The Lee County journal. (Leesburg, Ga.) 1904-19??, 1908-08-21

If there was one thing that Squire
Eph Yokum valued 1t was horsenesn.
His farm, wife, daughters, and all
were as nothing in his eyes, said the
neighbors, compared to a thoroughbred
'beasty." Possibly this was not say
ing much, for the Squire's farm was
simply little gingery patch Of eartn
and rubble tilted at an angle OF 40
degrees between heaven and MO-
donk Valley, KY. on Firehy Ridge.
Scoffers declared that when the Squire
planted his corn and potatoes he tea
the seed to the ground TO keep It rom
falling OF into space. Indeed, the
entire farm had been known 10 loose
itself from its vertical moorings ana
roll down into Modonk Creek, leaving
the astonished Squire 10 hitcn up an
other plantation to the old place under
Firehy Crag. All Of which proved the
superiority OF a horse to a farm, the
instability Of the latter exciting the
SQuire's contempt and indignation.
AS to his women folk, They was
Jest women-folkses," declared the
Squire.
Hits this-a-way," he said. The
vally Of critter ez accordin' ter hit s
natchrel biddableness. Some women
folkses ez powerful contrarious; peert
an persuadin like one day, but tn
day after mos too ornery an dang'us
fer a mans kemfort. Now, a haWse,
Of he's what yu call reel hawse, III
stay jest whar yo put him, one day tn
same ez tother."
Notwithstanding this opinion, the
Squire had shown commendable inn
Partially toward the feminine and
equine portions OF his household In
his stable he kept three horses,
white, a sorrel and bay, named re-
spectively Virgy, Merdy and jim. In
his house lived his wife, jim, and his
two daughters--the elder Merdy, the
younger Virgy.
Some invidious neighbors limited that
the Squire went TO his stables to find
names for his daughters and his wife.
This the old man denied, declaring II
q reflection on the age of his horses.
Nevertheless, it was beyond the power
Of the Oldest inhabitant to remember
time when Virgy, Merdy and jim
had not occupied the Yokum stables.
Thus the prehistoric persistency OF
these names in the Squire's family, and
the problem of who was called after
who, puzzled the Modonkites for years,
until 1t was decided that Mrs. Yokum
had been called jim just anyhow, prin-
Cipally because it happened so, while
the two daughters had been cristened
Merdy and Virgy years before they
were born. This disposed of the ques-
ton OF equine or feminine precedence
to the satisfaction of everybody.
Although the Squire was not an au-
thority in matters of Jurisprudence,
having never looked within the covers
Of book or signed his name otherwise
than with an x, he was known
throughout the kentucky mountains
and as far west as Lexington as
judge of horses. From the heart of
the Bluegrass more than one specula-
tor had sought the old Modonk Valley
farm for advice, or else to make an
offer for the three famous mares. The
Squire welcomed his visitors with
mOuntaineer hospitality, but in spite
Of the most allurIng proposals his
mares remained in his stables. In
AaaH Tho hoA he WOIy rnr
had slipped into the creek would not
have created such ferment of aston
ishment as the announcement Of the
sale of Virgy, Merdy and jim. So great
was Squire Yokum's pride in these
equine paragons, that ne would have
resented as an insult any proposition
for their purchase coming from his
friends. But Len Strader of Lexington,
the latest pilgrim to Modonk, was ig-
norant Of the Squire's sensitiveness on
this subject.
Strader was the agent of Lexington
racing stable and was commissioned to
purchase the Yokum mares at any
price. He was young man, and on the
success OF his expedition much of his
future depended. The Lexington stock
needed replenishing before the autumn
races, and the sporting fraternity be-
lieved there was winner in Squire Yo-
kum's stables
Strader's campaign, however, had
proved surprisingly disastrous. A fort
nights manoeuveres had failed to
shake the Squires decision regarding
his mares, while the charms of the
youngest daughter of the house Of Yo-
KUN had completely enthralled the
young Lexingtonian whom timidity in
the presence of women rendered this
catastrophe more painful than failure
In the horse trade. Nirgy, the girl. or