The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-01-30
SAM BUFFY'S QUEER FIX.
FATE OF a MAN THO ATE A GROUND
noe DAT GROUHbHOG.

ne IL sleeping IInir the Year aud EntinE Grass
the Other Hair-At Least That IL the story
zaccheus Piatherwsrt Told "a s~lnnemnhen-
Ing s1nn. ann ne WASN'T Proved t. ne n liar.
ROULETTE, Pa, Jan. 27.-"whcnever ground
hog day draws Nigh" said the man from over
Sinnemahonlng way, II feel sad because my re-
markablo father, Reuben Pottibone, had to pass
Away before no satisfied himself on one point
that had long disturbed him.. Reuben Potti-
bone died between grounding days or he would
certainly havo settled that point. no matter
what the consequences might have boon, for he
would then have known whether Zacchcus
plathtrwort was q liar or n citizen to whom
honor was due. or course you know, Macki.
naw," snid the man from over Sinnemahoning
way, addressing tho man in the red. blue. yell
low, purple. green. and pink Mackinaw jacket.
that II the grounding comes out on the I'd Of
February and secs his shadow old Eoreas will
hump and howl for six weeks longer, and II he
doesn't see his shadow tho backbone OF winter
is broken md won't DO able to mend itself again
any more thnn n pipcstom after l Ind stepped
on 1t. Uf course you know that, Mackinawi'
81 hain't sunk down quito SO durn low yt
rs 10 care q crlss what sich critters as ground
hogs kin do nor what they can't do replied
The man In the red, blue. yellow. purple, and pink
Mackinaw jacket.
AIR said the man ir3m over Sinnemahon.
ING way. that's unfortunate. I am so dis.
appointed in you. Macl;inaw. that il | wasn't
prompted by " wish to show you what a nlan'of
Iron nerve and indomitable purpose my re-
marsablc father. Reuben Pettibone, was, it
seems to me that ] would scarcely have tho
heart to relate this incident In his career that I
have in my mind :ust now. But flial duty
must assert itself over personal pleasure, and
SO l will waive the latter and set the memory Of
Reuben Pettibone still higher on tho pedestal OF
popular esteem than 1t IS even now.
MY remarkable father, the day before one
grounding day, years and years ago. was moved
to remark TO his neighbor, Xaccheus Plather.
wort, over on the S~lnncmahonc:
" 'Zacoheus,' said he. I don't care whether
the grounding secs his shadow tomorrow
when he comes out or whether he doesn't, but
I know one thing he will see, and that is me
Awith n club. I've always wanted a meal off a
grounding day grounding, and this season
I'm going to have it, whether Boreas keeps on
bowling for six weeks or whether he sncaks off
with q flea in his car
what exclaimed Eaccheus Platherwort;
you don't mean to tell me that you would eat n
grounding that has seen It's shadow on grounds
hog day, do you, Reuben Petitioner
"'Surcly!' replied my remarkable father.
Why not2'
''Zaccheus Plathcrwort was renowned from
the mouth Of tho Sinnemahone to its furthest
headwatcrs as n man Of pious walk and ways.
Reuben Pcttibone,' said he solemnly, 1t
would be better for you to hang n milestone
about your neck and jump into the raging sea
than to cat of a grounding that has come out Of
It's hole on grounding day and seen its shadow!
Groundhogs are nice and fat on grounding day,
Reuben, but if one has seen its shadow don't
you ever take 1t home and dine of it! Don't
ynIl III 4 m Won ntphf mat m tvn1l
swallow a bottle of laudanun.'
".Pooh!' remarked Reuben Pettibone.
never knew or heard Of Passadanky Sam Ruffy,'
replied Lacchcus Plathcrwort. 'Passadanky
Sam Buffy, perhaps. said the same thing whom
he was warned against cutting of o grounding
day grounding that had come forth and seen its
shadow, but if he did say it, 1t was u sorry day
t9r him when he said 1t, and it's a sorry day for
".fs Sam deadf inquired my remarkable
mo. sir!' replied Zaccheus. That was ninety
years ago, and Passadanky Sam Butfy was %
years Old then, but he amt dead yet; Nor he
in sleep and and sh S,s otnsE haf shawins g, grass
Pettibone, i want to knowE
You shall. Reuben. You shall replied
Zaccheus, and he let my remarkable father
The passadanky Bufys.'. said he, were
among the 1irst Of the daring folks that settled
Bufys had II prediction for closencss in their
nance their, popularity. but. Passadanky sam
Buffy had the reputation of being able to give
Al al c Of the rest sbd 9I I, the , Bmffy n,, ,IIs we ~ rods o Isn start
and do it easy. Sam had grubbcd out a good
clearing over there, but he was so uncommonly
skinping and skinny In his dealings that the
gardet as free and open:hapdod compared
TO Betsy Fletcher, the p~rettiest girl on the old
Pnssndanky. He didn't become engaged to
BE ! = Though ,SIHGit b6 because ga she was E wiling in I oiG
Shadrack fletcher, had his eye on that clearing
Of Sans; and he wanted it in the family. Sam
never talked much Of anything else to Betsy
when he went to see her evenings except about
how to keep house chcaply, how to save in. grid
hogs from the least provision for the family
table, and similar cheerful tales of household
fsS stsT ~ s oHs nIghbs rG Tho nul he wi WAS calling on
'nDid you know that tomorrow was ground
But who cares for grounding dayi' said she.
"'"Wull, / do!' said sam. There's a big
savin' o, pork in grounding day, as ] fgger 1t
Betsy Just turned up her nose and shifted
pork said sam, and tomorrow | kin save q
getherin' in a gronndhos when he comes out of
wealth. said Sam, 'and | don't know any better
economy than savin' pork these times, when it's
E Ro shI ins9i. q pound and a fell'F kin eat ground
'~r
Betsy just turned up her nose and shifted
again, and by and by sam went home fuli OF his
and saving pork. Early next morning he went
out in his back meadow wnero Il grounding was
holed up. He hid himself near the hole, 1t
wasn't long before the grounding woke, 'way
dOTa in the burrow, and came up 10 SEQ whether
he Ind TO 20 back ana sleep SIX weeks longer or
whether he could stay out and do as he pleased.
He walEcd ont of the hole, and the sun being
behind II cloud just tnen, no began TO hop and
skip for joy, and got further and further away
from his hole. Then sam slipped up and ehut
the hole up with a big stone. Just as he did that
Tho sun cane OUT bri4ht and the grOundhog saw
his shadow. That Knocked all the joy out OF him
and he turned and tore back for his hole. Find
ing 10 shut up ho almost went crazy. hut before
things had gone to extremes win INN tho over
towering drowsiness that Is left in IL x grounding
when he sees his shadow OH grounding day
swamped him and he kec!cd over in his tracks
and went to snoring like II tired hound. And
there he'd have lain and sn0ohed and snored for
sIN weeks IL IL hndn't been for that economical
vent of Passadanky Sam Buffy's mind. When
Sam saw that the Rroundnog was lHs meat easy
enough. ho gave "A sloafui gulp, tapped tho
groundhog OH the head with u club aid put Il TO
m L. ---I t. --l