The Evening statesman. [volume] (Walla Walla, Wash.) 1903-1910, 1907-02-09
GOAT BEATS SWEOE N RACE
Tobacco Chewing Contest Goes
to Bearded Quadruped.
MILL HAND ALMOST DIES AFTEBwARD
ANIMAL OF THE CAST IRON
STOMACH, HOWEVER, ENJOYS
NICOTINE MEAL.
MILL HAND ALMOST DIES AfTEBWARD

NEW ORLEANS, La, Feb. o.
Spencer Wright, connected with a
large lumber mill in Calcasieu parish,
was in the city this week on short
business trip and while conversing
downtown cafe table, upheld the goat
as the champion tobacco chewer of
the country, and to make good his
argument told about what is perhaps
the strangest contest on record.
There's a black named Watkins"
Mr.. White began his story, living no
great distance from Lake Charles,
who is the proud possessor of goat
vulgarly termed billy goat and that
same goat, I do believe, could eat a
half try, either.
'1t was only last May that l saw
Ben-that's the name Watkins gave
his goat-at the tobacco chewing
game, and I want to tell you right
now that I was pretty nearly knocked
silly with establishment. You know
that old goat, his thin, solemn face
and his long whiskers giving him the
air of patriarch, was quite familiar
figure about our mill On the Sabine
river, and I first took note of him be-
cause of his pure and unadulterated
cheek. He'd go and come when he
pleased no place was sacred to him,
and the big sign private on the glass
door of the managers office might
have read to him enter please, and
make yourself at home,' for all the re-
spect he showed it.
HELPED Himself to Tobacco.
Nobody said Ben nay the men
around the mill rather liked him, and
even the boss stood for the invasion
of his sanctum. Ben early learned to
affect my office, because 1 generally
keep a jar of loose tobacco for my pipe
on my desk, and whenever Ben want
ed a chew, which was quite often,
he'd reach up and help himself. Do
goats chew tobacco? What ? Why,
they love the weed more than King
James did. after Walter Raleigh had
taught him how to smoke and chew!
No, they don't burn cigarettes up, they
eat 'em, paper and all, for the sake of
the tobacco, and had you seen Ben
well, you'd have agreed with me that
he was the champion of his class.
"Ben's weakness for y tobacco APP
peared to amuse the labOring force at
the mill a whole lot; they couldn't
understand how it was that goat
loved tobacco and just to play joke
on the goat they gave him several
plugs of the strongest kind of weed,
such stuff as is generally labeled
'Workingman's Pride Or Sailors De-
light but Ben, he didn't get sick
gobbled the brown slabs up and
whisked his stub tail contentedly as
though asking for more.
Zone of the sawyers at the mill was
q big Scandinavian called Address, or
something that sounded like that, and
Address, / might say, before the COM
ing of the goat was cock Of the walk
as the big tobacco chewer. Address
chewed plug cut, cross cut, long cut,
cigars and pipe ashes; he had tobacco
in his mouth from morning to night,
kept his quid slowed away in the hol-
low of his cheek when eating, and half
the time he went to bed with it still
in his jaws. Address liked notoriety.
and it was pleasing to his vanity to
hear the men speak of him as the great
est tobacco chewer they had ever seen.
so you will readily appreciate that
when Ben came on the scene Address
was not tickled to death.
Planned Chewing Contest.
Dat got him bane one fule to
chew "bac" with me; I bane could
beat him much Address said one eve
ming when the boys up at the commits
sary began to tease him about Ben
taking his laurels. The paymaster.
who could always see the chance for
joke, heard the remark and the happy
thought occurred to him to have to-
bacco chewing contest between An
dress and the goat. Andresss, when
the proposition was mace to him,
seemed to swell up with Importance.
Would he chew tobacco gainst that old,
measley goat? Why, sure he would,
and glad to do it, too; and as for the
goat, why, he'd a been willing if it
was a tin can chewing contest.
."The match was arranged for Sun
day, when all the men were off and
had a chance to see the fun, and the
ring for the queer combat was pitched
down in front of the company store.
Two big jars, each filled with loose to-
bacco, were placed on the ground in
the center of the space roped off and
the paymaster and myself were present
to act as judges.
Betting was lively on the contest,
and as the goats full powers were
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