Waterbury evening Democrat., 1905-02-27

I Well, said the native. the sprine 1 was always there but he happened 1 jest because crude grease is the best thing in the world for to make hat grow on bald heads. and rattlesna1es won't touch anything that's got it on. T looked at the native a little un. easily, but waited.
 "Dan Mitchell, I s'pose. was the luckiest man that ever struck oil he said. after ahile. not cause he struck oil so much as it was cause he used a big lot of it on his bald head to- make the hair grow. |
 Dan had couple O good wells down yonder long the creek, but he was prospectin' for more. He had a bald spot on top of his head about the size of pancake. and it worried Dan tremendous, cause Ee was young fel- Ter yit. and had hopes.
 Somehow or other Dan hadn't heard yit that crude grease'd start hair to growth on to bald heads as sure as a mustard plaster d start blister, and that rattlesnakes. which was plen- tier than flies round a lasses jug, drawed the line at 1t. and let anything alone that had it on
 While you was putin down a we'll. you had to kick rattlesnakes out O your way. or carry a club with you all the time, but the minute you struck oil and she began to squirt, them rattlers d begin to cut sticks away from there so fast that you wouldn't be able to find one within q mile O your camp. Don't blame 'em much, for crude grease don't smell anyways nigh like a pineapple.
 "'And that's the reason, s'pose. that folks hain't took to the crude grease cure for bald heads more than they have. They'd have to go into quarantine, spose, while they was usin' it. anywheres outside O the oil camps.
 Well. anyhow. Dan Mitchell had that bald spot and it was maxim his future dark. when one day I told him about the crude grease cure and he pitched into usin' it for certain.
 "'On one of his prospecting trips Dan come along this road. It wasn't a road then that you would run wagons onto. and as some one had stole Dams horse he was walkin'. It was a hot day in summer. an Dan had put on more than common biz smearin' of crude to hurry up the hair, cause he wanted it.
 "'Tother side O that spring. maybe a couple hundred yards. he overlook a pack pedler who was trudging along, and Dan tried to walk along with him for company. but the pedIer traveled too slow for Dan, and he pulled out and left him behind.
 When Dan come to the little run across the road he thought it must come from spring. and bein' mortal thirsty he looked for it The grease was runnin' down his face. and all through his hair. and he said the heat had made it smell a leetel worse than common. if that could be.
 Dan found the spring and took good drink. and swashed his face in it awhile. Then he started on. He hadn't gone more tran % paces when he heard most appsllin' yell behind him. He looked hack and seen the pedler he had passed layin' in the road and within tremendous.
 Dan ran back as fast as he could to see what was the matter. The pedler was elutchin' his neck with one hand. His eyes vas starin'. and his face was purple. He recognized Dan ard man. aged to say:
 A rattIer bit me in the neck. Ton. der he lays.-
 Dan looked where the pec.er vas pointin'. and there. sure enough. iay a big ratfler at the edge O the bushes that hid the spring coiIed up and gIarin' like fury Before Dan could grab . club and kiil the snake the pedIer threw hin.