Coeur d'Alene evening press. (Coeur d'Alene, Idaho) 1907-1929, 1909-06-14
WIDOW TABOR'S HOG.
ey a. ouAp.


vulaee OF Fowlerville aud Get IN Ala
naenelcrs hall be was az peace wan
al mankind. Two weeks later he wss
rushing to and fro with a pitchfork
u bis hands seeking the life Of I
strange hog that had invaded His Drarn.
lses. For four years the Widow I'M.
Dor. down In the village, had owned :
'nog. For three years the animal haa
Deen known as the widows hog" 10
distinguish him from the half hundred
otner hogs permitted to meaDeer
around The villagers told tales sabnDt
that hog. he was tall and long and
'fangy. He was ever hungry. He was
lighter. He was a DESTROYER az par.
gems ana the happiness OF the owners
enereoh = BE deserved death by the
hands Of gun. az or club, but he had
been spared because be was owned ~
q widow.
The Widows hog had waited n rea.
aonable length OF time and then naiA
= VISIT TO the newcomer and rooted 10
nalr an acre Of potatoes. Silas strong
was slow to anger, but he couldp't
stand that After vainly trying 10
catch the hog he set himself to locate
the owner. When this had been done
ne put on his Sunday suit and made :
can he had the damages figured up
ana knew just what he was going "a
say. The Widow Tabor wasn't expect.
Ing him. but she was not BIT fluEtrat.
ed Mr.. Strong had hardly begun his
story Of infamy on the part Of the hog
When he was Interrupted with:
Dear. dear me, but / am 30 sorrv
lwish he wouldn't act this way. Mr.
Strong, l have just been making some
elderberry wine. and wish you would
give me your opinion on IT,"
When he had done so she asked an.
other opinion about blackberry. Jam.
and from that she insisted that he sam.
pie a custard pie, and when be finally
started home he had forgiven the bog
ana had a good opinion of the widow.
These sentiments were not lastinR.
Only a week had passed when the
same hog tore his way through a stout
1880
Silas Strong was stirred to the utter
most by the outrage. The widow and
the hog shared his invectives alike. A
soon as he could get his breath ana
breakfast he set out for the village.
he may have been expected, for the
door was opened to him with a sweet
smile. and before he could utter a
word the widow said:
IL am very glad to see you. One OF
the legs Of the cook stove has fallen
out. and do wish you'd ok II for me"
8 The leg was no sooner 10 place than
the widow mentioned that she was
afraid the mother IN the vinegar
barrel on the sunny side Of the house
was dead, and she took Silas out to
see. He gave his opinion, and then
she asked his advice about keeping
Leghorn chickens instead Of BFahmas,
and the upshot was that he went away
without bringing the thunders Of heav-
en- upon her head. He got as far as to
say that the hog had paid him another
visit. but she changed the conversation
to the coming circus, and be found
himself on his way home in a puzzled
frame Of mind He wanted to forgive
the widow without forgiving the hog,
but as they seemed to be one and In
separable how was II to be brought
about7 Silas bothered over this mat
ter for ten. days and then got up one
morning to find another battlefield be-
fore his eyes. The widows hog had
made the third unannounced visit he
had rooted up the soil. and he had
chewed up things. He had spared
neither age nor sex. II was simply
gigantic case of malicious trespass and
deserved death at once As Silas could
not catch him and administer the
death stroke, be took bite to eat and
then started for Liverpool. a village
ave miles away. As soon as he got
there he laid the widow and the hog
and the trespass before the lawyer,
and when the latter had got the de-
tails he said:
tits the plainest case ] ever had
The hog has got to die"
GiIas Strong felt an citation as be
started for home. The law was be-
hind him, and the law was TO vindi-
cate him. He had given the widow
and her hog a chance. but they had
not taken advantage Of It At the end
Of a mile or 80. however, this elation
began to lose fits edge. and ten minutes
later he was wishing that he hadn't
been 90 prompt Durn the bog. but
Mrs. Tabor was q widow. She had
given him pleasant greeting She had
asked his advice. She had fed him
custard pie She may have been left
that hog as q heritage. and she
couldn't be expected to either XIII him
or follow him around nights Silas
was feeling rather ashamed OF bis
movements when be came upon q fe-
male sitting on the bank Of the high
way and weeping. Standing 10 the
middle OF the road was an old horse
and buggy belonging to q party 10
FowIervfIIe. The harness bad broken.
and the OUTFIT had come to 3 stand
sfIl. The woman was recognized &C
once as the widow Tabor. As Silas
descended from bis rig she rose up
H.