The News-Herald. [volume] (Hillsboro, Highland Co., Ohio) 1886-1973, 1897-09-23
! SHORTER, SON
AOF AHURRICANE.
The End Of His Cyclonic Career
Brought Grief to the Hem
lock Belt.

II Nv OANAS Va my tAipS eAAoN6A cAAS
~ Passadanky country, up in the
bemlock belt" said John Gilbert, the
travelling grocerynan, "a disconsolate-
looking native came out of barn near
the roadside and hailed me. stopped.
"'Did you come through Jinkins' Hol-
ler?' be asked.
"'Yes,' said.
".Was folks gethered pooty plenty at
the tavern, lookin' glum?' he asked.
"'Not that noticed l replied.
"'Wasn't the store shet up?'
".No.'
"'Busness goin' on about as usual,
hay?'
1T appeared to be-
"'Then they hain't heerd on it down
to the Holler yet said the native.
Guess I better lope down there an
break it to 'em myself kind O. gentle.
If the news hits 'em suddent they mowt
shet down the tavern
"'What's happened" asked, my Gu
riosity excited.
"'Why, Snorter's dead!' was the re-
ply.
"'Who's Snorter? inquired.
"'Guess you must live pooty fur
about here said the native, if you
never heerd O. Snorter!'
81 had to admit that did not live
thereabout. The big barn door was
open and swung back against the side
Of the barn. The native stepped back
and closed it.
"'There.' said he, pointing to mis-
cellaneous collection of things hanging
to that side of the door. 'Them's the
latest assortment of Snorter's scalps!'
IT counted 23 ratskins, weasel skin
and chicken hawk.
"'Them's Snorter's scalps,' said the
native. AN you bet you gloom'll foller
when the news gifts round that Snort
: er's dead!'
"'Son of yours" said I.
"'Son o. mine!' exclaimed the ma
tive. Pub! There amt no son o. mine
nor no son O. nobody else on the Oh
Passadanky could hung up passel O.
scalps like them! No, sir! Shorter
want my son. He was the son of a
hurricane, Shorter was! He was a
rooster, an the son of hurricane! No
one never see the likes O. him afore.
an won't never see the likes O. him
agin!
"'Four years ago hurricane setch
Is we never heerd on afore come swoop-
in through this deestric'. 1t come from
the southeast an fetched all sorts o.
truck along with it, droppin' of it here
an there, an pickin' up more in place
of it, SOS we had things that belonged
mebbe way down in Virginny. for all
k1.1x l~a1@ l.,
us was mebbe lugged off an dropped
down way up dn Michigan, jes' as like
as not, if the hurricane wind held out
that fur-an' from the way it was goin'
when It slid over the OF Passadanky
rve an idee it had wind enough to car
~ it on to Alasky, easy enough, before
II give it's dyin' yoop. After the hurri.
cane got by went out to take look
around, an 'mongst other things
found was a red hen, settin' dazed-hke
under thorn bush. There never had
been a hen like that in the hull hem
3. lock belt. How fur she had rid on the
bosom O. that cyclone nobody'll never
know. l picked her up an found al
egg where she sot. The egg want nj
bigger'n the everyday run O. hem:
eggs. but 1t was red-almost as red al
the hen. brung the hen an the egs
In, but the hen never seemed to gi
herself together agin, an give couple
O. kind O. homesick sighs an kicked
the bucket. had an OIL dominick heI
that was pnin' to set, an 1 sot her
Amongst her settin' O. eggs was tha
red egg that come from some unknown
country ridin' into the Passadanl,y
deestric on the bosom o. that storm
Some O. that hurricane had worked it,
way into that egg, sure enough. for tn
chicken that come outen it turned ou
to be reg'!ar movin' cyclone. Tha
chicken was as red rs the egg 1t cam
out of. an that chicken was Shorter
He was the son of a hurricane. an h
took after his father from the word go
"'First time ever took notice G
Snorter's uncommon p'ints was one da,
when he was about a month old. Iva
goin' by the barn here, an heerd
!. tremendous cackiin' 'mongst the check
ems back in the barnyard. an ra
squealin' in setch key that know
Il must a run ag'in trouble O. som
kind. ! went round to the yard. al
there WIS that hurricane chicken. witt
nothin' on It yit but pinfeathers, tug
GIN away like mad at rats tail, whic
he had ketched hold on as the rat wa
skippin' into hole under the barr
mebbe with an egg or a young CHECKER
After two or three jerks that buddiI
\ eselons Of chicken yanked the n