The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1901-04-21


and that the one man to write it is
Capt Ashe. None of her sons know. few
Of them love, the State as we'll as he
does.
All of US agree that he could write the
history we have again and again hoped
that he would write it; we have almost
said that he should write, so crying is the
need. But | know no way to induce him
to write it unless stroke of local diplo-
macy which once produced big results
here could be initiated in his case. In
view of his pride in North Carolina's past
and his resentment of any affront offered
her it could not fail to be successful if
properly worked.
Years ago before the railroad came to
Kittrell, in fact before it was yet Kit
trell. but Stanton, there ranged here
abouts dog that everybody wanted kill
ed. Nearly everybody in ten miles of the
place had taken q crack at him, but no
shot had ever really told.
The shooters insisted that he was such
a mean. sorry, weazen little dog that a
bullet couldn't any more hit him than it
could a shadow turned edgeways. But
everybody knew that the reason they
missed was because they were such poor
on a stump and hit a camp-meeting
Among the habitues of the place was
a clear headed, steady armed farmer
named Dckerson Mr.. Dickerson wasn't
as contrary as that other Carolinian of
whom it was said that if he got drown
ed you would have to dredge up stream
to find his body. But when he made
up his mind-well it was made up--that
all ho ~ do
thing he was dead sure to do it. and do
it we'll. Therefore to Mr.. Dickerson every
body appealed to kill the dog. He was
reminded that he wss the only dead shot
at that kind of block anywhere to be
had; that while the dog didn't exactly
belong to him that he knew the dogs
ways better than anybody else: that he
loved the dog and the dog loved him
better than anybody else; that he was
therefore more responsible for the state
of affairs than anybody else, and that
in short it was his bounden duty to kill
that deg
Mr.. Dickerson modestly deprecated the
eulogy Of his shooting qualities, but re-
NAMED adamant to their argument. So
the dog still ran at large greatly to the
general annoyance and even general
alarm And allowing him the many lives
claimed for him he would have been here
yet but for the following stroke of diplo-
macy, strategy, ruse de guerre, or what
you will.
One day Mr.. Dickerson came into the
tavern here and found most vehement
controversy under full swing, Setting his
squirrel rifle in the corner, he took
seat by the fire, chewed tobacco, whit
tied the chair round as usual and in
silence. Living man had never heard Mr.
Dickerson handy words and he didn't now.
AS it happened the disputc-it finally
sank into a wrangle-was all about that
everlasting dog. The shooters and the
anti-shooters-for by some caprice of
fate an anti-shooting party had develop
ed-were having it lot and heavy. At
length after hard tussle and inch by
inch the anti-shooters got the best of it.
But when by dint OF argument enough
to impeach bench of judges they had
proved that the dog oughtn't to be shot
because the whole matter was triie,
and he wasn't worth the powder, and
lead that it would take to kill him no
how, Mr. Dickerson threw his quid into
the fire and reached for his gun The by
ISLANDERS saw the business CLEAN in the
mans eye and reached for Mr.. Dickerson.
But grabbing his rife with one hand. Mr..
Dickerson whipped the crowd with the
other bounced the ten rail fence near
the tavern door and pulled trigger be-
fore they could get over and knock the
printing out of the pan.
When the smoke lifted the deadest dog
in the United States lay stretched under
the chinquapin bushes hard by.
o. w. BLACKNALL.
Kittrell, N. G.