Atlanta semi-weekly journal. (Atlanta, Ga.) 1898-1920, 1909-01-29

cause discontinued them and now I have
TO go over a mile and sometimes swim
a river. l got tired of walking two miles
every day and il was a good deal of
trouble 10 hitch up a team. so / hired
boy to make the trip FOR me, which he
did punctually until his contract eX-
pired when he struck for higher wages
and with all my eloquence he was as
immovabie as a veteran even after the
matter was arbitrated in my favor. So,
after making a few trips a negro boy
took the contract and he made the first
trip all right. but that was the last; he
was met by a number of boys, friends
Of my former carrier, all having hck
cry withes excepting one who had a rope.
They informed him that for any strike
breaker they first notified him to- quit,
next they would everlastingly wear him
out with the withes and if he persisted
the next move was hanging. He quit
right then and there.
In the meantime my bicycle arrived and
I began practicing to ride it and right
here is where / need the sympathy of we
Householders.
Ny first lessons were taken on the lawn
and 1 made numerous not very graceful
landings. Now. Opal. here my old maid
sister, comes in.
Sister said the lawn was too soft and
yielding, and that firmer ground was the
proper place to learn-thinking she meant
the public highway, soon had abrasions
on each knee and elbow and that ole
maid sister of mine from her command
ing position on the balcony told me to
get the proper equipoise and give it mo-
mentum. She is always using big words
so 1 led it TO slight elevation, mounted
and began to peddle with all my power,
and did well for about 30 feet, when the
pesky thing made sudden right obI1que,
and / went straight ahead and stood on
my left ear. My old maid sister, bless
her soul, was Johnnie on the spot with
her liniment and camphor, and while SHE
was bathing my wounds. young man
came leading a pony with a hickory
wtthe. asked him why he didn't ride. He
said he had no saddle. / told him 1 would
trade him a new bicycle with a saddle
for his pony. Now it seemed that 1 was
at the end of my troubles. But. alas and
alack. my greatest troubles were ahead.
1 saddled him and 1 noticed he bumped
himself a little. I thought / detected a
sinister look in his left eye, but as once
prided myself on being considerable of a
''broncho buster" / kept serene, and af =
ter leading him around little mounted
CLICKED and jerked the bride, but move?
No. Then I ''spurred'' him with my heels,
and then he started. But instead of start
ing along the road he started up in the
air; first HIS head, then his heels, like a
Juvenile hobby-horse Then round and
round, like a merry-go-round, and then
he seemed to so forward and back, all at
the same time, when turned a summer
sault over his head and landed on a
pile Of bagasse
Billie, the pet goat, always looking or
scrap got busy and biffed me one. and
would, no doubt, have completed the lob
had not my faithful shepherd dog rushed
to my assistance.
Ny old maid sister-bless her heart. [
sometimes think they viii all be angels in
the great hereafter-I can't say as much
for bachelors-ran up with her linament
I and camphor. / had rather she had
brought my shotgun. My shepherd was
standing over me licking my left ear. She
asked me of I was hurt. I said. mo.
I'm dead" mo, you amt" at am not
quite. but my bones are all broken" She
pulled my left arm and said: "Oh, no. they
are not" well, know my back is, for
/ heard it snap" but she pulled me and
1 got UP, gave myself a shake and found
to my delight that the exercise had warm
ed me up, and there he was over in my
duck pasture standing quietly after kill
ing three Of my Pekin ducks and kicking
Two CoOps INTO hlnuilnS WOOD, rOiie0 over
and broke my saddle and just as / led him
out at the gate a young negro came along
with two hound dogs.
said, Hey, mister, would you like to
buy a pony7' ''Yessur, but is got nuf-
fen but two dogs" Are they good for
anything?" zone is good for coons and
'tOther good for 'possums." 'weH. put
them in the dog house and stop at the
! first cabin down the road and tell Sam to
come right up, I've two dogs for him"
I am in a quandary whether to ask
the governor TO declare martial law and
send a company of militia or ask the
government to send a cohort of dragons
, to protect my mail.
Can the Household advise me?
Girls, you VIII have to guess again,
and be sure you use the paternal names
and not the baptismal one. Miss Thomas
knows all about it, and 1 am sure she
viii not give the snap away.
My name is not Rogan, but
ROwGAN.