The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-01-01
TURKEY syEEzED ITS HEAD OFF.
Scotchmnn's Snuff Killed the Bird When the
Gang Failed To Hit 1t.

From n, Topeka STATE journal.
1T was during the time that the Santa F6
was being built through Kansas. | was with
a track-layinE outfit as boss. but bosses and
men all had to sleep in the same box ear board
ing house. There was an old Scotchman In
the gang who used snuff. and I'll tell You with
out getting far from the truth that. II there
was an engine on the road that did not draw
well. one pinch Of that SNUFF would clear out
her fues SO we'll that she would draw chunks
OF coal right up through the stack. You can
laugh. but what l I'm telling you is Gospel
truth. YES, sir.
THAT old son Of Bobby Burnsland would
spill some OF that snufr every time he took a
pinch, and there was SNUFF scattered all around
the box car We lived in and all along the track.
Why. one day a poor. fellow lying in one of
those two by twice Lunks got a Whit Of that
snuff and succeed 80 hard that he nearly beat
his brains out on the bottom OF the bunk over
him. We finally got used 10 sneezing.
That's not the story I was going IN tell. It
was a Christmas story I had in mind. We
were working way out in the short grass
country twenty. yes. thirty miles from even n
place that would be called a town. We hah a
hapdcar and the day before Christmas we
sent four e the ,d boyf into ,nr the town to get a
more they got ssyera! .}I9Gs Of whisEey Back
men can. uOid9 SScotchv was not lar behind In
the soaHinG business when the stun arrived.
and Re took his share along with his snun. A
drink Of whiskey and 'kerchow' h. would 20
rs soon as he could take some snuff,,
That was the drnnkest gang ever saw.
They kept It M all might and even the cook
was loaded. The neat morning they brought
the turkey out 10 BE- slaughtered, Tho crowd
was SO full of whiskey they walked all over
the right OF. way, and the turkey, was the only
sober one in the crowd. One big lrishman
got the axe out aud sharpened IL. Tendv To 40
The headsman's act on Sir Turk. Tine turkeys
head was laid on n tie aud the rlau rnised tho
axe to strike. Just as the ave rame down. the
sneezed So hard that the AKA was buried sew
etal inches IN the tie, but never touched, him;
The crowd thought thai was pretty good, and
all took n drink III the strength OF The turkeys
lucky snceEe.
drinking and kent missing the, turkeys head,
ESery time the. ave. WAS raised Ia strike. the
turkey sneeyed anil the crowd took another
drink. and the turkeys life was saved. There
wasn't a one in that crowd sober enough tp ht
over. the tie when the turkey sneeaed. The
STUFF that had heen scattered by tn" four
winds Of heaven snved its head from that axe.
We didn't have any Christmas dinner that day.
S"otchman. All the rest wee fast asieep aud
he wandered over TO The Jug and took {, long
pull, Then no opened his box for n pinch OF
snuff He was too drunG To close the hos and
had il open ~ his hand when he droprrd Of
to sleep.
'"The next morning when, the crowd came
to. there lay the turkey dead. Its head could
not he found The old mar stopped and
moyeu away.
WHY. II got its heak in.the snuN box and
sneezed It's head on"