The Dawson news. (Dawson, Ga.) 1889-current, 1896-05-27
mALvEKN's ERUDErE sHoAT.
Perhaps the Most Cultured Creature in the
whole state of Arkansas.

Perhaps the Most Cultured Creature in the
whole state of Arkansas.
From the Chicago Times-Herald.
Speaking of pork?'' said Bissell
Wilson, district passenger agent OF
the Missouri Pacific railway, inserting
conversational jimmy into a discus
sion between two board of trade men.
speaking Of pork, did you ever meet
that educated pig at Mayern! NO!
Well, there's one JOY coming to you.
That pig is beyond all cavil and argu-
ment the most accomplished animal in
the state of Arkansas. You may tell
your stories of intelligent dogs and
wise mules, lu5 this brown shoat of
Malvern has the general information
of university postgraduate. | met
him in casual way, though I've heard
of men who travelled all the way from
Memphis to see him. What is his spe-
cIalty? Telling time.
"Malvern. yOn know, is where the
Hot Springs Short Line meets the
Iron mountain road. | stood on the
platform one morning waiting for
the Springs train. | saw this pig prof.
Getting around the right of way in a
desultory manner, and while was idly
watching him he surprised me by sit
ting down, lifting his nose toward
heaven and bowling in the most fright
full manner. l never heard such hOr-
rible piercing song, and he wouldn't
let up. He kept it going as if he were
doing piece work.
"'Why don't you unload your Win
chester into the critter?' l asked of
hunter-a native-Who was standing
on the platform.
Because I'm not ripe for the here
after, ne replied. The citizens would
lynch any one who tried to bushWhack
that hog. | remember one stranger,
eight or ten years ago, started in to
chunk him with coal. The tOWnfolk
bend in the track. He may be on the
run yet. He had hit a good gait when
last seem
'E'Why do the natives set such store
by nuisance?' pursued.
He amt regarded in that light,
stranger. So far from being regarded
as Objectionable, that swine is the OBJ
ject around which civic pride swings
and rattles. We set our watches by
that hog, and town clocks in Malvern
are useless luxury with Rodney
that's his name-on earth. You see,
it is ike this. Twelve years ago Rod
ney, then a common, ordinary looking
pig, with no indication of his brain
power walked down the right of way
just as the train stopped. The porter
in the buffet car dumped his refuse
food out beyond the water tank, just
as he had for months before. Rodney
down there and got square
meal. Next day he came again. At
first he got but one feed per day. Then
he began to consider, and to lay for all
the trains. 1t took him about two
months to differentiate between the
local and through trains, but at last
he got 'em fixed, and you couldn't
drive him there now before the regular
train time. Three times day-in the
about O'Clock in the after
noon, and again at 6-he's Johnny on
the spot, as travelling men say. Once
a porter fooled him-he threw the
stuff out on the wrong side of the
train, and Rodney run him upa tele-
graph pole. 1t took the whole crew
W hc6Y LIE pig az udy uIUll VIC pun UC1
could get into the train. Since then
they havea t tried any tricks on him.
"But why does he make such an in
fernal noise about it?' l asked.
"That's where his value as time
telling institution comes in. If the
tram is on time he air t saying word,
but if it's a minute overdue he raises
his voice and keeps itup till he hears
the engine. So the Malvern people
know the time whether the trains are
on time or not. OF course it is mOnOt-
onous sometimes when they are three
or four hours off their time, but the
town has to stand it until the delayed
train comes or another one is due
from the other way.
"But, objected, "when the time is
changed in the spring and fall it must
throw the pig off his reckoning"
Don't believe it, stranger, The crit
ter can do anything but talk, and he
gets his tip on the changes hearing the
station men discussing the new time
card. Rodney is never wrong"