans sumbers and went back home.
One Of Barnes Grceley's weaknesses was
his love for hogs and chickens. They
loanlcd at will anywhere about his premi-
ses not excepting the best room i'll the
old mans house.
"'rhis eccentric brother of the Tribunc's
founder used to tell many things about
Horace When the latter had made him
self and his paper famous he sent for
Barnes to como to New York. Barnes
did so. and Horace gave him place of
! some kind in the Tribune Office but he
| didn't remain long.
~ couldn't fill any place would ac-
cept. the old farmer delighted in saying,
and wouldn't accept any place l could
| fill. So came back home. I'd rather be
Il king among hogs than to be hog among
! kings
''In his younger days Barnes Greeley
| was Il great hunter and fisherman. He
| was fond of telling amusing stories of
Horacc'S attempts to hunt and fish on his
| occasional visits to the old Pennsylvania
homestead.
eff deer had run by Horace in droves,'
Barnes would say, he couldn't have shot
one. l don't believe he'd have woke up
to the situa ton until the deer had been
gone an hour or two. AS for catching
fish, he never got so much as a bite in a
trout stream, while l would be fishing
right by his. side and pulling 'em out by
! the tOZpn'"