The Van Buren press. [volume] (Van Buren, Ark.) 1859-1914, 1896-04-11
"By Hook and Mercrook."

ut is all in the family anyhow, Ru-
fus, and | don't mind tellin you that
Dink Ashcraft is jest a l-e-e-tle bit
shaky in regards to his church rela-
tionships and the settlement of his
store account. But when it comes to
politics, and standin by his friends in
times of trouble, he will do to count on.
He showed that by the way in which he
stuck to Jerry Rutherford through the
heat and burdens of the fight.
"Now, in thep days, tolerable soon
after Dick had made his famous flop, it
come to pass that there want more than
three or four men in the Panther Creek
settlement but what was out and out
for Jerry Rutherford One of the scat
term few was old man Sandy Cowlin,
and presently Dinll and Jerry they
went in together and fixed up private
scheme to pull him around in line. So
by hook or mercrook it happened that
Jerry was putin up at Drinks house
one day, with his horse hitehed at the
rack, when old man Sandy come along
on his return back home from trip to
the river country. They hailed him as
he rid by and he made out like he was
in a monstrous hurry, but he final
ly at last got down and went in. Now
presently of course Jerry he went down
into his saddlebags and come forth with
his bottle. He ask old man Sandy to
jine him, and the old man was more
than willin. They talked along about
the weather and the crops and the like
of that till Jerry and the old man had
changed their breath three or four times
without sayin a word to Dink. 1t was
Jerry's whisky, you understand, and
he could treat it out aecordin to his
own way. Dink he looked mad and
said nothin and took the slight as best
he could till Jerry and old man Sandy
had nibbled at the bottle four or five
times, but torectly he got up and shook
his fist at Jerry, and told him there
was the front gate and out yonder was
the big road.
"sYou can't come right here in my
own house, Jerry Rutherford, and fling
your insults in my face without hearin
the news from me- says Dink. IF you
think you can treat all your whisky
away on Sandy Cowlin right here be-
fore my face and never say turly to
me, and still git my vote on election
day, you are simply barkin up the
wrong tree. l would see you dead and
buried face down, SO when you
scratched out you would be at home,
first. Your horse is hitched at the
rack, and the sooner you head him
away from my house the better it will
be for everybody
"Well, of course Jerry he couldn't do
nothin but git up and go. But by this
time, you understand, old man Sandy
had bit off several plugs of Jerry's
whisky, and whilst he want no Ruther-
ford man to start with, he was now
jest about ripe enough to pull.
"'Let the game stand right there
jerry says old man Sandy. IF Dink
wants to quit let him q7sit, and by gat-
Inns where he takes out will come in.
When you lose one voter you win an
other. Sandy Cowlin amt gone no.
where's
"And old man Sandy took Jerry home
with him and made him stay all night,
and right along there is where the little
private scheme got in it's work. When
election day rolled in Sandy Cowlin
voted for Jerry Rutherford. So did
Dink Ashcraft. And old man Sandy
couldn't tell you till this day how the
thing turned out the way it did.