The Washington herald., 1912-04-23

A friend OF Representative Ben John
son, OF Kentucky. conceived OF what he
thought would be a rich little practical
joke some time ago and shipped a vigor-
Gus specimen Of wild boar 10 Johus0n's
farm, near BardstownS The joker sup
posed johnson would be plunged into
despair trying to think what to do with
so inutile thing as a wild boar.
But the real joke Of II was that a
wild boar was the very thing Ben John
son wanted. His big farm teens with
running horses and deer and various
other varieties Of wild ana domestic
fauna. but ne had no wild boar. He felt
that II he could just get a wild boar
he could get along rather comfortably.
Right at the psychological moment the
shipment arrived from his joker friend.
The boar was fenced up in a remote
part of the farm where IL would not see
too many familiar faces and get tame.
Nothing Is more incongruous than a
tame Wild boar. johnson figured that IL
a man is going 10 harbor a wild boar for
a mascot. the boar. TO be success
should keep right on being Wild This
one kept wild TO nicely. II was the
widest wild boar ever seen In Kentucky.
Many residents OF Bardstown. however,
had never seen II until one forenoon the
creature crawled through an interstice
In the fence-oh. well. at any rate. II
got out-and went romping breeziiy
down the main highway toward the viii
laRe History was then and there IN the
making Children yet unborn will tell
their grandchildren Of the things that
happened when Ben Johnson's wild boar
made that exploratory jaunt TO the VII
lase Of Bardstown.
Those who have seen pictures OF Wild
boars In the Chatterbox books that We
read in the good old days. may get a
faint conception Of the austerity and
uncompanionable appearance Of Ben
Johnson's mascot, as II dashed up the
main business thoroughfare Of Bards-
town, clearing the street with the ef-
fectiveness of a gloTihed traffic squad
Eight seconds after II had arrived, every
store In town was closed up and business
was suspended for the rest of the day.
II was as II a plague had swept through
the little place, stilling all hamsne ae-
tiyity.
When our Wild. four-footed hero had
completed his flight through the town,
ana IL was considered comparatively safe
to venture forth, everybody began to
discuss ways and means TO capture the
boar throughout the countryside sour
ried constables And plain clothes men
from Bardstown. bands Of villagers,
peasants. innocent bystsnders, soldiers.
and huntsmen.
About sunset, the untamed betusked
creature was trapped In q farmyard and
taken into custody. That concludes the
first chapter OF our tale.
trife less than a year later, a farm
er living at the edge of Bardstown walk
ed into the village to buy rope halter
Suddenly he stopped and was seen to
climb a telephone pole with much agil-
ity for one Of his advanced years
whats matter?" a lone pedestrian
asked him.
What's the stores all closed ror?'' he
asked
why, IT'S Decoration Day-a holiday"
'Oh, well then, I'll come down." he
said. Everything looked so deserted
was afraid Ben Johnson's wild boar had
broke out again"
Representative Alexander, of Mis-
souri,, was obliged to hasten to Albany.
a little town in his district. from
point forty miles away, to attend an
important political conference, and the
only possible way he could get there