The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960, 1904-04-08
~ What u
Bears Will Do
Uncle Jase Settles the Question
With Tale of Uncle Splitter.

LII - sam got up SO SuuuenL IL oAl
the shoebox where he had been
settin' that he almost knocked Uncle
Jase out o. the three-legged cheer where
he sot and he says, sort o as II he was
mad, and sort O. as If he was goin' to
take Uncle Jase by the neck:
"1've always believed they'd do it,
says he, and I've always stuck to it and
argyfied the strongest kind that they d
do it. says he, but / see now that they
won't, and take 1t all back!' says he.
.T had always stood up ag'in ELS Sam
sayin' that they would do it, cause
thought |. knowed 'em bout as well as
the next feller, havin' trapped 'em ana
shot 'em and had rough and tumbles
with 'em, up hill and down dale, helter
SHELTER through the scrub, and ker-
sploshity-splosh knee deep across the
swamps, fer more than 40 year, and
they hadn't never done it to me, and
never knowed O. their doin' 1t to any
one else. SO always stood up aS'in ELS
Sam on his pint that they would do It,
but he stuck to it like woodtck 10
a yaller coon dog. And he was doin
of it this time, over to the Eddy, settin
on the shoebox and layin' of his argy-
fyin' down fer sartin.
"Do it?' says he. Why, sure as pow
der they'll do it! Every time they git the
chance. Bears don't like nothin' better
than to chaw man fer dinner, pears
don't says he. DO it, says he. "
course they'll do it,
"'Pish!' says I. Bears won't do 1t!
Bears won't eat man no more than
will!' says I.
"'They won't, hay?' says Uncle Jase,
cuttin' in from where he sot wiggl1n'
on the three-legged cheer, and keepln'
an eve on Simon, who was layin on the
counter with his head restin' on a roll
O. calico. trade not bein' particularly
hummin' jest then.
".They won't hey?' says Uncle Jase.
Well says he, takin' somethin' outen
his pocket and holdin' it up betw1xt his
fingers. Here's somethin' that says
they will, Dan1,' says he. 'Tain't nothln
but a button-a shiny brass button
but it's primy fishy evidence that they'll
do it, says he.
ELLIS Sam he frightened up and
looked at me as if he was sorry fer
me, and he says:
"'Aha!' says he. How did you come
to git it, Uncle Jase?' says he.
""That button says Uncle Jase, was
on the sojer coat O. my old pap's Uncle
Spitzer when he come over here with
the Britishers to fight agin us fellers
time O. the revolution. Uncle Splitter
was always sorry he fit on t'other side,
and he said he'd never a. done 1t IL he'd
only had an inklin' O. what nice folks
we was over here, and so when he came
up after the war and settled in the Knob
country folks took sech likin' to him
that they never said nothin' agin his
wearin' that sojer coat o his'n with the
brass buttons on 1t. And this here Is
one O. EN-
Uncle Jase had been talking slower
and slower and lower and lower, all the
time a wigglin' and keepin' his eyes onto
Simon, and then he shet up suddent and
with a snap. Then me and Ellis Sam
looked over to Simon, and we see he had
got I'D and was fastenin' the kiver down
on the pail O. loose chawin' that al
vays sets on the counter, and it looked
TO us as IL ne udu icLIcuDClCu Gu euoI oiSiC
Jase always got sort o. absent minded
when he begun to make history, and
seemed to forgit that the terbacker
wasn't there, like almanacs, to help his
self to.
$50 when we see Simon fastenin' of
the kiver on to the pail O loose chawin'
we knowed that UEcle Jase ID be dis
couraged, and that the history o. that
sojer button d more than likely be lost.
AS. fer me, didn't care so much, fer
I wasn't lookin' fer no evidence ag'in
my argyfyin' that bears wouldn't do it.
but Ellis Sam he was disappointed, and
he hauls out his new plug O. sweet ter
backer and hands it to Uncle Jase and
says:
"'Have a chaw, Uncle Jase?'
'Uncle Jase bein' particularly fond o.
sweet plug, he cheered up like the sun
comm from behind cloud, took an
amazin' chaw often Ellis Sans plug, and
started right in to make history ag'in.
Then, O. course, his absent mindedness
took holt on him, and he stuck Ell Sans
plug into his pocket.
".Yes, yes! says he, when Uncle
Splitter come up after the war and set
tied in the Knob country, folks took
.sech likin' to him that they never said
nothin' ag'in his wearin' that British
er sojer coat o. hisn with the brass