Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1897-06-02
Humorous 9epartment.
SCRAGG'S MARE POLLY.

SCRAGG'S MARE POLLY.
They were talking about horses,
and more particularly about Nancy
Hanks wonderful record of 2.05 IA.
Every one seemed to be more or less
impressed with the marvelousness of
this record except old Mr.. Scraggs, a
retired farmer.
ashes fast, yes," he said. But I
oncet owned mare up on the farm
as could beat her. That mare was
lightnin' on legs. Polly was her name
named her after Mrs. Scragg's mother,
an finer woman you never met. She
could bake all around any other woman
in the county, an when it came to me
bein' sick she'd nurse me tenderlier
than as if wasn't son-in-law at all
but her own boy. My, how she could
trotr
"Your mother-in-law ?" asked one
of the circle.
"No; the hoss," snapped Scraggs,
with fire in his eye. "I'm talking
about that hoss. I bought her when
she was eight years old from old Mrs.
Tompkins. She wasn't much on looks,
Mrs. Tompkins wasn't, but she was
business all through. When her hus-
band died she took charge of the gro
Gerry, and added a millinery depart
ment to it, md by Joe inside of year
she was able to close up the grocery,
md do nothing but make hats. Tomp-
kins used to hitch her up to the deliv-
ero wagon, you know, but of course"
"You don't mean to say that any
man was ever mean enoug h to hitch
his wife up to grocery wagon, and
make her haul the packages about
town ?" queried the inquisitive mem
Der of the party.
"Ain't said nothing O. the kind, u
retorted Scraggs, "Don't you get too
funny. I'm talkin' about The boss. I
was going on to tell ye how when old
Mrs. Tompkins got to maxim two dol
lar hats for the women folks md sell
in 'em to 'em for ten, she gave up the
grocery bushes, md so didn't have
any use for the hoss old Tompkins
used for drivin' his delivery wagon.
1t happened I wanted a hoss bout
that time md so I called on old Mrs.
Tompkins to talk it over. She was
only eight years old at the time, and
hadn't much style about her, though
she was calculated to be faster'n any
thing else in town. l asst old Mrs.
Tompkins what she'd take, 'and she
says $24."
"'That's pretty high for an eight
year-old, says 1. I'll give you dol
lar md half yeer for the hoss. That's
$12.'
"'Make it two, and she's yours,
says old Mrs. Tompkins.
"'Throw in hat for my wife" says
I, ''nd it goes
"Done,' says she.
$50 bridled her, paid the money,
md led her home. Few days later
some O. the boys, KNOWN as 1 had
sportin' blood, came to me an asst me
to let Polly trot on mile track for
the record. My wife didn't want me
TO at first, because she was little off
her feed, md didn't approve of racin'
anyhow, but when the boys offered a
purse of $40 if she could beat 2.10, she
let up. So l said all right, md we set
the date"
"Well what was the result?" asked
the inquisitive youth.
"Two four for the mile" said
Scaggs.
1.-TWO four ?" cried the whole circle
at once.
"Yep," said Scraggs. "But il was
the track as helped her. There was
somethin' in the track as had ought to
be given some O. the credit, for the old
mare couldn't beat more'n four min
utes at the county fair grounds
"What was the special quality of
the track, Scraggs ?" asked one of the
party.
"Wall," said Scraggs, slowly, Gas far
as 1 could make out, mile on our
track warn't more'n halfa mile on any
other"