The sun., 1902-01-12
NO TOBACCO FOR SOLOMON.
A HEMLOCK BELT STORY ABOUT
A GIFTED CATFISH.
II was Told to John Gilbert. the TraNel-
ling Groceryman. by Man Who sat
on the Fence Whose Subsequent Ac'
tions Cast Doubt Upon His veracity.

on the renee whose suDseVutht NJ
tions Cast Doubt Upon His veracity.
THE man sat on the top rail Of the fence
as | came along said John Gilbert, the
travelling groceryman. referring to an
incident Of a trip through the Hemlock
Belt last fall HE hailed me and stopped
my horse.
'Cap'n,' said he, kin you give me
toler'ble good-sized chaw OF o your plug
o. black navy terbackerf'
Il told him could not.
"Taint fer me, said the man. It's
fer Solomon. II Solomon don't git a chaw
O. navy plug terbacker he'll be dead afore
night. A comfortable sized hunk of O. your
plug might see him through, Cap'n.'
I can't help you out, said l. haven't
got any navy plug tobacco
'Socksr said the man, getting an easier
position on the rail This Is toughi Solo
mons goner, sure as catsl'
Il told the man that thought that any
person who was such slave to tobacco
that he would die unless he got chaw would
be about as well of dead as alive.
Yes, said the man. But I'm afeard
your pint don't jest exaoly hit Solomon.
They told you about Solomon, didn't they,
down to GeevilleY'
Il said they hadn't mentioned Solomon.
Sing lar how folks don't think o things
when they oughter,' said the man, much
put out over the forgetfulness Of people
at Geevine. Why, dog fight, or an ask
To come have somethln' even, used to take
back seat for tellin' about Solomon, down
TO Geeville.'
Il was In quite hurry and was starting
on my way when the man on the top rail
hailed me again and l paused.
Though you say you haint got no
black navy plug. Cap'n,' said he, I don't
want you to go away with wrong idees
about Solomon. 1t won't never do. The
way Of 1t was this: was bobbin' for cat
fish over In Ganderneck pond one night,
and / ketohed somethin' like bushel.
One Of them was good two-pound In heft,
and noticed that he swore and Jawed az
me with good deal more vim. and good
deal longer, than any o. the others did.
L lugged my Ash homo, and this sassy
big feller KEEP up his jawin' all the way.
I chucked him and the rest Of em in a box
pitchin' into me long after / had gone TO
bed. Next mornin' when | went out there
was that big feller, as full O. life and vim
as ever, but he had cooled down.
He looked up at me, winked one eye,
made a spring out O. the box and landed
plumb In a pail o. water l was carrying
out TO water the COW with. says TO myself
that here was a catfish with snap, and I'd
Jest give him chance to work himself up.
So l turned him into a tub full o water,
and Il wasn't long sfore, found that
hadn't made no mistake about him.
That catfish would grab and eat any
thing you chucked in the tub TO him, but
one day when l thought I'd larn jest how
catfish took the hook when they was
fished for l hid a hook In a nice piece o
pork and handed IL down TO him at the end
OF line Do you know, Capn, that amazin'
catfish jest cooked his eye up at Inc and
winked, and turned his tail ag in that nic0
bit o. pork with hook in II and swoshed
1t, hook and all. clean out o the tubl
Me and him got so close and under.
standin' with one another that afore he'd
been in the tub a week / want afeared to
bet anybody s2 that they couldn't fish that
catfish out on q fshhook, or 81 that they
could. either which way they wanted to
take the bet.
IF ANYBODY bet me that he could fish
the stupid-lookin old feller out on a hook
the catfsh'd give me a sly wink, and then
only sniff and scowl at the nice fat bait with
the hook Ia il that was stuck under his nose,
and never tetch 1t. But If anybody took
the bet that he couldn't fish the catfish out
why, Solomon--l called him Solomon
cause hs knowcd so much-Solomon'd
20 for that bait like a hawk for a chicken,
grab II at the hind side o the hook and
would be fioppin' on the ground outside the
tub afore the chap that had made tho bet
got over his scare and knowed what had
happened.
Then Solomon would spit out the hook
and I'd dump him back IN the tub, and the
way he'd grin up at the chap a. he handed
me over his g. was worth 81 Of any mans
money. Ne and solomon worked to-
h.NFt raf
We paid OF the mortgage on my cleafin'
and bought mule and the best coon dog
on the Passydanky spread In less' two
months
zone day the hired man was s,andin'
al the tub lOOkin AZ Solomon. and he took
out his plug a. black navy ierhack"r cay,
Cap'n, II you kin give nlo tolrr 'Dle good
sizot ohaw On % your plug % lst common
everyday Waller tobacco, ia he rou q
balm IN Gllyad 90 solomon. ! think, and
mebbe tide him over. A toler'blo good
slzoi ohaw
4 had no plug of common, everyday
yallsr terbaolSor, r'her. aud ] told tho
'Geeyills n hear from mo, you kin
bst a hon, exclaimed tho man 'Forsittln'
20 tell you about solomon, Why, YOU'D
a handed your terhsDkor ught out NlihuW
bsin Asksi n thryd oniy todd you about
i iolt that / ought 10 ha pushing on.
Snt I ulAlo another STAR ''t tilo man on
th' frloo naltoi mf aga
'Iosf a minute taU. n. sail he Though
YOU don't oven feel lIlo paas.H' uli yu4i
lIuF - r3mmun. even uaF waller trfr
larkff : cent boar 90 have Y.u 80 9th
sflns linns 40 hu.lutuN ] un ulfri uar
rut a rias ~ u. l.a p.uF u h.a.t navy
Hui i.c . - BE- frI irtl il." '41 h"."u"n
IT, uaIie fuf II HUH H THH.. IHH hr sIuIIHul
suaa ali.I D.. shovel l,s rY.a aFIY t
fIIa t.aIlsr 81. lHf.irInI 49, Ha'If