Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1896-02-06

git materials fer nxin' Betty up, an
I've bin tur'bIy troubled to know wher'
4 I'd sit more"
"Well, Jerry as am one OF the Of
flcers Of the Fair Association, wfll
see what can do in getting you a free
stand on the Fair ground, and you can
try the plan anyway" said Mr.. Boone.
Perhaps you can still make your living
on Betty, though she IL dead"
"An' In case l can, Henry Boone"
exclaimed Jerry, In u delighted, trium-
plant voice, cant you see the good
thatll come out o. Betty's death?
S'pose can earn my livin' on dead
cow, don't you see how much erhead
that is O. live one? Why, therll be no
hay an grain to buy, no milkin' to
do. no drivin' back an forth to paster
Can't you see the silver linin' In that,
plain enough"
i The next morning, as Mr.. Boone was
passing by, Jerry stopped him again.
Henry" he said, "ernother idee has
come to my mind erbout Betty. I've
bin a-viewin' her over, an find that
by cutting Off her tail to erbout four
inches an trimmin' 1t to shape, an par
In down her hoofs, can make her into
mighty rispecterble white moose.
Betty's legs are so long, an her body
so short an round, she's pOOty near the
shape Of moose. Now which do you
think would be the greatest curiosity,
a antlered COW or white mOOse?"
'Why, as to that, jerry" Mr.. Boone
replied. deeply amused, II think you
had better decide for yourself. A white
moose would certainly be great cur
iosity, perhaps more SO than the antler-
ell cow
"Well, 1 think I'll have the moose"
said Jerry. "A moose il a uncommon
err critter than COW, and then I'd have
sech pleasure in fixin' it. / use to feel
kind O. shame o. Betty's angler shape,
spesherly when the boys would laugh
at her an call her Texas steer. But
you see now there was a blessin' in
! them long legs, only couldn't see 1t
then. OF course l amt gOin' to claim
that it's real moose. / think I'll ad-
vertize it as homemade moose. But
eff it'll give folks the idee as to how a
moose looks / don't see but what it'll
answer ev'ry puppus o. the genwine
critter."N
Mr.. Boone took kindly interest in
the old mans novel venture, assisting
him in his preparations for the exhibit
ion. When the Fair opened Jerry &C.
cupied closed booth, I'm the centre of
which stood the curiOus-lOoking crea-
ture. On the outside an attractive ad-
vertisement of homemade moose,
with low admission charge, was ar
ranged by Mr.. Boone.
Proud and hopeful Jerry sat inside,
collecting the coins that came slowly
at first. The cautious public was shy
Of venturing it's nickels on a sham
creature. But as those who pioneered
the way praised the animal, others fol-
lowed. And, too, Mr.. Boone stimulated
the patronage among kindly hearts
by spreading the report of the old mans
need and his object in making the eXhi
bition. And when the three days of
the Fair We're over. Jerry had taken in
the sum of fifty dollars.
Stationed near Jerry on the Fair
ground was a travelling museum. When
the proprietor of this examined the
moose and saw the patronage it elicit
ed. he decided it would be a valuable
acquisition to his collection. And at the
close of the Fair he offered Jerry the
sum of one hundred dollars for the
creature; but the old man would not
dispose of it until he had counseled
with his kind neighbor.
"Yes. indeed" said Mr.. Boone. ''sell
it. by all means, Jerry The money
will be worth more to you than the an
imal And / will have talk with you
this evening as to how to invest it,"
SO the trade was made, and Jerry
went home with his old heart relieved
AMI gladdened by his success.
True to his word, Mr.. Boone saw the
old man ut the close of the day.
Jerry" he said, my plan for you
is this: For you to invest this money
in three good cows and go little heav-
Ter into the milk business. Then you
will be able to hire boy to deliver
milk and drive your cows to pasture.
Every one knows how clean and care
full you are with your milk, and you
could have good many more custom,
ers among the neighbOrs."
AS Jerry comprehended the full sig
nificance of this suggestion his old
face lighted with joy.
why, Henry Boone" he exclaimed,
with eager, excited voice, what a mas
ter hand you are at plannin'. Three
good cows an boy to wait on me!
never 'spected nothin' TO equal that
this side o. Heaven. An think o. me
losin' my faith so when Betty died. I'd
orter been ershamed o. myself. Hain't
He said that not sparrer shall fall
to the ground 'thout His notice? How
unreasonable then fer me to think
that as big a critter as my COW could
die 'thout His seeing it? / never shall
doubt my phloserfy ergin. Why should
L? 1t never has failed me. Dark at
times the clouds have closed Ground
me till it seemed they'd never lift
ergin, but the silver linn has always
showed itself at last, thank God"