The Cairo bulletin. (Cairo, Ill.) 1???-1928, 1905-12-26
Five Black HOGS


ing in mudhole In front Of the post
office. Glendale had no ordinance for.
bidding hogs Of any color from run
ming az large on the streets, but within
an hour public opinion had decided
ihat the widow was piling II on TOO
thick. one hog. or even I'VE. mgllt
have passed muster, but TO food The
town with five all al once was going
beyond the limit
II wasn't long before the widow was
made 10 feel that public opinion was
"agin'' her. She waited FOR callers. but
none came The widow was puzzled
| over her reception aud waited to as
certain The cause, and her hogs follow
ed the same line When, however. both
finally woke mp 10 the fact that they
were socially tabooed strong policy
was at once adopted rhe public had
been in The habit of making 4 short cNl
| across the widows front yard. She
/ fenced up the path. The public. or
| portion of it. had been used 10 drawing
| water ut her we'll She put q stop 10 +
| it. She repaired The holes in her fences /
| to keep children out, ordered the town
| TO remove its road scraper from her
| barn and nailed up signs Of No Tres
pass on all her harvest apple trees.
The widows hogs followed ia the
widows footsteps. When they realized
that ii was a fight 10 finish they pre-
empted the widest and softest mud
holes, they took up their lodgings 1T
night in the driest places. they were
first ON hand when the grocer threw
ont stale Goldfish or added eggs, they
kept watchful eyes Oil The back door Of
the butcher shop, and they soon found
every hole ia every garden fence
There was trouble of course The fifty
other hogs in town did not lumbly 20
way back and sit down on the con
trary. they tried TO make things lively
and grunts and squeas arose from
every corner Of the town night and
day In union there il strength. ana
by sticking together the FIVE black hogs
were soon boss of Glendale The wild
ow was dignified, impudent and iude-
pendent: her hogs were impudent bel
ligerent and victorious.
Things went on this way for two
months. The widow had been cut By
society, but seemed to be getting along
all right and aer hogs had been the
subject OF much conversation. but l
were thriving apace. Then Deacon {
Graham met Squire johnson in front
of the poStoffice one day and complain.
ed that one of his hogs had4come home y
minus an ear. The widows hogs had
bitten ii off Along came Enoch Speed Y
well. owner OF the sawmill, and he =
that cue of his hogs had Il
come home to drop dead and another z
10 be a cripple for life. The widows n
hogs again. Il
The widow was waited upon by
committee. who announced that her Y
hogs were considered dangerous TO
life and limb. and she was asked to C,
suppress them. She firmly refused 81
She said her five hogs should run the
streets Of Glendale "a long as any W
other hog remained "
Meanwhile the number Of crippled "
swine aroung town continued 10 in
arease Hogs went forth in the morn
ng in the pride of their strength, bur =,
returned at sunset on three legs and n.
bearing the scars OF battle and defeat
All but the five were becoming Thin
md discouraged and inclined To sui
'ide, and II was the unanimous opinion h
hat heroic measures must be resorted Il
%, The town board wouldn't pass am i'd
ordnance restricting hogs from roam b,
ug at large. because the town board T.,
tself owned hogs. but il was looking n,
or law or something to lit the case
II the i've aud leave the other fifty st
,ut, when Deacon Graham came to the ~
ront
He had been thinking the matter
'yer for several days, and he felt sure
hat there was but one thing 10 do IN
Without acquaintiag any one OF his in dc
entions be- called on the widow 10 say: is
''Widder I've been a widower for I'll
our years"
Yes" 49,
You've been wilder for FIVE"
Yes" 4
I'm wuth two or three thousand {
ollars, and 50 are YOU
"Nellf" '
Pm duggOned lonesome. and guess
on are the same"
Perhaps" ar
"Widder, / don't see why that hog
question can't be settled right here" ~
How" -,
BY our gittin' married IL we was
larried Ia own The hogs. aud I'd make pa
ork OF 'em IN two days. It's kind o.
udden-like and has taken your breath ~
way. and III give YOU a week 10 au- VI
wer IN Meanwhile YOU gif ready for
alters because every woman in Ellen.
ale viii be here before two days have
agsed r.
A week later The deacon caLle Tor his
iiswer and before the widow had time HI
, say word be- observed.
L took the liberty Of shmfn them III
ogs % in my pen this mOrnhf. but OF ra
purse II you siu't goin' to say Yes
Ia Jet EN- cut ag'in. They look mighty
he ~ The pen. aud'-
And what2~ el