The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1901-11-16
THE OBSERvANT BARKER.
His COIOred Man Has Trouble with
His Hunting Dogs.

"Well, Uncle Henry, what can I do for
you?" asked the Observant Banker as he
approached the colored nan that does
chores on his farm just outside the city,
"and how long have you been hanging
around the bank waiting for me?"
What! About half an hour!" repeated
the financier.
Yves, Boss said the darkey, II saw you
talking to those white men and thought
Id better not bother you"
"Well, Henry" continued the Observant
Banker, what is the natter"
THE trouble is, Boss, that my dawgs is
all cut up. We went against a twenty
pound coon Sattiday night and he done
ruin my dawgs before they killed him."
How can we fix it?'' inquired the banker
solicitously.
Uncle Henry surprised his master by his
cheerful air and by the information that
the city coon hunters would come UP that
way before long and it would be easy to
"snitch'' a good "dawg' any time and a k
him home and keep him in the corn crib a
few days.
You know, Boss" continued the cum
ming Son of Ham. "a good dawg knows only
hunt. They don't know a marster when
they lite out from these city hunters. All
you got to do is TO call 'em and take EN-
home with you.
Say, Boss, you know how many dawgs
| got. Hits an actual fact that | never
bought a dawg yet. L jest acquired en-
But now / am short on dawgs on account
of that pesky coon and I'll have TO wait
until / can get the animals doctored up.
But I've got a scheme. know a white
and he told me that he found a hole in
the river plum full of fish, they done
went to this hole for the winter, and If |
could get a net we could get a wagoniOad
of good fish. Saw. Boss. do YOU think YOU
could borry a little net for me? We could
salt some fish down for winter. The old
man is all right and told me he had her all
set and seed two wagonloads OF fish go
into the hole and yesterday he fioated over
them in his boat and they jest laid on the
bottom as peaceful as a flock Of sheep"
Now, look here, Uncle Henry" said the
Observant Banker sternly. 'let me tell you
that II is against the law TO take fish that
way, and besides, that old man you are
talking about is one of those game wal
dens. and you would find yourself 'salted
down instead of the fish. You had better
confne yourself to coons and 'possums. OF
course, L know the next best thing for you
TO eat is fish, and you had better buy
Goldfish and think Of those thirteen chill
dren of yours
AS he caught the full import of the bank
er's words the colored man grew per-
ceptibly affected and finally turned and left
the bank with bowed head. A tear OF Brob-
dignagian proportions rolled from OF the
end of his nose and popped on the tile
floor.
The sequel came a few days later.
What! Here again. Uncle Henry?" said
the Observant Banker as he looked up from
his desk and saw his dusky retainer draw
ing near.
Yes, Boss, hits me. What you tole me
the other day about that fish net business
| tole TO my Gle woman. an she fired up
and wanted TO know If you all knowed who
we'uns was. and she asked me If / done
tole you how we was bred. / disremembeT
IL | tole you or not. an | am here 10 do hit.
While some people calls me a Niger. /
want TO inform you | am "A direct descend
ant of the Queen of Sheba, and the ole
woman tole me il we had lived in the
Queens time and asked her for the loan Of
a net TO catch a mess Of fish in the River
Nile she would have done accommodated
Us and never missed 1t. | wants 10 tell you.
sub. we are all well bred"
Now, Henry, you might as well cork
yourself up" replied the Observant Banker.
land remember this is Indiana and not
Egypt. and don't let me hear any more OF
his drivel. You had better retire 70 your
gourds on the lattice for the old woman.
III you want the FISH law changed you will
AVE To wait until Tom Taggart is elected
Governor and you turn Democrat"
As the banker said this he looked at the
darkey out OF the corner of his eye. The
poor fellow stood there on one foot after
the fashion OF a goose. He held his cap in
one hand. and both hands were full OF
cracks from husktng corn. the cracks being
which the veteran said never failed TO ef-