Sequachee Valley news. (Sequachee [Sequatchie], Tenn.) 1896-1952, 1913-06-05
BY PHILIP A. BUTLER,
Auburndale. Mass.

4 AM now an old man. AS folks
4 grow old they are inclined to bark
back to departed days. am sure that
feeling comes to me and l find myself
dreaming over events of my early life.
have concluded that was consider
able of boy and had some queer no
tions, like most boys and maybe few
more than some boys.
Boys usually have pets Of some OF
many kinds. I had few, but re-
member 80 we'll about one that all 9TH
ers are lost to mind.
will try TO tell about the one l
shall never forget. Four OF us boys
out in the woods found crows nest
with four young crows about ready to
fly. We caught them all, and each
boy took one. In time all the young
crows died a natural death except
mine. My crow lived to be a full.
grown one and had full possession OF
all the crow faculties and propensities
to very marked degree.
About that time l had seen a DaVld
Crockett Almanac. In it was picture
of a dancing negro. The words were:
'My name is Jim Crow,
wheel about and whirl about,
And do just so, i"
and he was represented with MS heei
in the ground and both hands raised
so / named my pet Jim Grow.
Jim was as faithful in his love for
us as dog. He would follow me any
where about the village and would en-
ter into play with the children. we
used to dress him up with coat and
cap, which the girls made for him
Jim would do his part all right. we
would form line and march at tue
beat of sticks ON pan or something
Jim following in good order.
When l went to the store or any
where Jim would be on my shoulder
or head, or fly from point to point al
ways keeping in sight OF me.
N.Y. he was character! would
like to tell of some Of his wonderful
acts.
The first adventure we noticed hap
peped one morning. Jim was on the
ton of the cage which kept him in
until he was tame enough to let loose.
Il had clipped his wings SO he could
not fly away
There was an old hen, with her
chickens, scratching away down under
. lilac hnsh Jim seemed much dis
turbed by the hen and chicks, and kept
fiapping his wings. My mother and l
were on the lookout to see what he
would do. Soon Jim gave dive al
the group under the bush, and then
there was a big mixing up OF hen'
crow aud chicks. Jim got the worst
of it, coming out with one bloody eye
Crows are naturally mischievons'
They do sly things, seemingly Just
for the fun of it Sometimes, when
mother was sitting, sewing, by the
window, Jim would be close by with
one eve on mother and the other eye
ON her work basket. Quick as flash,
wnen he thought she was not looking
he would grab bit of wax or thin
BILE. then scoot out of the window TO
hide whatever he had.
Mother had bunch of twigs. re-
member that bunch very we'll as had
many striking acquaintances with it
Mother would go out to hnd jim
skulking among the rows of beans or
corn in the garden. He seemed to
know what was coming to him and
would curl up into a black ball and
take his medicine like ''little man,
Soon all would be we'll again.
NV father was one of the old-fash-
ioned kind of shoe-makers. when all
such work was done ''by hand. - de
employed few workmen and lad
little ''shoe shop" like many others in
New England villages In those Gays
there were no shoe factories making
shoes by machines and by the thous-
ands of shoes day.
Jim was great favorite in the
shop. He would perch on the back OF
fathers bench to sleep or to watch Tor
Il chance to steal something de
would bring back the thirgs taken'
but no one would see him do it. Arti-
cles would be found in place after
time.
There was good old man, neigh
Dor. who too often would visit MS
many cider barrels in the cellar very
interestedly, but not wisely. and then
find himself in a condition to go to
sleep somewhere. Many times this
"somew here would be comfortable
seat in fathers shop. The men had a
way of waking him up on such occas-
ions His name was Carr Now, Jim
had language of his own, and when
spoken to would flap his wings and
give forth his usual ''caw :" which
sounded, with his young voice, IKE
.scar," and he was ready at any mo
ment to answer questions. He needed
no prompting As actors say, 'he was
4, \ x,-, of he liuas - FptheT would I