Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1905-04-29
HENDERSON,
THE GREAT.
A TALE IN RHYME.
BY BIDE DUDLEY.

1 loiter round an gas what he wus
go'n' to do some day to bring great
| things to pass. Chefs father wus a
farmer an, though he 'ud never shirk,
| he couldn't fer the life Nv him get
| Chef to do much work. He'd beg him
an he'd threaten him till Chef some-
| times 'ud start, but soon he'd be be-
meath his tree. His mother took his
part.
They amt no use for me to try to
work." you'd hear him say. Some
men kin labor hard, / know, but /
amt built that way. My consutu-
tons out NV whack; my back an arms
amt strong. Eff l should try to work
real hard l wouldn't be here long"
Chef had a plannin sort Nv mind.
While lynn meath his tree he ust to
dream bout what he'd do TO bring him
wealth, you see One night he saw
show in town; man did sleight Nv
hand Bout noon next day Chef told
Bill Pitts he had his future planned.
I'm go'n to be Teller like that
man we seen las night" he SEE. "Oh,
am slick enough to learn his tricks,
all right. I'll get book on magic an
I'll study it while an then I'll start
to givin' shows an make my little
pile"
"You mean it, Chet?" Bill asked,
surprised.
"You bet do SEE Chef. 'T'll show
these folks that's guyin me that I'm
good 'un yet. l reckon, jest to start
things right, I'll give my fust show
here You'll hear Nv Henderson the
Great fore long-that's no bad steer.'
The Teller meant 1t sure enough. He
sent away an got book that give
directions how to learn to do lot NV
tricks-the mystifyin' kind-an' Chef,
he started out to learn 'em. "I'll be
fine" he SEE, "in jest month, about"
He got a yeller poker chip ito
PALM" he told us all. He also got two
magic sticks, tin can an ball, an
while out on the grass beneath the
trees he'd lie each day, sech things ez,
Now, you see it; now you don't"
we'd hear him say. Chef practiced
hard at all these tricks He wouldn't
show US much, but say-the way he
mumbled to hisself jest beat the Dutch.
When anybody'd hang aroun' he'd quit
his funny stunts, but when they'd
take an move away he'd get to work
at once. Chefs plan to be magic
man soon got noised all eroun an
fore two weeks had passed it wus the
talk NV all the town. Chef didn't care
what people SEE, They're advertisin'
ha fhaxy htnIr I will fof1
jest let em come an see."
The gang that hung eroun' the store
to argue, talk an spit made Chef the
butt most ev'ry day Nv lots NV loafer
wit. Milandy Chase, the towns old
maid, called Chef crazy loon. II
don't keer what she sez," Chef SEE,
"Ill show 'em all right SOON"
Well, after Chef had practiced bout
two months a-doin' tricks he SEE he'd
learned 'em all an fer his show COM
menced to fix. He hired Johnson's hall
one day an got Bill Pitts to write
paper notice that the show 'ud come
off Wednesday night. On Wednesday
night the hall wus full. Chef stood
there at the door an took in quarters
till he had, oh, 20 plunks err more.
Were gettin' skinned" some NV 'em
SEE, skinned good an proper, too"
But still they thought 'twus worth the
price to see what Chef 'ud do. When
all wus in Chef went up on the stage:i
breshed back his hair an then he
worked that poker chip. You ought
a-seen folks stare. Chef made it dis
appear right good. He seen he'd made
a hit, so next he took a little brace
an lectured 'em bit.
my friends" he SEE, 81 fooled Won
then jest cause the human eye is
slower than the human hand. The
mex trick that I'll try IL be one,
friends, In which I'll turn two apples
into rats an then I'll turn 'em into
dogs, an fin'lly into CATS
Chef got his apples fer the trick an
took three boxes out where ev'ryone
could see him good an know what he
wus bout. But jest then somethin' hap.
pened that he wusn't lookin' fer. Two
rats came jumpin' frum one box Right
then commenced stir. Chef tried to
grab 'em, failed an knocked the other
boxes down. From one there hoped
TWO Dig Dlack cats tnat started Scram-
bin 'roun. Two dogs wus in the other
box an they come Dustin out. The
rats an cats an dogs mixed up an put
the crowd. to rout. Those animals
jumped off the stage, the cats a-chasin'
rats, an right behind em come the dogs
a-barkin' at the cats. To cut it short,
the crowd rose up an got on out NV there.
l never seen such pushin', an they
screamed an cussed fer fair.
Most all went home jest boilin' mad.
Some NV the men stayed round a-cussin'-
Chef. They looked fer him-he wusnt
to be foun'. He didn't show up fer O
week Mex time they seen the lad he
wus a-cuttin' clover. workin' hard long
side his dad.
That mixup made mighty change in