The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1902-03-15
JOLLY JOHN AND JOE PUDD At
THE RACES IN YE LONG AGO.

street WIN MS drum nullS 10 ms
huge greasy neck. suspended by an old
rope trace. To hear him beat what he
used to call Washington advance on de
red coats. To see his stubby legs almost
rs thick MS saw-logS and about rs long
as corn cobs. TO again see the blacklist,
shortest. thickcst, and the most unique
negro that ever amblcd through Elkton
70 catch one more glimpse of dear old
Joe, with his old beaver ON his woolcy
head. which had been split half way up
that the huge head might enter therein.
To watch the urchins of long ago follow
ing III Pudds wake and cheering to the
echo. And my minds old eye still holds
several of these youngsters who delighted
in following old Joe Pudd of yorc. All,
excuse Dr. John H., and you to Rubc.
for | have seen you both shy five penny
bits at dear old Joe for the glorious
humping he used to give that old drum
of old.
And just here dear reader. ! must call
You aside TO acquaint you with the fact
that not all of my little stories date all
the way back to fifty years ago. not 50
we catch on any where in the sixties.
This explanation is to keep the Doctor
and all the rest of the old time juvinicS
from kicking over the traces. for not one
of them want the fact known as to how
far they do really reach back down the
long line of antiquity. And som" of them
might way lay the old Scrib" and dlub
him almost rs vchcmcntly rs Pudd did
his old drum on Fourth of July. in DAYS
long gone. But oh, We Gods of mirh
who Of my old readers have had the heart
thrilling pleasure of ever hearing Jocs
outburst Of pure laughter. Dear old
Pudd, there were wrinkles enough on thy
happy old face to catch hold and goriry
any bitter Notwithstanding tears of sorrow
that might stray thereon, and every out
burst of hilarity from thee in We long ago
did drown some frctful ticnd of care
which might have been held by some one
i'll thy audiences of yorc
The joyous laugh of old Pudd would
resound from the Big Elk to her twin
sister. the Little Elk. and fill every cor
ncr i'll our old hamlet with symphonies
pure and sweet. On gala occasions, Joe
invariably dressed himself in his loved
Shad-bclly and SWallow-tailcd coat, with
white vest billed shirt. and II pair of
blue drilling trousers. with both legs roll
ed to the very knee caps. In good wca-
Their Joe Scormcd Il shoe. and he would
20 barefoot clear up to Christmas if
Vic, or Bun, or one of the other kind
hearted old BENEFITS didn't buy shoes for
him. Just look at him my dear young
reader, for he is our hero throughout this
particular narrative. Johnny Bennett
and Evans Taylor were some of
the kids who raced after Pudd. in his
palmy days, when not another ripple of
excitement danced on the smooth surface
of our sedato old town. even on the glor-
ious Fourth of July. And any one of
these gentlemen will tell my young read
"rs that the historian has properly set M
this old hero
Oh, yes: to be sure, promised to take
my Juvinile readers 10 the races, but
wanted every one of them to become ac-
quainted with our splendid old hero. dear
old Joe Pudd, before we started. that Won
may laugh the heartier ut his antics on
the ground. 50 come on even the little
girls and their mammals. because this is
to be gathering of gentlemen with Jolly
John and Joe Pudd included. And the
morning is so beautiful notwithstanding
the scared leaves of Autumn are tumbl-
ing to mother earth in great showers of
gold
Up. up dear kids, pile into these two
horse wagons and OK carts. which are
standing promiScuouSly all about the
Hollow yondcr. next to PArtrdgc'S
Hill. Haste, haste, see thcr" comes the
old partnors-.Iolly John and coIr-black
Joe, in an old dilapidatcd horse cart. See
they have got their paraphcrnaia aboard.
Pudd has Il huge snapper by the tail.
and mammoth pumpkin is rolling about
the cart. Jolly John is sitting on II flour
barrel.
Oh. my stars. but you kids do worry
me, for See there are II score of littl"
mouths all open nj once. all ready to
burst forth with the pertinent question.
what. oh what, are they going to do
with that pumpkin and that vicious toy
toSC.'
DO have patience kiddies. and the old
scribe will tell it all to you in good time.
Some of us will 20 by way of Black
Snake Hill, on the summit of which Mrs
CreswelfS mansion stands, and others
will pass the Darrell Mansion. grand old
Holly Hall But we will meet on the old
feHcHloWH 1NIn-Ilke, just Wlcfc the
imaginary line separates the Diamond
from my Maryland. Me thinks that the
old sports took this method of racing out
of one state into the other to evadc tn"
law, for they started their flyers in Cecil
and finished in New Castle county, Del
All, here we are, and that unique old
MICRO is kicking up such II Gathering with
his old sheep-skin that we cannot hear
what jolly John is Ginning off to the
large crowd, which has already gathered
around them. GrOoms are leading the
racers all up and down the track, and
there were some beauties. Just now
Pudd lets off such II peel of laughter that
it arouses every one on the ground. And
the tears of happy mirth were pattering
onto the d n like rain. When he could
speak, he aid, pointing one drum stick
up the track. Look yonder, John look
yonder." And coming down the course
was II groom leading the most sorrowful
looking nag in christcndon. He wasn't