The Jasper weekly courier. [volume] (Jasper, Ind.) 1858-1922, 1897-12-10
KICKING In SINNEMAHONE. :
NOTHING IILg THAT FEVER EITHER
BEFORE or SINCE.

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the mountain remember the
strange ailmcnt that visited us folks on
the other side when | was young
man ?" said the man from over SHINE
mahoning way. a strange ailmcnt II
was indeed. Sort of an uncomfortable
reran cement of the muscular tissues
OF The leg. the doctors called il, but i.
was known as the kicking fever Of the
Sinnemahone. wonder IL any OF you
remember it?"
Maturity, it amt likely that any
body does" said the man IN the red.
blue. green. pink, yellow and purple
Mackinaw jacket. "but any fever that
ever got mixed up with folks on The
Sinnemahone an didn't kick must n
been OF setch mild an forgivin' dis
position as TO make it a shame TO feed
quinine TO IL.
Thanks. Mackinaw," said the man
from over Sinnemahoning way. "Your
gentle humor goes far toward dssipat-
ing certain sadness and tendency TO
abstraction and n fit Of the blues that
always assail me when | think Of that
kicking fever of the Sinncmahone, and
| thank you! When see the fertile
acres of the Jepheniah Bffkins estate
spreading along the Sinnemahoning's
classic bottom and think how they
would now all be mine but for that
kicking fever I am prone to sadness.
But you've knocked 'em silly this time,
Mackinaw.
ayes. yes. Those rich Jepheniah
Biffkins acres would now be mine but
for that kicking fever that came to the
Sinnemahone country. These acres
then belonged TO Deacon Judd Peeler
and the deacon's daughter Nancy had
promised to be my wife. and Nancy was
Aeir to all the wide Peeler estate. So
when think-bnt let that pass. 1t is
all over now.
wherever that most singular all
ment could have come from no one ever
knew. but il certainly cut wide swath
along the Sinnemahone. Twas off down
the river when it began its attack. and
consequently l DIDN'T know anything
about il until got back home couple
OF weeks later. The first person il struck
was Uncle Billy Tope. Uncle Billy was
a mild and easy-going citizen that no
one would have thought had any life
In him at all. and he was n strict tee
totaler. Consequently you may imagine
the establishment of Squire Bunker.
who owned the sawmill where Uncle
Billy worked, to see the old man CON-
ing up the road one day. giving TIE
mendous kick every two or three steps
he took. sometices to the right and some
times 10 the left, as IL he might have
started out TO kick all creation into the
middle OF next week. Squire Bunker
was scared. and he edged of to one side
OF the road as Uncle Billy came along.
kicking and scuffing and looking rs
wild as an Indian. The squire venturetf
TO say as the old man. was cavorting by:
whats up. William
Uncle Billy only shook his head. and
giving a kick that didn't miss the
squire's jaw by more than half an inch,
went on his way toward home. kicking
as he went.
Astounding! exclaimed the squire.
I never thought I'd live long enough
to see Uncle Billy Tope turn out to be
drinker!'
Then the squire started for home.
He hadn't gone hundred yards before
he began to feel little mulish himself.
and the first thing he knew he was
kicking away as unreasonably as Uncle
Billy. He couldn't stop it any more
than he could have stopped his mill race
with a three-inch plug. The squire
didn't have for to go, and before he
could reach out and open his door he
had kicked il open with bang. and his
wife came running out Of the kitchen to
see what was the matter.
Clear the way. mother! the squire
hollered. Give me room. Don't get in
my way or I'll make a widower Of my
self at one swoop!'
The squire's wife. scared almost to
ceath. locked herself up in closet. and
The squire kicked his way out Of the
back door and brought up in the garden.
where he yelled for some one to come
and tie him down. or else turn him into
aten-acre lot where he could have room
And that's the way that most unac-
countable kicking fever started along
me Sinnemahone. In less than a week
~ had taken a whack at almost every
man. woman and child in that baili-
wick. The kicking was only the pre-
monitory symptom Of the fever After
ire victim had kicked high and kicked
low. and TO the windward and to the
Reward. for half an hour or so. the fit
would pass away. but IL would come
pack again after awhile. The kicking
stage of the epidemic lasted two days.
anu then the second stage came on.
4 ms was scorching fever. Sam Belts.
when he got over his attack, declared
.hat ms fever was so hot that his wife
nau 10 keep the sheets wet TO prevent
'heir catching fire. but Sam wasn't
na'ive OF the Sinnemahoning country.
ne was from this side Of the mountain
somewhere. and folks didn't believe
MN. The fever lasted day. and left
Dthind II consuming longing for
soinething TO d-.nk-not water nor
'ohee nor tea nor milk. but rum, rye,
uppie juice. anything that had tooth
MI