The Washington weekly post. (Washington, D.C.) 1878-1916, 1900-07-17

After Eben Brown sold his farm" said
Deacon Todgers. % Kentucky. remin!s-
Gently, time hung pretty heavy on ais
hands, ard he got into the habit OF COM
Ing down 20 the tavern and betting with
the boys. The moral element OF the COM
muni,y being against cards and dice, the
good old man had 10 stir up the sporting
blood Of the boys by getting them 20 bet
on races % various kinds-horses, fast
dogs, and finally matches between dom
keys Eben could generally hold his own
in the betting game. bat Squire Rogers.
who was a pretty smooth old COdger him
self, ran IN ringer donkey in race that
E5en thought he had all fixed. The result
was the transfer of wad OF bills 10 the
squire and a bunch Of experience 10
EDen Eben felt sore at this.
For an elder Of the church to run in I
trick circus animal IN race supposed 10
Oc limited 20 nou-professiOnsl Pike COun-
~ donkeys f. enough 10 curdIe the milk
in human kindness. observed Eben sadly.
in GOOD man and a pious. but I'll get
even with the squire II l develop paresis
trying 10 think up some plan
And Eben sighed in an honest, grieved
sort OF way that showed he had forgotten
al The money he had won from the boys
on other events of a sporting nature.
"Eben always had been given to fussing
with electricity, and magnets. and sci
'ntihc ioo.ishne~S, 50 when ne didn't show
up at the tavern for 4 spell every one
thought be was busy with what he called
his inventions But one Saturday after
noon he came 10 the tavern carrying a big
overgrown land turtle.
Only a Homeless Turtle.
It's only a poor homeless turtle l
picked up and tried 10 make comfortable
ne said, in answer 10 the boys questions
No candidate for first prize at beauty
SHOW but an animal with good points,
despite his unassertive appearance
And beyond his good looks. what
might be the particularly pr possessing
qualities OF that new pet OF yours in
CURED Squire Rogers
He's a turtle, an honest, open-faced
turtle. and no gallopIng Bucephalus dis
guised as q donkey answered Eben. sort
OF tart Ike, But while he don't look like
"a Splinter, ! will back that turtle in Il race
against any turtle in Pike County
"Eben's turtle looked too fat and too
heavy 10 carry off any honors in the rae
ing line, and the turtle match being a new
game, all the boys took TO it Eben made
a few small bets ! thought he hal things
fixed, and was looking TO see his pet win.
but when Eben set the turtle down. il
blinked its eyes and acted more as if il
wanted TO go 10 sleep than engage in a
turtle running match. Eben seemed heart
broken.
How much sharper than a serpent's
tooth is an ungrateful land turtle. he
grOaned- Raw meat and affection and
good advice have alw y been that turtle $
portion, and now ne settles down and
sleeps rs calmly as if his owners good
money hain't been wagered on his recre-
ant legs and lazy disposition
'Eben took the turtle up, turned him
upside down, and seemd to be giving him
q most powerful shaking Then he said
TO the crowd, who were grinning at his
downfall:
Maybe my admonitionS and tender
chastenings will touch the heart of this
ungreteful turtle. At any rate W. ought
10 have another race 10 give me a chance
to get back my money
Turtle Easily Wen.
Tho hors felt it was lust like finding
money TO BE-. against that fat turtle This
time Ehen held the turtle in his hands
until everything was ready G0r the start.
Then he placed the turtle on The ground
and gave him a little poke Talk about
racing turtles! The fat turtle simply gal
Iopcd over the ccIrs5. He di3Ht stop AT
the end. either. but kept on at an tucreas-
INC speed until Eben IA and picked MIN
up. Eben collected MS bets, this time
taking about all the money in TIE crowd
THAT turtle isn't a ringer donkey he
SAID TO Squire Rogers. and he's no ca
press train, bat viewed as a turtle he's
very fair on the gallop.'
Squire Rogers was clean puzzled
I don't mind losing my bet he re-
marked to me IN a perplexed way. But
what gets me Is the actions of that turtle
Man and boy I've known Pike County
turtles for years, but this is the first time
l ever saw one gallop.
THAT evening Eben called AZ the home
and began 10 gloat over the victory OF his
turtle
That's p turtle in million he stated
alphabetically. The only galIoping land
turtle in the country. Your Uncle Eben's
name viii be numbering down the ages
IS the trainer and foster father OF that
turtle. I'm going 10 get up Grand Tur-
lie Handicap. open 10 all Pike county tur-
Ties Of good reputation. That will in
crease my fame, and, if any benight,d
owners Of vagrant unframed turtles are
looking for bets. they will be accommo-
dated
You've made a good thing of IT, al
ready ] warned him. and now IS :he
time 10 stop. Even a turtle that adopts
q Joyous sallop as It's means of travel
may go mp against the real thing. It's the
pitcher that goes too often TO the well
and The owner of sure things in racing
that gel broken
Was Badly handicapped.
but Eben wouldn't listen md kent
booming up his turtle handicap scheme
until nearly every one of the bows had
q turtle entered. The committee I'm charge
of the race handicapped Eben's turtle
back nearly half the distance Of ne
course. bur Eben didn't seem 10 care ana
kept plungIng until he brought the od5s
on his turtle down from 3 TO I TO less than
even money
The day OF the race SQUIRE Pognrs
who had been growing more and more
suspicious Of Eb-n's gaHoplng turtle
filled him up with Pike County aDpj,sack
Eben had been toting his precious turtle
about in basket all day. but growing
careless under the seductive influence az
applelack, he pat the turtle on the bar
and let the squire have a chance 10 ex-
anime IL carefully. The squire came ont
o. the tavern fairly boiling with indlgna-
lion.
No wonder that turtle ga!lops when
he's put on the ground Squire Rogers
EpuJtered Wr8thsuny- That's a regular
electric automobile turtle Eben Brown
has tucked a tiny storage battery under
the back part OF that poor abused turtles
shell. When he pats The innocent crea-
tufe on the ground the circuit is complete.
and, tortured 10y the electric current. the
poor animal has 10 gallon. It's cruelty 10
animals. and an outrage on uususpecting
men VINO thought they had an easy thing
beJrHR against a fat land turtle
Then au idea seemed 10 strike the
squire
Seeing that abused turtle is used To