The Penn's Grove record., 1896-09-25
MUGGINS.


N..I Caters bought his famous bull
pup when bull pups were in fashion
and paid a good round sum for him.
The pup came of a long line Of fighting
ancestors, and his noble name was
Augglns.
Inside Of a week Mussins had Van
CATERS completely In subsection. Mug.
gins slept on Van Caters bed and
chawed Van Caters feet when he
moved them In the night; Muggins
ibreakfasted on Van Caters cuffs,
1unched on Van Caters boets, dined
and supped on choice bits of Van Gait
srs' friends.
Mugglns, plus Van Caters, walked
down Fifth venue Of an afternoon,
and was sure to become involved In
some street brawl before Van Caters
got him home again. Generally Vap
CATERS got mixed UP In the row as well,
and once the two landed In q police
station and had to be b1!led out.
Not that Muggins picked quarrels
FGr from that. But Mugsins was so
bow-legged that he walked In q chain
stitch pattern from Que side Of the walk
to the other, and Muggins was Of an
ugllness that appalled, one; like the re-
hection Of a respectable dog in q con.
yex mirror with a kink In II.
There was something about the crook
ed, yet Jaunty advance of him, some
thing In the slanting lser Of his bulg-
ing brown eye, that set other dogs
teeth on edge. Hence battle for Mug
gins brooked no criticism. Pugs and
such things he rolled about on the cob
oles until their tails were out of curl.
But when big dogs went home minus
An a or a section of tail or with badly
lacerated leg the wner merely groan-
ed, Its that beastiy bull pup of Van
CATERS"
30 much for the valor of Muggins.
For intelligence Mugglns was a wonder.
humor-Muggins' sense of humor was
colossal.
He used regularly to charge upon TIN.
olihd man who sold pencils at the foot
OF the Il" station and grab the handful
OF MS wares the old fellow so pathe,i.
caily extended. Then Muagins would
retreat to the cable track to deyour
them, leaving Van Caters to pick up
she poor old chap, set him on his camp
stool and make good his loss. The
plihd man never came to endure Mug
gins onslaughts with euuanimIty.
though he p~rotlted largely by this novel
method of sale.
Muggins went about Brooklyn In h
CAB with Van Caters at the time of the
trolley strises, when Van CATERS was
0nntlns up sensations and various regi-
mental friends of his, Mugglns escap-
ed from the cab In Hicks street anil
upset a whole company of the Tbir-
teenth Regiment boys, who were drill
ing In front of a Chinese laundry. their
temporary quarters. Muggins started
10 run around the block and dashed bs-
tween the legs OF company X, then
changed his mind and dashed hack
again, bowling over the whole line. Tho
boys were angry enough to have bayo-
neted him If Van CATERS had MOI
caught him in the rebound and haulel
him into the cab.
Then Muggins was the sworn enem,
OF the young De Peysters, next door
who were always playing tricks on tho
passers-by. They were trying the cob
blestone trick one day, and had set on
b walk a granite block done IN in
wrapping paper with a pink string.
While they lurked In the ares VS.
waiting to boot at the first unfortunate
who should attempt to kick II ont NJ
MS path, Mu9slns came trottIng down
D steps M made for ii. The bows
charged him, but Muggins kept then,
on. lie tried his jaw On each Of the
-Four corners of the block, and a howl
or derision went up from his fees Than
Augglns tried to carry It of by the
string and failed. Finally, with infl.
Aits difficulty and low Srowls he rolled
1t to the foot off, IVAN Cater stems
and stood guard overtt, nibbling It pen.
sively the while till his master appear
Nd.
1t was "tamale" year that rear ana
tamale men were on every corner. Mug.
gins has Ideas on the subject. He
liked the smell Of the hot tamales and
the grateful warmth emanating from
the big tin cans in which the tamales
were stored. If he found a tamale man
absent from his post for a moment Mug.
gins would squat down like a Chinese
Idol In front Of the can, and take charge
OF 1t for the rest Of the evening, while
customers waited and the tamaie man
shrieked and swore, afraid to approach
and Van Caters enjoyed the fun.
Then Muggins prevented his master
from proposing to Miss Emilia Remsen.
The night of Mrs. Van Caters empire
ball MuggIns had concealed himself In
the conservatory some time during the