Waterbury Democrat., 1902-12-17
MS TAKE OF MURPHY'S DOG
The Pochnc1e F1anss Story of tt.c
 Drowned Lands TorIs1e.

| other day at the Rowland house charged with even a larger load of con- ndence in himself thanusual, and there wasE perceptible self-reproach in his manner as he remarked to Badly, the landlord:
 T ought to have been here before with this newa from Pochuck, I know, 'cause it's somethin' amazin', but I've had to git here between rains, and that's. made times for travelin' ding swizzled short and few for quite spell back, as you mowt a noticed. You been expectin' me, O course?''
 Ba1dy, the landlord, said no, it wasn't quite as bad as that.
 Good! Then I hain't been disap- p'intin' you!' said the man of the al- leged Pochuck domieile, sitting down with cheerful smile ''That lifts load off O my. mind bigger'n the price O coal! I hain't never disapp'inted mo- body yit, and it'd jest hook me in with sorrow to begin a-doin' of it now. And some O the, news from Pochuck that I'm stuffed with this trip is that all the signs says that the weather's goin' to settle. and we're goin' to have an open winter.
 Jest mark that down on your slate, along with the rulin' fgger for about five fingers O Jersey ginger till come in ,ag'in, so's you won't fergit it!'
 1Antopen winter! And five fingers of the Jersey ginger. Five'll be plen- ty- The weather's goin' to settle, and we're gpin' to have an open winter!"
 Baldy, the landlord, said he'd stand for the5open winter, all right, and he was glad the weather was going to settle. But he said he didn't believe the weather would go so far as to set tie for the five fingers of Jersey. That would be cash, he said.
 The Rpchuck citizen shook his head and said something about the people being all wrong in charging the trusts with putting the necessaries of life be- yond their reach, when anybody with half an4 eye ought to see that 1t was the spread of the No Trust sentiment that was doin' of it; then he cracked the middle finger of his left hand and the thumb on his right and said:
 "Yes, sir; an open winter. That's good news, O course. And there's more news than that. Nfurphy's bulldog made ithe mistake of his life, and the amazin' Drownded Lands snappin' torkIe is dead. Deader'n marble slabs, and it's hard blow to Aunt Sally Beckendarter.
 Uncle David is takin' on considerable about-it, too, and Murphy is madder'n wildcats. Murphy's bulldog had grit, all right, though. but he ought a. knowed that amazin' Drownded Lands snappin' torl1le better. -e'
 ''Yes, yes. I've got quite wad O news this trip. Quite wad. But the dyin' O that amazin' snappin' torlele sort O bows me down. Spot cash, you think, is the best you could do as to a little fve-fngers deal in Jersey gin, ger2''
 Baldy, the landlord. said he thought it was. The Pochuck citizen cracked his other thumb, and said:
 s'We don't know exactly jest how old Chat snappin' torkle was, but the fig gers he carried on his undershell, cut good and deep, was 1891, B. G. but he must "a been good deal older than that yet, because''
 Hold on!" exclaimed Baldy the landlord, rising quickly to his feet and lifting up his hands, while Terry, the Scotch-Irish terrier, stood ready to take hand in if the proceedings be- came strenuous. ''Any snappin'turtle with a pedigree datin' back to 1901, B. C., is plenty old enough. If you've got one older than that you must go some where else to talk about him.''
 .sJest what Sam Bailey tI1unk, by cats!" exclaimed the Pochuck news carrier, skipping his knee. .Jest what Sam thunk when he came onto that torkle as it was pullin' turnips in his patch, in the fall O 1896, and turned him over and read themfiggers!''
 Great Gabriel's Trumpet!' says Sam. Here's the father of all snappin, torkles, by gimblets! ''18O1, B. C.!'.
 Baldy the landlord sat down and glared at the seventeenth century Claudius Smith Inusket hanging su- pinely on it's pegs over the door. Terry, the Scotch-Irish terrier, hurried; out to inquire of Ike Edwards bull pup what business he had nosing around there. Farmer Bill Leonard, who lives opposite Goose Pond Mountain, turned to Farmer Green, of Jolly Farm, and remarked that if eggs didn't go up pretty soon you might as well keep guinea pigs as chickens, and Farmer Green said yes, and ding sight better, for guinea pigs didn't git the pip. Then nobody said anything further. and the man from over toward Pochuck re sumed.
 ..Eo," said he. ..We don't know ex- act1y how old that amazin' snappin' torkle was, but old Sol Terpy used to say that he must "a bean quite a pup iii 1891, as he hadn't growed none to speak Of when Sam Bailey run onto him in the turnip patch in 1926. says to my uncle David Beckendarter only t'other day:
 .. Uncle David. says I, how long have you knowed that amazin' Drownced Lands snappin' torkle?'
 6 s'Why.' he says, I've knowed him ever sence he licked Snedeker's short horn bull, and that was in the spring O. '83,' says Uncle David.
 The man with the latest from Po-