The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1904-08-21
WHEN DAVE LEWIS LAUGHED
THE VERY TINWARE RATIFIED
Setting of "Duck Eggs That Brought Forth a
Brood of Healthy Buzzards. General
Georges Fun.


something to say Of prank that
George CT, Stronach played on Captain
WoodSon. / do not know that / could
better entertain the Raleigh reader,
who so pleasantly remembers George
Stronach, than by relating some of the
things that he, for the sake of fun,
said and did. Hardly a day passed by
that did not bring to light something,
new and fresh, originating with him,
and it was always something harmless
but laughable.
He sat about his store door with his
legs twisted around each other in the
most undignified boyish manner; saw
and heard everything that passed, and
kept fully abreast of the latest news,
both in city and country. He knew
everybody, and everybody knew and
liked him. In fact he was one of the
most popular men of his day and time
in the county.
Dave Lewis, who lived out in the
suburban section, was very fond of
George, and George was equally as
fond of Dave, but, he would play all
his FRANKS on him, just to hear Dave
laugh. George said he could tell when
Dave was in town whether he saw him
or not. If he was away somewhere
within block or two of his store,
George said he could hear him laugh;
and, II farther away than a block or
two, he could feel the earth tremble
whether he heard Dave laugh or not
1 think George must have been mis-
taken about Dawes shaking the whole
town; but, l frequently heard him
laugh in Georges store when he would
shake it SO that the tinware would
rattle.
One day Mr.. William Boylan. who
was as fond of a joke as George ever
was, sent. a hound dog to George, tied
up in bag, with a note accompany
ing saying: Please accept the enclosed
as token of my SincereSt regards"
George said. about 3 p. M, Dave
drove up to his door on a dray, got
the bag and put it on the dray, AMI
hoiSt1ng an umbrella to keep the sun
from shining on him and the pig in
the bag, drove to the depot. Dave
told the balance of the story, few
days after to crowd which gathered
about him.
II carried that bag on the train TO
Auburn and toted it from there home
on my shoulder. 1 went to work and
built a pen about ten rails high, put
trough In the pen and had it filled
with Stops for the pig. So he'd have
nothing to do but go right to growing
and fattening. Then united the bag
and reached way over so / would not
hurt my pig. l gave the bag a shake.
and out came as mean looking
hound dog as l ever saw. He didn't
more than hit the ground before over
the fence he went, and struck right
out for Raleigh"
George. at one tine, made quite a
business of raising improved fowls,
and Dragged very much upon some
fine ducks he had. Mr.. Lewis Peck
took a great fancy to those ducks and
said he would like to buy a setting of
eggs; but George told him he would
give him a setting. as soon as he hal
them. Not many days after they met
in the market when George said: "Mr
Peck, those eggs are ready for you
whenever you will come or send for
them. ! can't let you have but half
dozen; later on 1 may be able to give
you more"
OF course Mr.. Peck went at once
for the eggs and in a day or two hen
was hoverng over them. In the course
of a few weeks they met in the mar
ket one morning, when Mr.. Peck re-
marked: George my eggs have
Matched"
How do you like the looks of your
ducks?" asked George
They are the queerest looking
ducks | ever saw" Mr.. Peck answered..
They are not even web-footed"
They eat all right, l suppose said
George.
Yes, they eat enough, but they
throw up everything they eat" Mr..
Peck explained.
I'll bet a dollar they are buzzards,
said a bystander, and sure enough
they were. By that time George was
turning the corner. hurrying off to his
breakfast. Mr.. Peck was mad enough
to do something violent, so he went
straight home and killed his young
buzzards. but it was long time before
people stopped ENDURING how he was
getting on raising ducks.
The toughest joke 1 ever heard of
his practicing on any, one was on a
fellow who was in the habit of COM
ing to Raleigh, from up about Merry
Oaks, and getting drunk. George told
him one day that the next time he
came to Raleigh and got drunk he in
tended to sow him up in a sack and
ship him home to his father. One day.
some time after that threat, the fellow
came in and went to Georges store.
and laughingly said to George: IF |
get drunk today, box me up and ship
me-" ''Ill do it," said George.
Along in the evening, so the story
was told, George was informed that
his man was drunk. He hastily pro-
cured a dry goods box. lifted the fell
low in. nailed on the top, leaving an
lows father and put the box in the
baggage car, with Instructions to
handle carefully. just as the train
was leaving. The fellow began to
sweat out his liquor pretty soon after
being boxed, and before he got to
Cary he became conscious of his situa-
ton; but, on account of the noise
made by the train his smothered cries
were not heard until the train halted.
Then he beloved for all he was worth.
until he was set at liberty. He said
after he got out he thought he was
i'm a coffin, sure enough. ana was being
buried alive, the rumbling of the train
sounding just like clods falling on his
coffin.
There never lived in Raleigh a big
ger-hearted man than George Stron-
ach. He had no grudge or ill-will
against any one; on the contrary he
was kind to everybody. and did az
much for people. especially poor peo-
pie, as any other did. But, he would |
have his fun. and tried to make the |
world happy about him.
I don't know why / cannot remem- |
Der peoples names nowadays l used |
to be able to call mans name wher- |
IL l. De-