The Stark County Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Ohio) 1833-1912, 1903-07-10
Tales About
Town
7 Ohm s. MORGAN. one Of the
veteran fox and coon hunters

-
OF Carrollton, was In Canton
Monday. Johnny" Is 70 years Of age
and is yet as straight as pine and
his ardor for the chase Is undiminished.
although since the death Of his famous
fox dog Sing" he has not been SO
often in the fields.
Sing" was dog of more than local
celebrity. He was known to fox hunt
ers in not only Carroll. but Tuscara-
was, Harrison and Jefferson counties.
He was a regular wind splitter and
would fight better than bull dog.
Morgan's shoe shop was headquarters
for the fox hunters from all over the
county and on wet days they would
gather and recount the deeds. Of the
canine champions. Stories of Sings
ability In chase or at fighting are as
plentiful as anecdotes of Abraham Lin
coin. He was never headed in chase
until after he became too old, and then
he developed a trick of prosecuting
uron a fox when the other dogs led
him. He knew the run of every fox
In the country and when he found that
he could not keep up with the pack
he would cut across ridge and prob
ably get in on the fox's track half
mile ahead of the rest. when his
musical voice would break out as he
once more took up the running.
The dog was as famous for coons as
he was for foxes, and seemed to know
when he was expected to go after the
ring tails, seldom bothering foxes un-
less he jumped one right out of his
bed. He would not look at a rabbit
after night, but would hunt them in the
day time IL the hunter would indicate
what Kind of game he was after.
But the old dog died and there is
nothing left of his glory except the
memory of the past and a number of
grandsons which have to some extent
inherited the speed and nose of their
progenitor. But there was never but
one Sing and never but one Johnny
Morgan, generous, neighbor, true
sportsman and staunch friend.
James Corners is typical repre-
sentative Of the "ould dirt" and ex-
tremely fond Of a Joke, as all Irish
men are. James works in one of the
big shops in Canton and one day he
was inspired with the idea to play q
joke on one of his fellow workmen
named Rafferty,. Turning to Dennis,
who worked on the bench next to him
he said: Lets play a trick on Raj
ferty."
Dennis was agreed and asked for
further information. The scheme evolv-
ed by the brilliant mind of Corners
was to tie knots in Rafferty's overalls.
This was agreed upon and when the
men quit work for the might they left
the shop, but Conners and Dennis re-
turned The men kept their overalls
in boxes and 1t was arranged thatsDen-
mis- was to get Rafferty's overalls out
of his box. He came to the man who
had inspired the scheme presently with
a pair of oyeralls and the two set to
work in tying knots. They worked
with might and main and Conners de-
clared that he never tied such knots
in his life before. The job completed
the men departed.
The next morning when Corners
went to don his working clothes he
discovered to his dismay that his over
alls were tied In knots.
| Dennis was something of a Joker
himself and he purposely got Corners
to tie knots in his own overalls James
thought it was pretty good, even IL
the laugh was on himself. "'Pon me
SOUL" he remarked, "the knots amt
out Of them yet"