The Pickens sentinel-journal. (Pickens, S.C.) 1903-1906, 1905-01-25
ZEKE EV EN- S UP
With Contractor Who
Left Him e.. 0ke.
He Raffles the Contractors Only
Horse, and the Boys Enjoy
the Proceeds.

Although I will admit these
lokers are a nuisance in a COM
munity, still they have their fun,
and their pranks are often very
amusing--lf the joke is On the
other fellow-and there are also
tunes when they "pay pretty dear
for ,'Jheir whistle"
A(t one timo I was acting in the
capasity of foreman for railroad
contractor. Our part of the bust
ness was the building of the fences
along the right of way, and in our
work We used a horse and hand
car for distributing the material.
The contractor was a Canadian,
and was always ready to play q
joke On any one, and there were
none too rough for his purpose. It
was his special delight to get me
into sone sort of a .scrape or redic-
ulous pt:sition, aud of course felt
justified in getting even whenever
the opportunity offered.
At one time we had not rec lived
our pay for three months, and as
the holidays we're nigh at hand We
were looking forward to good
dr aw and a high time, as we knew
the old man had made a big pull
from the company.
At the time she was boarding us
at a countrysShotel where they We're
making prepas ations for big dance
on Christmas eve.
The old mon had overheard US
laying our plans, and a few days
before Christmas he told me he was
going home for the holidays. Loav-
ing me under the Impression that
ne would start on Il certain day,
he slipped off one day earlier, leav-
ing ten men without their holiday
money, and for ne to stand the
kicking.
Naturally, tho boys growled long
and deep, and I set my wits at work
to out general the old man, and |
was not in the humor to be very
particular how 1T was done.
The next night there WAS nuns
ber of farmers, railroad men, end
Others at the hotel, and I proposed
a raf1l9 with the old n1an's horse as
the prize. Everybody was ready
tor little excitement and the tick
cts we're soon sold, my own men
(buying them con time" We pro-
oeeded with the rattle. one of my
own boys proving the winner.
The next morning tho winner
took his prize a short distance from
the house and turned him INTO a
field where there was a barn for
shelter.
[ divided the proceeds Of the
rattle among the boys, and we at
tended the dance all right enough.
A few days after, the winner of
the horse went out az usual to feed
him, and found him at the foot of a
bluff, dead
AS it was an open winter, with
no snow and very little freezing
weather, we were making good
time, and / was not worrying over
the outcome Of my prank, even if l.
had to pay the fiddler.
We were back on the work when
the old man retvrned. For propel-
ling We were using man power in
place of horse power, and as [ saw
the old man coming, was very
busy giving orders to the mon, and
Iat the same time doing some mighty
fast thinking In fact, was doing
more POSING .bhan the occasion
demanded. =
He opened up about as follows:
"Gool morning, Shorty"
"Good morning, Mr.. Mitchell.
"Where is the horse?'
"Depd."
"W bat was the trouble9"
"Fe a over bluff and broke his
fool neck.n
"What was he doing ont near a
blufg'
'tDwner turned him out
"O@|ner, what do you mean9"
'Ra6fed him off"
'.sW&ll, why don't you tell me