The herald. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1905-1953, 1911-04-06
THE VILLAGE
JACKASS
By M. QUAD
Copyright. 1910, by Associated Lit
eTary Press.
By M. QUAD

tnlng-an animal instead or man.
He entered the village of Sandy Hill
one night at 10 o'clock, and no resi-
dent has ever discovered where he
came from. There were various theo-
ries put forth, but they were theories
only. There weren't any theories,
however, as TO what happened when
that jackaSs struck the town. There
was a public square, and he stood on
that square and made public procla-
nation Of his arrival. He brayed a
haw-haw-haw that woke every sleeper
In the village. Men, women and chill
dren tumbled out of bed and into the
street in fear and trembling.
There was little sleep in the town
the remainder Of that night. At reg
ular intervals of ten minutes that jack
ass brayed.
That haw-haw-haw was not a
mournful bray. On the contrary, it
had a tOvial ring. II seemed to the
people Of Sandy Hill to be saying:
''Hurrah for me, I've struck it at
last! We won't go home till morning
and mebbe not them
When morning came the question
was what to do with that animal. 1t
was not easily answered. Drive him
on toward Lansingburg and let that
town welcome or reject him. The lob
was given TO a gang of boys. The
jackass protested, but the gang was
too many for him. He was dubbed
down the road for a mile and warned
to keep moving on. One hour later
he was back on the public square
braying his Joy at being home again.
he was escorted toward Fishburg but
he returned again. He was escorted
toward Edwardsville and toward Gran
ford, but he never reached those
places. He put in the day at il and
then returned to say how glad he was
that he was in the hands OF his friends
once more.
charge of the animal and by tying a
butter firkln to his tail prevented any
braying. No jackass can bray with
head and tail down. Next morning he
was driven within a mile Of three diff
ferent towns and told that the inhab-
but before the last citizen of Sandy
Hill had gone to bed that bray sound
ed in his ears. The rejected was back
on the job.
Thousands Of public meetings have
been held for this or that reason. but
Z q, f,rlt l.
fore or since on account of a lone jack
ass. Sandy Hill held one, and the de-
bate was spirited A stray jackass had
forced itself upon them. What was to
be done in the case? All efforts to IN
load him on other towns had proved
futile. No one had ever heard Of a
tackass without an owner. This beast
must have one. He must call and pay
damages and take his property. He
must be advertised for. II he didn't
show up in the legal time then the
Jack would be sold to the highest bid
der.
That was the course pursued, but no
owner came to make his claim.
The day came when the jackass was
to be sold for his keep. He was to 60
to the highest bidder without reser-
walton. That meant that his bray was
to be thrown in. The auctioneer hol-
Tered in vain. Not bid was made.
No one offered even dollar.
How much pounding can q jackass
take and keep up with the procession?
This one had more clubs, broom ham
dies, hoe handles, ak helves and pitch
forks broken over his back than would
fill a freight car, but he came up to
the scratch smiling. He was hit with
clods, stones, brickbats, old cans and
bottles and picket fences, but he
didn't grow weary Of well doing. One
night when he broke up a prayer
meeting with his bray a good deacon
rushed out and knocked him uncon-
scious with blow from crowbar. 1t
was believed that he was dead, but
next morning saw him wandering
about as gayly as ever.
Again, a young man was counting a
girl. He was interrupted by that haw-
haw-haw just as he was about to
ask the girl to be his'n. He ran out
and fred dose of bird shot into the
disturber. No use. The jack was
frisking next day.
Nevertheless there must be a limit
to all things. Even an ownerless
jackass must draw the dead line some
where. This one held on for two years
before he drew. Then he decided that
be hadn't been used square In that
Christian community. 1t had sent
cash to the heather Of Africa and left
him to eat moldy straw. 1t had been
kind to dogs and horses, but had
bruised and battered him on various
occasions. He would shake the dust
Of the town off his hoofs, but in going
he would leave a memory behind.
A railroad was being run to the vii
lage. The grading contractor was do
ing much blasting, and half mile
from the village limits he had 500
pounds of dynamite In a shed. The
jackass took his departure at night.
His way lay past that shed. He stop
ped and backed up to the door and
kicked 1t in, and kicked at the boxes
piled up. Then Sandy Hill had an
earthquake that tore things to pieces
and created damages to the amount
Of $4,000. That was ten years ago,
but it still shows the scars and still
talks of that explosion. When you ask
what became of the jackass the man
will shake his head and drop his voice