Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1896-03-04
HOG GUESSING.
A Winter Amusement on Long Island
that is Still in Much
Vogue,

Hog guessing is one of the sports of
the olden time which has survived the
competition of baseball and golf. In fact
the numerous hog guessings held of late
and the large crowds which nave at
tended them indicate a revival OF the
sport. Every Long island village must
have, at least, its annual hog guessing.
The important occasion is sure to draw
a crowd and make fat the pOcketbook OF
the popular hotel proprietor.
To make a hog guessing a success re
Qulres JudlclouS management and I'D
eral advertising. In the first place the
biggest hog in the town must be OBJ
tanned several weeks before the time
appointed for the guessing and the hog
pen must be conveniently located near
the bar-room, so that the hogs CROWN
from day to day may be noted by the
patrons of the hotel. If he is OF I'M
usual size he is often weighed say, a
month before the guessing and MS
weight announced. Posters are put up
in neighboring hotels, blacksmith shops
and other places of public resort, ana
everything possible is done to draw
crowd.
AS the day approaches interest IN the
victim increases and many a so-called
lucky guesser owes his reputation to the
clandeStine visit to the hog pen with q
tape measure. Every butcher and pro
fessional hog guesser has rule OF his
own for determining the weight CT q
hog. but the usual rule is to multiply the
girth round the breast, just behind the
shoulder blade, and the length OF the
back, from the tail to the forepart of the
shoulder blade, in inches and divide by
IA for the superficial feet. Multiply the
result by u, the weight allowed for each
superficial foot.
The Berksh--cs are the favorite breed,
because Of their immense size and early
maturity. The marks of the thorough
bred are four white feet, Il white spot
between the eyes and a few white hairs
behind each shoulder. The main color,
of course, is black. The weights range
all the way from 500 to 800 or even 900
pounds, The bigger the hog the greater
the interest in his weight and the more
free advertisement of the guessing.
When the day arrives, the crowd gath
ers early in the morning, and a motley
crowd it is. grading all the way from
the truant school boy to the dignitied
church deacon. They come on foot and
in all sorts of vehicles, including, in rare
instances, the modern bicycle. a club is
often formed Of members. who each
guess a different weight, with the under
standing that if the hog is won by any
of the members it is divided between all
of them These clubs often come to-
gether in q big farm wagon. The hero
of the occasion is the professional pig
sticker, usually an old-time butcher, who
made q living by going from farm tC
farm killing live stock of all kinds; next
in Importance is the hotel proprietor or
the local politician.
As soon as the hog stops kicking the
carcass is hoiSted on the platform ana
prepared for scalding. When all is ready
the body is soUsed in the scalding water
a few times and then withdrawn and
the work of scraping begins. This is
| done with the clam shells, dull knives
or anything that will scrape without cut
ting. After the process of scraping the
skin is complete the hog is usually
weighed amid the greatest excitement.
The holders of the guesses nearest the
weight at once claim the pork and are
expected to pay for all the liquor drank
during the rest of the afternoon and
give the butcher a liberal tip besides.
Sometimes the hog is cut up and sold
at auction and the proceeds divided
among the winners. Brooklyn Eagle.