The Kalispell bee., 1902-03-15

Of himself as doing anything else but
ishing. This accounted for their months
of poverty and prosperity, and as every
one else in the town was of much the
same shiftless disposition no one
thought of reproving them for their
foolish idleness.
Another thing that they inherited
from their fathers was an intense love
for the customs of ''the ould sod," and
in consequence st. Patrick's day was
always celebrated with professions
made gay with the most wonderful
regalias that could be devised from
green cloth. And on the year we have
in mind Tim Murphy, the grocer, had
added a touch that seemed half Irish,
half Yankee, and that was ''hog
guessing" He announced months in
advance that the huge barrow he was
fattening would be slaughtered on st.
Patrick's day and that the man who
guessed nearest to it's exact weight
would get the hog. Each was to pay
% cents for chance to guess, and on
st. Patrick's day the hog was to be
placed on exhibition in an open stall,
where all could see 1t and have a fair
chance to estimate its weight. At 4
o'clock the guessing would end, and
then it was to be killed and weighed.
When the "hog guessing" was first
announced, Dan and Will had express
ed lively interest, and each had told
his best friend what he was thinking
about, with the result that the whole
| town soon knew.
''If can guess its weight" said Dan
confidentially to his leaky friend, "I'll
have the foundation of the summers
| living, and, with what l have saved
I this winter, ! can start housekeeping
with Ellen"
81 could sell that pig for enough
ready money to give Ellen and me a
start" Will confided to his babbling
friend. I'VE will soon have plenty of
fish again, and never cared much for
pork anyway"
So each for a different reason made
up his mind that he really needed that
pig to complete his scheme and al
once took steps to get 1t. Each OF
them haunted the pen where he was
laying on such a wonderful amount OF
flesh that he could hardly walk and
did lot of thinking about his probable
weight But neither had very gooG
standard to go by.
"a lump Of coal as big as that pil
would weigh almost a ton." said DaI
to himself But coal is heavier thar
pork, and it is the only thing that
am any judge of the weight Of"
Will really had a better standard t.
go by. for fish and pork are much tn,
same weight, though the shapes il
which they are put up by nature ar
entirely different. To figure out how
many two pound whitefish or hundred
pound sturgeon he would need to maxi
a bulk equal to that of Murphy's bar
row was a problem far above a maj
who had never gone beyond vulga
| fractions in the public school. But eacl
in his different way figured as closel
as he could, paid the necessary quartz
to be allowed to guess at the weight o
the animal and so entered into compe
i tition with at least 120 other villager
: and farmers from the surroundin
q country. But, like true and loyal dc
: scendants of the Irish pioneers, the
i both deferred going around to the gro
e Gerry store to make their guesses unit
o the ceremonies for the day were owe
e And while marching in the procession
: as already told, their friends ha
e thought fit to make merry with then
e But just wait.
1t Tim Carson was one of the first
y reach the grocery store after the d,
st scendants had disbanded. and, with til
II instinct of true Irishman. he kne'
g what was going to happen. He mad
his guess and then stood with his bac
lie to the wall: where no one could tax
y him unawares. Then Will Ryan marc
t. I'd sternly up to the grocer and recor,
le ed his guess with the air of ND
20 who had something else on his min