Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-03-31
A BRIDE CONTEST.

Had the man from Raccoon vale,
dropped a dynamite shell in the redho
stove, he could not have surprised th
store more than he did by the purchas
OF three glass pitchers. The store wa
d~umfounded, but, always slow to evinc,
emotion Of any kind, it said nothin,
until the stranger had taken a chair
placed his basketful of glassware at hi.
feet, lighted a penny cigar and shown
his intention to linger awhile, provid.
ing ne found things pleasant.
Then the man with the bushy whis.
kers who was lolling on the counter
shufded his feet In warning and al
length said. II low you must drink q
heap of water up your way"
The storekeeper strolled around from
behind the counter and, taking a post
with his back to the stove and his eyes
fastened on the transom over the front
door. ventured in an indifferent way,
YES, You must drink a heap of wotter
to buy q dollar an a half worth O.
pitchers at onct."
The stranger grinned again.
Perhaps he don't drink only water, F"
came from the mar who was rocking on
a nail key behind the stove.
"They hain't fer wotter. but fer wed.
din presents, " said the stranger.
"Mighty souls! A triple weddinl''
cried the s~torekeeper. "Well, you uns
NJ up in Raocoon valley do beat ALI"
"This here petio'lar instance do beat
all, l admit, said the man who hailed
from that small but important part Of
the state Of Pennsylvania. "The blue
pitchers fer Teacher Perry, the green
un fer Jakey Wingle. old Jawhn Win.
gle's son the plain un's fer Hen Har-
mon.
And the store lifted up its voice in
n grand mighty souls!"
The stranger rubbed his hand through
his long beard and grinned again.
cts nine mile to Raccoon VALLEY.
It's kinder an outen the way, ahint the
time sort O. a plaoet, an I've never ben
there an don't know them as you un
has spoken Of, said the man on the
counter. "But you mowt tell US Of it,"
"GwonP' cried the rest Of the gath.
ering.
II low If you don't know Teacher
Perry, OF Jawhn Wingle's son Jakey,
or Hen Harmon, you uns mowt o. heard
O. Squire Kramer. amt your"
The store had not, and the stranger
said, mighty soulsi"
Having thus expressed his surprise at
the ignorance about him, he continued:
not hevin heard o. Squire Kra-
mer, O. course you uns hain't heard O.
his twins, Flory an Pet. Them was
girls The pretties' in Raccoon valley,
or any other valley, fer that matter
II year old, 8 feet s inch high, weighin
a scant hundred al twelve pound, slim,
yeller hair, musklar, He'd l BEN a
younger man | might o. gone in the
fight with Teacher Perry, Jakey Wingle
Hen Harmon, but gettin near to SO
as ! am, with . missus and seven lit.
tie uns at home, | lef' the iel' to them, /
q high time they an them twins he'd I
O. it. It was a case O. the three O. EN-
courtin the two O. EN-, fer if Teacher
Perry, or Jake Wingle, Jawhn Wingle's
son, or Hen Harmon went over to
he never set up with any
petc'lar twin, but with whichever he |
seen first.
About corn cuttin time Teacher Per.
~ goes over to Squire Kramer's, an he
sais. sails be, Squire. I want one o.
your twin dotters.
(Which un?' sails the squire.
Tive no idee,' sails Teacher Perry,
scratchin his head, kinder puzzled like.
"Jest then up comes Hen Harmon an
Jake Wingle, Jawhn Wingle's son.
Squire, sails Jake, kinder 1ustered
ike, fer fear the teacher he'd got ahead
y him, me an Hen each wants one g.
EN- twins.
Squire Kramer. he thot a piece, an
hen sails, sails be: Boys, they's three
; You nj an two o. the twins. One O.
ron uns has got to git left. Which un?'
THE three O. en- kind O. looked fool
sh like, an Squire Kramer cast his eye
Town over his 20 acre fel' o. tall, straight
,orn.
(Which un?' he asked ag'in after a
,it.
"Gittin no answer, he says: See
'ander lel' o. corn? Well, Ilf tell you
What we'll do. Well decide this here
by q corn cuttin tournyment.
'he two fellers tibet cuts the most corn
2 two hours time kin have the twins
Ehs one TELLER that cuts the most kin
'ev the first pick atween Flory an Pet.
AN % they agreed.
well, sirs, tibet there corn cuttin
.urnyment was the grandest thing I
YER seen. All the folks In the valley
moved o IT IN come to look on. There
fully 80 buggies hitched along the
snce when the squire give the word an
'eacher Perry an Jake Wingle an Hen
[armon fell to cuttin. Have seen I
cap o corn out in my day. but I never
sen the beat O. the way them boys
2nooio1 Edifinn