The Baltimore County union. [volume] (Towsontown, Md.) 1865-1909, 1904-06-25
THE FROG WITH THE WOODEN LEG.


THE FROG WITH THE WOODEN LEG.
The Hon. Lafe Gleason of Delhi,
head helper of Senate Clerk Whip
pie and dispenser in chief of Repub-
lican spellbinders in New York, had
in his budget of Delaware county
wonders on his last visit to the
Amen Corner at. the Fifth Avenue
Hotel nothing that he thought SO
much of as the news of cutting down
along the headquarters of the Della
ware somewhere of a willow tree
eight feet in diameter which had
gone hollow at the butt and stood as
a menace to all who might pass that
way.
"And the wonder of that tree
was" said he, "that it had grown
from a stick a raftsnhn cut sixty
years ago from a willow fifty miles
down the river and used as a cane
cane to aid him on his homeward
trip to Delaware county on foot,
and which on his arrival there, he
stuck in the rich soft soil on the
margin of the river.
"There, as it is we'll known that
willow cuttings will do, it took root
and thrived and became the man.
moth tree now no more. Next to Bill
ly Leary the willow tree beats all for
catching on and thriving" added the
Hon. Lafe.
Don't know it?" remarked Col.
Jim Jones, in mournful memory of
whom the fishes at the Aquarium
still keep the water salt with tears:
Don't l know it? And the tannin
in willows! 1t would knock hem
lock out of the market for making
willows. LET me tell you sometning.
"There were pickerel in marshy
pond up in old Steuben and frogs!
My! myl what frogs.
''But the biggest of these big frogs
lived in a collection of sloshy bogs
where it was impossible for anyone
to get at them, much to the aggra-
vation of all who went frogging in
that pond, and particularly to Uncle
ST Stevens, a robust and honest citi-
zen who lived near one side of the
pond and loved to gather frogs.
"Uncle ST used to lie awake nights
and grit his teeth as he listened to
the great big fellows bellering off
on those bogs, just as they were
sassing him because he couldn't get
near 'em, and he tried to hatch up
some trick by which he could yank
some of 'em out, but he never could
get any to work.
Zone day he caught a pollywog
of amazing size, which was just put
ting on the finishing touches to make
it full frog, and somehow the idea
struck him to take it home and see
what it would develop into. He put
it in his spring, and as it grew he
made pet of it.
"It go so it knew ST as well as if
he was a frog, too, and 81 found
that he could teach it little tricks.
he taught it to turn somersaults, and
to hop along and carry little flag
on staff, like a soldier, and to do
lots of cunning things.
''It grew to be so big that it ac-
tually scared strange folks when
they saw it, and it knew more than
some men. 1t understood every
thing Uncle ST said, and used to GO
with him to the pond when he went
frogging, hopping along at his side
like kangaroo.
"Uncle ST used in his frog fishing
a piece of red flannel tied to hook
and his pet frog would sit and watch
him fit it under the noses of wild
frogs and split its mouth from shoul-
der to shoulder when 81 would haul
one in, Just as if it was laughing
at the fun. When those big feller:
over on the inaccessible bogs woulo
break out with their taunts at Uncle
81, and he would lay back and Gus:
and Jaw back at 'em, his big frog
would get as mad as ST was anc
the noises it would make trying tc
swear too were enough to make
mule laugh.
Zone day the frogs out on those
swampy bogs had been more aggra
waiting than ever, and Uncle ST ane
his pet frog had made things blue
around there. In the Afternoon
Toshua-Si had named the fros
Ioshua-seemed to be keeping vi
an unusual lot of. thinking abou
something or other.
Suddenly he made a break to
the wood shed, where Uncle ST al
ways kept his lines and hooks witt
flannel on 'em. Joshua went hump
ing into the shed, and pretty sool
came humping out again.
"He had one of Sis lines woun'
around his body, just below his for
legs, with a foot or so streaming on
behind, that end having the hool
and flannel on it. He went bouncin!
along down to the pond like rubbe
ball fired out of cannon, soused il
and struck out for the swampy par
where the big and sassy frogs lived
and where no man could get, Will
Uncle ST just stared after him wit
bulping ewes and open mouth.