Virginia citizen. (Irvington, Va.) 1891-1921, 1902-07-11
Friday. July II, 1902.
ASTONISHING EXPERIENCES OF
GOOD MEN.

Norfolk Landmark delivers itself OF
the following:
As Editor W. Mcdonald Lee, of the
VIRGINIA CITIZEN, was too shy to face the
Virginia Press Association with the egg
story with which he has become identi-
fed, and as wehave recently come across
the number of the CITIZEN which con-
tanned the famous item, we take pleasure
in submitting the classic to our readers
for ratification or rejection. 1t is proper
toexplain that irvington is amoral town
and that Editor Lee runs thoroughly
reliable paper. Now brace yourself up
and read:
But we just don't care to here re-
produce our original and reliable ac-
count of the quadruple egg.-EDIToR
CITIZEN.
The Southside Sentinel, having consid-
cred this narrative, deposes as follows:
But for the knowledge we have of
Editor Lees veracity, we should certain
iy doubt the above statement-gee whiz.
but isn't it a lump to swallows If we had
dozen of that's hens eggs we'd never
look inside of a printing shop again
We cannot comment. The burden of
doing justice to all the parties concerned
ismore than we can bear, and we shall not
assume it. Editor Lee is a good man. We
do not know whether the egg was good
or Motive hardly think it was-but let
that pass. What we want just now is
the critical judgment of the Irvington
CITIZEN, as an expert, on the following
lines wrenched from the Richmond Dis.
patch of Monday:
"A countryman called at the store of
Polk Miller yesterday morning with n
pail OF milk in which snake about six
inches long curled and wriggled.
1.-The countryman declared that the
snake had make its appearance in the
milk pail that morning, being passed
from the COW in the milking operation
The truth of his story was vouched
Tor by his daughter, who was in the act
oil milking when the snake made its weird
appearance.
The countryman brought the milk and
the snake TO Polk sIller's store for analy.
of the milk for any use, coming "S y
Agent Taylor. of the Society for th,
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals, who
was IN the store at the time the milk and
snake were exhibited, declares that tn,
iatteris without doubt common garden
snake, and every one is wondering how
II came upon its strange abode"
1t is to be hoped that the preiudice oI
the CITIZEN against all kinds of snakes
wlilnot prevent it from approaching this
well-authenticated anecdote i'm n iudic;ol
frame of mind.
1t comes in very nice part from
our brother of the Landmark to ac-
cuse us of shyness when he himself
proved too timid to face the Press
Association with that excellent paper
he was down on the program to read;
though it might have been he got an
mixing that we were going to make
him an officer OF the Association.
and felt that he could not "face the
music" and furnish the second
speech expected of him. But let
that pass, as it is neither here nor
there. The Landmark wants our
Judgment on a typical snake story,
emanatlng from another contempt
rary and evidently the product of
the incompatible Polk Miller. 1t is
true that We are not familiar with
snakes, and our prejudice is kindly
emphasized by the Landmark, but we
feel that We now have chance TO
get square.
In producing this wonderful mar.
rative the Dispatch falls back on
Polk Miller. We know Polk, and it
Is with poor grace that he and the
dispatch connive at throwing a
snake In our way in revenge for our
egg story. If Polk Miller does not
tell bad egg story we don't know
the difference between poached and
scrambled eggs.
Two things are certain (if we are
to believe these yarners)-the COW
had snakes, and that countryman
saw them. So did Polk, and to make
the yarn appear real he took into
confidence a Dispatch reporter and
Agent Taylor. For the purpose afoot
Folk was better reinforced in his
story than we were, but any fellow
who is used to seeing snakes can
usually get some other fellow to
testify that such things exist. The
curious part of it is that they should
come from milk. We have always
suspicioned that the attendant at
Folks sodafountain was 'onto the
wink" and for that reason have
fought shy of his milk shakes. The
public-or the abstemious part of
it will heed this warning: That
cows milk product has doubtlessly
been cornered ere this.
We are not in judicial frame of
mind, nor do we feel qualified to
pass upon the subject. The burden
of proof also seems to be too much.
AS to the Southside Sentinel, it last
week saw snakes. too, and in a cake
of ice at that. Gee Whit To see
snakes with ice on the brain is phe-
nomenal; even bad eggs don't pro-
duce such effects. This snake bust
ness seems to have become con tag.
;ous A