The Black Hills union and western stock review. [volume] (Rapid City, S.D.) 1904-19??, 1910-02-25
WANTED THE FACTS
LITTLE JOHNNIE ALTOGETHER
TOO PERSISTENT
Papa Got Into Very Deep Water When
He Endeavorsd to Explain About
Hercules and His Wonder
full Deeds.

full Deeds.
Say, pa, who was Hercules?" asked
Johnnie. looking up from his book and
disturbing the after-dinner reading cir
Gle composed OF himself. his father
and his mother.
His father laid down the newspaper
with gratified smile. Hercules.
Johnnie" he explained. graciously,
was very strong man who lived a
long time ago and did number of
very wonderful things. He was the
strongest man in the world"
Johnnie gave his attention to his
book again and his father resumed
his analysis of the stock market But
not for long.
How strong was Hercules. pa?" de.
manded Johnnie. .'lt says here he
killed bull with his hands,"
Il believe he did," admitted his IA
Their.
Say. pa. could Hercules throw
Frank Gotch?" queried the student.
His father frowned slightly. 81 sup
pose he could" he said. "but we have
no means of knowing in these days.
Gotch is wonderful man, of course.
as a wrestler"
Il wish you wouldn't direct John.
MES mind to those awful prize fight.
ers and wrestlers and such persons"
interrupted Johnnie's mother.
We'll. the child asked me q ques-
ton. didn't he?" protested his father.
Il don't see any harm in answering It.
Anyhow. the prowessI of our modern
wrestlers and other strong men prob.
ably Is as fit subject for discussion
as is that of Hercules and Samson and
those old chaps"
Hercules was mythical charac.
ter" insisted Johnnie's mother, stern.
ly. That makes it different"
Silence followed for a few minutes
while Johnnie's mother followed the
fortunes OF Lady Gwendolyn, and his
father tried to figure out why COZ
stock had lost two points. Then John
ME returned to the attack.
Say. pa. what's miscal charac
ter?" he asked.
WHAT'S what?" asked his father
What ma said Hercules was"
Why. mythical character, John
ME-" began his father, lis one that
never existed. A myth is a fancy-a
sort of legend or story, you under.
stand. And mythical character is a
person that is told about in such
story"
He returned to his paper with
pleasing sense Of duty we'll performed.
but Johnnie was far from being ready
to quit.
We'll. If Hercules was mythical
character. then" he said, there never
was Hercules. was there?"
We'll, no." Johnnie's father eruds.
ingly admitted. Hercules is a sort
OF myth or fairy character"
Then. If there never was any Her.
cules, he didn't kill any bull with his
own hands, did he?"
mo. no. it's just story" explained
his father. shortly, turning his news.
paper over and trying to find some.
thing interesting.
But you told me he could throw
Frank Gotch." he persisted. IF there
never was any Hercules, how could he
throw Gotch?"
There!" interjected Johnnie's moth.
er, laying her book down. you see
the trend of the child's mind since you
introduced your friend Mr.. Gotch into
his studies!"
Johnnie's father found the interest.
ing article he was looking for and
buried his nose in 1t for few sec.
onds. Then his son and heir fired
another shot.
Say, pa. II there wasn't any Her.
cules then all this about him killing
the bull isn't true, is it,"
NO." admitted his father, GROSSLY.
We'll. what did you tell me that
stuff about Gotch for?" demanded
Johnnie. lis Gotch a myth. too!"
Here Johnnie's father ended the dis.
cussion.
Young man." he ordered. you go
to bed!"