The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1900-02-19
DAN CULP's PRAIRIE DOGS.
TTexas (Cor) New York Sun.l

Daniel Culp, our well known citizen,
was seen two weeks ago trundling a
wheelbarrow on which rested a key
and a shovel. Mr.. CUP is not often seen
at manual labor and Old Man Clifford,
standing in the door of the Clifford
House, watched Dan curiously.
What in thunder are you up to now,
DAMP" he yelled at last. curiosity over
coming constitutional inertia. Mr.. Culp
paused and then wheeled his key very
close to the door of the Clifford House
before saying impressively:
Clifford l calculate I've got about
the greatest scheme that even Texas
ever produced. Gold mining and cattle
punching is mere grovelling toll side it
You're q tolerable square man, Clifford,
and reckon I'll cOnflde some in you.
The new telegraph operator who's no
fool, if he is from back east, has up and
offered me dollar apiece if ketch him
couple of prairie dogs; says there amt
blamed prairie dog in all New York
state, and they want 'em bad. Now. I
ngger 1t this way: II prairie dogs is
worth a dollar apiece to man what
makes no bigger time than that opera
tor, why amt it worth Just as much
and more, mebbe, to the whole bunch
of gold bugs back east? From what l
read in that St. Louey paper that Doc
takes, what one of them gold bugs gifts,
the rest has to go and have, too Sup
pose 1 gifts a Teller like this here Mark
Hanna to buy prairie dog, I start a
fashion that all the prairie dogs in Tex
as amt going to supply, though Texas
is all crowded up with prairie dogs. 1t
ought to be just as easy as drinking
Ticker for me to sell a 100000 of dogs
and then I'll be decent about it and
turn the business over to some one else
who needs money bad
Il likes your enthusiasm, Dam, said
Old Man Clifford, land your figures is
certainly alluring, but how do you ketch
them dogs, being that they are I'M
common shy and spry?''
7 41II
yet said Mr.. Culp, his eye kindling. Il
swear, Clifford, it amt often that you
find an inventor with business ability
That's so,'' admitted Old Man Cliff
ford, as he went into the bar to sell the
Galveston drummer cigar. People here
in Hartley have ceased to get excited
over Daniel Cups schemes for getting
rich in jump, and have come to place
their bets on Mrs. Culp, who takes in
washing while Dan inventS bottles that
not only cannot be Iefilled but that
cannot be filed in the first place.
The prairie dog village was a couple
of miles from the village and Dan toll
ed hard to get his WheelbarroW there
through the sand. The little animals
chartered in alarm ana darted into their
holes when they saw Dan approaching
He knocked the head and bottom out OF
his empty key and placed 1t over one of
the holes; then he pushed his wheelbar-
row to an arroyo where a dry river-bed
was filled with fine, white sand Soon
he was plodding back with a load of
sand. which he ShOVelIed into his bot
tomless keg, chuckling delightedly as he
watched the sand slide rapidly into the
hole of the prairie dog, dug straight in
to the ground. He believed that when
a prairie dog found himself being buried
alive he would dig, scratching the sand
behind him and so blocking his retreat.
For once Dan had scored a success. The
hole soon ceased to swallow sand, and
Dan, waiting very quietly saw a prairie
% 1,se- ash
to be promptly captured Mr.. Culp held
the little animal by the slack OF the
neck and let out jubilant whOOp. In
tellect matched against animal cunning
had triumphed. Riches and fame were
to be the portion of Daniel Culp OF
Hartley, Texas. One hundred thousand
prairie dogs at a dollar apiece!
Mr. Culp drowned out prairie dogs
with sand until the sun was sinking low
and old man Clifford, coming out on the
sidewalk to ring the supper bell of the
Clifford House, was amazed to see Dan
lei Culp wheeling by a load of squeal-
ing prairie dogs with then little legs
tied tightly. Dan devoted the whole of
the next day to depopulating the dog
village, and his house became a big
cage. Having reached the place where
he could begin to sell a few sample gold
bug pets Mr. Culp took his pen in hand
and set about notifying gentlemen with
names prominent in the papers of the
treat in store for them at 81 a treat.
He wrote first to Mr.. Mark Hanna.
thIusting his tongue in lis heck and
bearing down hard.
Dear sir: I have cot a fine line of
peerraie dogs which i am going to sell
to yau at a low figger to introduce the
goods. The telegraf man says there
amt no peerarie dogs much in the east
so 1 thot you would appreciate being
the first Teller to git one. 1 am fixed
to ship you a. nice dog for 81 and a ain
got no foolish prejudice agin gold. This
is dirt cheap and let me no rite away.
Your true friend,
DAN CULP."
By the sweat of his brow he dupliea-
ted this letter several tines and sent
the glad tidings to Mr. Vanderbilt, Mr..
Gould, Mr.. AStOr, and would have sent
it to Mr.. Rockefeller only he could not
spell his name.
Mr.. Culp dreamed great, ever expand
ing dreams for five days, and then he
began to wear a puzzled look and stop
ped talking to Ed Weeks, the postmas-
ter, about renting a box. Mr.. Culp was
utterly at a loss to understand Mr.. Han
mas silence. In the meantime his wife,
being only a woman after all, took to
sleeping at a neighbours, prairie dogs
suggesting large rats to the feminine
mind. The dogs chartered all day and
they yelped all night, and even Dams
nerves felt the need of larger credit at
the Clifford House Exchange. Conf1ne-
ment did not seem to agree with the
captives. and they took to curling up
stiff to death. Still no letter came from
the goldbugs. Then the last vestige of
Mr.. Culp's wealth was fit to be buried
and Mrs. Culp returned to scrub out the
house. After the house was again fit
for humans, Mrs. Culp turned like the
worm.
Daniel" said she. gazing upon him
coldly, ''fer 20 odd years I've washed
and let you invent, but this prairie dog
invention is the last straw. Tomorrow
morning early you gifts that job wheel
ing dirt on the new railroad or l quit
you cold tomorrow night at D. M,
Denver time"