The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1896-08-06
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A SNAKE STORY.
No Use Trying to Obtain Drink without
Serpent as Currency.


Mugford hitched his horse in the shade
and threw himself on the grass near a
clump of bushes He was tired, and after
eating lunch from his haversack he was
about to lie on the ground for a nap when
he happened to see a squatter riding up tho
trail.
SIS there any danger of snakes here?' DO
asked.
Thar amt snaik in this part Nv the
country, replied the squatter.
"Why, you surprise me-"
eyed be wuss serprised if ye found a
snaik hyar, if ye warn't stranger !
Weren't there ever any snakes herep"
"Ye've said it. -
"What has become of them?"
''Do ye see that house on the hill about
mile away"
eyes -
"They're all up thar.''
"The snakes?"
"Ye've said it,"
"Somebody got menagerie9"
"Not less that's er nuther new name fer
drug store.
''Oh, it's drug storeF"
sold Ducks"
s'What does he do with SO many snakes2"
"Hangs 'em on er hook"
'fBut what does he want with them2"
"He don't want 'em. Fellers that wants
Ticker brings 'em thar.
81 don't understand.
eye would if ye war dry an went thar
for Ticker"
al should like to have you explain. -
"Waal, ye see, this is prohibishun
state.
eyes
can We can't git Ticker at er drug store
less we've got er perscriptshun, er, as ole
Duck lows, er snaik. -
''That's odd'
''Ye've said it. It happened like this
One day ole Snoopy gifts bit with er snaik.
We sends Ropes over ter Ducks fer Ticker
on the jump. He SEE ter Duck, Give me a
quart NV yer best Ticker 'Whar's yer per-
scriptshun?' SEE Duck 'Hain't got none, ;
seq Ropes. Then We can't have no Ticker
hyar,' SEE Duck THE laws powerful
strict. But, dad blame ye, er mans snaik
bitp seq Ropes, an less we git that Ticker
double quick he dies deader'an mus'rat ,
/ can't help it, sez Duck. 'Ye brings yer
perscriptshun CT We gifts no Ticker. I ain It
poper' latin no Jail fer yi'latin the law if
knows it, But thar amt no doctor in 40
miles Nv the place, SEE Ropes, IAN this yere
Swoppy's snaik Bit
"Duck thinks moment, then he sez,
Have ye got the snaik?' Yes, SEE Ropes
Then bring it an git yer Ticker, SEE Duck.
So Ropes brings the snaik an gifts the lick
er, which saves Swoppy's life all right.
''That is the startin Nv the snaik biz
ness, an havin Established the precedent, as
Duck lowed, he don't discrinernate none,
an if We brings yer snaik ye gifts yer Ticker
Everybody lows that's fair, an it warn It
long till snaiks war snaiks in this neck Nv
the woods. AS the snaiks got scarcer it
warn't so powerful uncommon for cove
that war dry ter pay couple Nv dollars
fer a snaik an they warn't pertic'l lar ter
the size. The county attorney that's paid
ter look after this prohibishun bizness, kicks
some at first; but seein that all the boys
is agin him, he lows that custom mecks
law, so he accepts the snaiks in the place
Nv perscriptshuns. Now when he comes
round he jist looks over Ducks stock Nv
Ticker, counts his snaiks an goes away"
Well, | must say that that queer ar
rangement.'
"Ye've sed it. But must be ridin.''
AS he started to ride away he turned and
said:
"Say, stranger"
"Well?''
eff ye happen ter be dry an stop at
Ducks, jist give him this, an ye'll git all
the Ticker ye want
He tossed something to Mugford, who
picked it up, to find that it was small
rubber snake.
Don't try ter git no ticker less ye take
that along" said the squatter as he rode
away. II tell ye, Ducks square man,
an ole Grover Cleveland couldn't git sup
Nv Ticker thar less he had his snaik. Good
day. WIN Lisenbee in Truth.