Evening star., 1896-02-29
MALvERN's ERUDITE sHOAT.
Perhaps the Most Cultured Creatur,
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 Bissen Wilson,
districrpassenger agent Of the Missouri Pa
CHIC railway, inserting a conversational jim
my into discussion between two board of
trade men. Speaking of pork, did you ever
meet that educated pig at Malvern? No?
WE'LL there's one joy and delight coming to
you. That pig is beyond all cavil and argu-
ment the most accomplished animal in the
state or Arkansas. You may tell your sto-
ries of intelligent dogs and wise mules, but
this brown shoat of Malvern has the general
information of a university postgraduate
] met him in a casual way myself, though
I've heard of men who Travelled all the way
from Memphis to see him. What is his
speciality? Telling time.
Malvern, you know, is where the Hot
Springs Short Line meets the Iron Mountain
road. l stood on the platform one morning
waiting for the Springs train. / saw this
nard-iooklng pig projecting around the right
OF way In desultory manner. and while
was idly watching him he surprised me by
sitting down, lifting his nose toward heav-
en- and bowling in the most frightful man
Eer. l never heard such horrible piercing
song, and he wouldn't let up. He kept il
going as steadily as if he were doing piece
work.
Why don't you unload your Winchester
into the critter" l asked of a hunter-a
native-who vas standing on the platform
Because I'm not ripe for the herea fter,'
ne replied. The citizens would surely lynch
any one who tried to bushwhack that hog
remember one stranger. eight or ten years
ego. started in to chunk him with pieces OF
coal. The townfolk run the tourist clear
yonder to that bend in the track. He may he
on the run yet. He had hit good gait when
last Seen.'
why do the natives set such a store by
q nuisance" l pursued
He amt regarded in that light, stranger
SO Tar from being regarded as Objectionable,
that swine is the object around which civic
pride swings and rattles. We get our watch
es by that hog, and town clocks in Malvern
are useless luxury with Rodney-that's his
name-on earth. You see, It's like this
Twelve years ago Rodney, 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 happened down
there and got a 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 two months
to differentiate between the local and
through trains, but at last he got 'em all
fixed. and you couldn't drive him there now
before the regular train time. Three times
a day-in the morning, at about 2 o'clock
in the afternoon and again at 6-he's Johnny
on the spot, as these travelling men say
Once porter fooled him-he threw the stuff
out on the wrong side of the train. and Rod
ney run him Up telegraph pole. 1t took the
whole train crew to keep the pig at bay
until the porter could get into the train.
Since then they haven't tried any tricks on
him.
But why does he make such an internal
noise about it.? asked.
That's where his value as time-telling
institution comes in. If the train is on time
he amt saying a word, but if it's minute
overdue he raises his voice and he keeps 1t
up till he hears the engine. So Malvern peo-
pie know the time whether the trains are on
schedule time or not. OF course, it's monot-
onous sometimes, when they are three or
four hours off their time, but the town has
to stand 1t until the delayed train comes or
another one is due from the other way
But I objected. when the time Is
changed in the spring and fall, it must
throw the pig off his reckoning
Don't believe ii, stranger. The critter
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"