Evening star., 1897-04-17
FARMING IN MARYLAND
An Amusing Deseap,aan 4 Pig oultp,. in
Aaa ruadsl.
I-ssry 10 sAe stste From the C.ston
Of Tax Discrinin.tien Asstnst
New Gomer..


describe them. Probebly NO period in the
life OF Mr.. Dubois, however. teens with as
much Incident as that which he devoted to
farming several years ago In Anne Arun-
del county, Md. 1t was the pleasure Of the
guests at the luncheon recently given by
MI b. Hs Warner at the Shoreham to the
Maryland Republican Editorial Association
to listen to recital by Mr.. Dubois Of the
stirring episodes that crowded his bucolc
existence on the banks Of the Patuxent and
the thrilling adventures that befell his
Partner and himself. During the course of
his remarks Mr.. Dubois said that he was
In measure Marylander
!. own about 700 acres on the Patuxent,
The unfortunate parties who bought this
property with me voted the democratic
ticket in 1892 and went bankrupt In 1SEs,
as that seems to be the normal condition
was this property, with an Of its response
bilifies, fell into my charge with one Of
those indescribably dull thuds which some
OF you have probably experienced during
Nov I have been experimenting vita
that property. l started a pig ranch on 1t
about two years ago, and did this in spite
of my knowledge of the fact that one OF
John Randolph's friends started pig ranch
down in Charles county, and after two
years experience he summed the result up
as follows: The negroes raised the corn
and fed the corn to the pigs, the pigs ate
the corn and negroes ate the pigs. and thus
was able to make both ends meet, and
even things up all around.
He Buys Up Pigs.
But I went into the business notwith-
standing, this experience Of John Ran
dolph's friends, and / bought up all the pigs
for five miles around. sometimes unsignt
and unseen. AS soon as any one heard
that I wanted his pig he promptly put
fancy price on him and kindly delivered
him at my ranch. One day wagon loaded
with four negroes and one of my insight
and unseen purchases bound UP in about
two rods of rope arrived on the scene. After
the brute had been safely landed in the lot
my partner and took a look at him.
he had all the prominent points Of an
African hyena, but it turned out that he
was only half hyena, and the other half
was just razor-bacl1 pig for he had heen-
captured wild in the bottom lands of the
Patuxent. He was thinner than a free
trade theory. and he was ugiier than the
deadest donkey you ever saw. My partner
quietly climbed over the fence. into the
lot where he was, and said in a soft and
gentle voice: Come, piggie. pig. pig. pig
and the brute stood not upon the order of
his coming. but came with nose down and
back up and mouth wide open. Ally part
ner made a double e-bask-actfon handspring.
and landed on the other side OF the fence
anu am ,as l said . to him, Why; captain why in
with considerable agitation. My dear sir.
simply because ] hadn't any wings to
soar We soon turned the brute irto our
general lot. with fifty fine. sleek. fat pigs
At feeding time he took his place at the
head OF the long trough. and marched up
and down 1t, .Yerftable hog Of all he
surveyed. The nifty fine rigs grew to
razor-back hyena never gained single
pound except at meal times.
Prize, Pil. Imported.
Zone day my partner sail to me: My
dear sir. this will never do. We must bring
down prize pig from New York state
that will lick the bacon out of that thing
and build up our herd The prize pig was
ordered and arrived In the spring He was
gentlemanfy brute. With an aristocratic
carriage. and a pedigree rs long as the
line OF Ohio office seekers at the White
House. He had a retrousse Eose, and a
real hair spring curl TO his tail He was
as plump as, a peach. and was altogether
lovely for d pig.
I'VE finally turned him In to mix I'D in a
general way with the herd, and soon there
after my partner left to spend the summer
III the north. on Lake Cdyuga, and quiet
~ retired to my farm nf rocks and rattle
snakes in Pennsylvania.
In the fall we went down to the ranch
together, fairly wrigsiing with sniic;pa-
tion to see the result. The keeper called
In the herd from the bottom land. The
first thing that appeared was the hyena of
The Patuxent He trottel into the inclos-
cre as proud and as thin. and as hungry
and as ugly as ever and he promptly took
his place at the head OF the big feeding
trough. Ten other shadows Of pigs. ali
there were left of the fine herd of fifty,
came staggering slowly toward the feeding
place like case Of tuberculosis on its
last legs. 'tgis-
The Prize Porker.
my partner, with a spasm of pain twist
ing about his mouth, turned to the KEEPER
and said: Where in the world Is our New
York prize pig" The keeper WINGED a little
and said nervously, There he is. over there
Gentlemen, It was a sight to stop a clock
or scare trolley. There he stood, that
once pride and glory of the New York state
agricultural fairs: his aristocratic carriage
VAS all out Of gear. The charming; hair
spring curl To his tail had vanished. His
beautiful Fetrousse nose looked like the.
point Of a sixteenth century shoe, and his
plump and pingu.d form had dwindled to a
bunch Of bones, covered with widely scat
tered hair. and it would nave taken two
of his kind to make an ordinary shadow:
My partner turned in q dazed condition
and aung pathetic glance at me, and
commenced talking like a theater manager
who was suffering from contracting box
receipts.
He said in q sort of dreamy tone OF
voice: My friend. once upon time a negro
caught an immense fish. He fastened 1t
securely TO the bank of the riyec. and hur-
risd of 10 fetch soma friends to see it.
While he was gene another fisherman came
along with a measiy little fish, about three
inches long, and SUBSTITUTED it for the big
one. The negro soon came back Win his
friends and full of expectant pride he
reached down into the water aud pulled
up the littI. measly substitute, and hold
ing it aloft with an expression Of surprise
and amazement he crisd.s Lord massy,
boys, how dat dar fish has shrunk.
The next day my partner left for his
home in central New York, but before he
departed he nailed unto the largest pig pen
ON the ranch the following placard: Corn
won't grow fast enough for wind-splitters
and razor backs 4A this ranch. There is no
place like home. 4t have gone north to
spend the winter with my mother-in-law.'
Thing. That Hnvs Been Since Raised.
But, gentlemen. I persistentiy and pa
tiently stayed. and I,rstill own the 100 acres
in Anne Arundel county, ana nothwith-
standing the fact that the soil; is very
fair, the only thing I have succeeded in
raising down there rs disturbance with
the county commissioners. And that IS
probably because they have succeeded so
well in raising 3eufEageous taxes out. Of
me during the past faur years. Ny friends,
want to say one serious word to you on