The Topeka state journal. [volume] (Topeka, Kansas) 1892-1980, 1903-12-30
THE JERICHO POSTOFFICE.
Pop Perkins, Postmaster, Tells
About a Deacon and a Hog.

One of the events in the history OF
Jericho, and one that for a time made
every fnhabitant hold his breath, was
what was called the hog case. One
widower, set out to drive a fat hog from
his farm to the village, a distance OF
two miles, to make a sale to the
butcher.
The way was uphill and down. with
many paths and lanes leading off the
main road, and, of course, the hog acted
like any hog would. He made a bolt off
the main highway whenever chance Of
fered, and by the time half the journey
had been accomplished and Deacon and
hog had arrived in front of the Widow
Green's the good man was swearing
mad, and the hog was looking for more
trouble.
The Deacon had once paid his atten-
lions to the widow with q view of
making her his second wife, but as they
had disagreed on religious matters he
had ceased to call. This fact made the
widows heart rankle, and she was
biding her time to get even. When she
stood in her door and saw the Deacon
and the hog approaching she realized
that her opportunity had arrived.
The front gate stood open, and as the
hog arrived opposite he rushed in. There
were beds of pineys and pinks and hol-
lyhocks, and the hog proceeded to
devastate them. The Deacon, who was
armed with a club, did his best to pre-
The widow looked on for a moment and
then called out:
Deacon Carter, I'll have the law on
you and make you smart for this!"
But amt I trying to get the blamed
hog out?" he shouted in reply.
mo, you're not You drove him in
here a-purpose to spite me because
wouldn't marry you!"
me-"
you as good as asked me, but I
found out you was stingy and mean,
and I sent you packing. Don't try to
lie out of it."
Il wouldn't ask you to marry me If
you was the last woman on earthl Head
off that hog and help me get him OUT
Head off your own hog. You could
have kept him out If you had wanted to,
and I'll make you pay for all the dam
age he's DONE
1t took the Deacon fifteen minutes to
get the hog back into the road, and
he made use of pretty strong language.
though none too strong for the occasion.
At intervals, as he rushed about, the
widow would call out:
Deacon Carter, you are swearing like
pirate. and swearing agin the doc
trines of religion"
I'm not swearingr' he would shout
back, but I'll be hanged if I don't
hog # he don't head out o. thisr'
No sooner had the Deacon disaD-
peared down the road with his hog than
the widow put on her bonnet and
started out among the neighbors to re-
late the adventure. She not only laid
her damages at $50, but she could name
over fifty different swear words used
in her hearing by the Deacon In two
around that Deacon Carter had fallen
from grace, and at the end of a week
the widow preferred charges against
him in his church, and had him
brought up for trial.
The town was pretty evenly divided
on the question, while the Deacon only
asked for fair trial. The first charge
was that the Deacon had steered the
hog into the widows yard out of spite;
the second that he had been profane
in her presence. As to the first charge
the Deacon said:
Brethren. there are those among