The Mitchell capital. (Mitchell, Dakota [S.D.]) 1879-1918, 1907-08-02
OLD MAN GREENHUT SHOWS
IT'S FOOLISH TO KNOW TCC
MUCH IN a PCKEE c.
From the New York Sun

From the New York Sun.
There is them" said old man Greenhut
houghtfully, as he looked at Joe Bassett,
what reckons they knows it all. You
can't tell EN- noth.n'. an when they m
wrong. like they most gently is. there
amt nothin' tn prove it to EN- short o.
gettln' cracked on the nut hard enough
FOR to out 'em where they won't never
know nothin' no mo-.
Il knowed a man, name O. Rathbun,
over In Green county, some years ago, t
made out he knowed all about mules.
4 say to him one day. / says: 'Rathbun,
you sure do go too fur, l says, when you
claim fer to know 1T all, special in ref
renee to mules, which is ordained by a all
wise providence for to upset whatever
Nou'se a-reck'nin' on, don't make do diff
ference what It's
But he Wouldn't listen. He saws: Come
round to my stable, Greenhut, I've got q
mule there't l want to show you. I bought
hlm fr almost nothin', be:n' as he's got a
bad name. He won't kick, but he's bit
thfee nlggers nigh fatal, an they say he
can't be kept tied up. When l seen hin
l knoWed what the trouble was, so /
bought him. an he's as gentle as a kitten
now t I've took care of MIN fr a week.
40 i1aiN l IldS 10 Oe llI'NtI llkt
blazes, an there is them t shouldn't he
beat. Some hain't no onderstandin' am
some you en- reason with. Now they'd
made a mistake with this one. an beat
him when he wanted to be coaxcd, so, he
In some high sperrited, he nachu,ly bit.
Hes playful. too, an l amt sure but what
some o the bitin' was meant FIR a joke.
Just come round an see what change I've
made into him in a week.
wen. went with him Int u,)sila vro
was on the way j tried to teach him some
pin. This yere mule may be trained. all
right, l says, but he's a mule. He's liable
tor to do somepin' you ain't look for
but Rathbun wouldn't listen. He cap
cred along to the stable, like he was goin'
TO show me a blue elephant, an me with
him. some interested. When he opened
the door that mule stood munchin' his
barley, contented as you please. in his
stall, but he looked round, kind o. laugh
n ike, when Rathbun stepped in. Then,
mighty sudden, 'thoughten IL word o.
Warnin', he reached out his off h!nd leg.
fore Rathbun had got nigher'n about
eight foot FIN the stall, an gave him a
zap side o. the head t sent him all IN a
1cap ag'in the side o. the barn. He never
moved, an when 1 got to him he were
stone dead"
Joe Bassett was not the only listener,
though he was, perhaps, the most inter-
ested, since 1t was told as a sort of re-
orimand for a declaration that the big
sheriff had boastfully made that no zap
I'm up st. Francis way cd come to town
m raise ructions, not while I'm round"
lnasmuch as old man Grecnhut was an
ivowec admirer Of Bassett's prowess, it
had been a little surprising to the others
20 near the rebuke, and Jake Winterbot-
ION. Sam Pearsall, Jim Rlaisden and Pete
kenney had also listened in some surprise,
and, 1t must be said, with an air of not
being thoroughly convinced.
Jake Winterbottom spoke first. ~ don't
sees you're trumpin' in or followerin'
suit. G%reenhut," he said. Fur as this
yeEe Rathbun is c'ncerned. pears like he
mont know so very much about mules,
nohow, + he didn't reckon a mules leg
10 be more'n eight feet long. More'n that.
faint certain but what the mule meant
Cor to be playful. Pears like your story
don't prove nothin', but IS fur's Joe bein'
able 10 handle a zap I'm St Francis. [
reckon there amt no argument comm"
There was a general murmur of approval
though no one felt called on to add to
Wlnterbottom's remarks, and old man
dfeehaut looked inquiringly around from
one TO another. Seeing that they all APP
peared to be of one mind. he shook his
head slowly and somewhat sadly.
Going to his favoritc chair by the win
- - i11A oI tIS oIIl iiilti SIlOktG
Tor a long time in silence. Then he said,
Minds me o Dave Dutton. There want
no more promisin' youngster in MISSISSIPPI
pl, ony he had the same failin' as some
has, o knowing too much, an it kind o.
spilled him some.
Whcn he srowed up, not feelin' t he
had no call fr farmin,' an bein' some
projudiced about liquor, he decided to
take up cards, so says to him how it was
some risky, If it's follered right, but
there's a heap o. players t goes broke
He was cocky. though, like | said, an
he on'y laughs. Trouble with en- he
says. they don't know the game. I'm GO
IN to study poker he says. till l know
1t from Genesis to Omega. If a man knows
the best of him
An l says, Dave, that's blasphcmious.
The good Lord never intended for a man
to know all about draw poker. You may
learn a heap. an 1 don't make no doubt
you will, but you can't never learn II ALL
But he on'y laughed ag'n. an he says,
L reckon | en- do It. An he practised on
his neishbors round G%reenville till he sure
was the best poker player In them parts.
Then he took to the boats"
Then the old man turned his attention
again to his cigar and smoked so long in
silence tllat Joe Bassett at length said
impatiently: We'll, what happened him?
Did he make good or didn't he? What's
all this about, anyway"
II hain't never herd" said old man
G%feenhut, HI was dom well the last /
knowed D. course he'll be come up with
some time
The sheriff spat on the noor. Lets
liquor" he said. "Eve got to have some
pin to a k the taste o. this outer my
mouth"
There was a procession to the bar and
the liquor was produced at the sheriff's ex-
pense. AS the last man was pouring it
Into his glass the door opened and a good
looking middle aged man stepped in and
looked around inqniringly. Joe Bassett.
seeing that he was a stranger. said heart
lily: we uns was just takin' a drink.
Won't you jine US? Pleased to have YOU"
Thanks" said the stranger. II don't
care If l do" and then after that round
had been disposed of he proved his knowl-
edge of the etiquette governing the occa-
sion.
BY the time the second round was put
away old man Greenhut's face cleared up
IJa had hnap u.o al, ~ -,