The Richmond Virginian. (Richmond, Va.) 1910-1920, 1917-11-04
Chigger Ridge, Va,
Nov. 3, II.
Dear Solon:--

Circus was In town thfs week and
nobody could look at the streets
eny during parade time and say they
w8s million or so OF our boys was
at the front or anywheres else. Things
was on the hum just like Williams
burg or Roanoke of a Saturday night.
Didn't no elephants step on nobody
or nothing and everything ran off
smoothe all day and there amt no
fake scare story to write you, although
| guess you are wondering how come
the Ridge amt having a good death
or murder or something interesting
like the rest of the country. Like
have said before, ! don't aim to kill
nobody or sic no elephant on a inno-
cent bystander Just to let you prac-
tice with your big type, so don't think
| am laying down on you. Scion. be-
cause l will send you all the newes
from here as soon as they IS news
and / can't stand no docks at the
present writing
I followed the parade out to the
grounds near to the horse swappery
and I seen Mr.. Fellows who knows
me and lot of prominent people in
New York and he wfnked at me and
l got in for nothing gratis free of
charge but II wasn't saving me moth
ing. for you know how I am, Solon.
] didn't want TO cheat them so l spent
the fifty cents in peanuts and sich
and whacked up with they elephants
what didn't have nothing but hay to
eat.
/ loafed through the stable what is
located contrary to all good taste
right in front OF the main house or
whatever you might want to call It.
but Of course 1t ain't IA house but a
tent affair. Well, what | want to say
is that animals Is like human beans.
You know they got signs all around
TO look out for pickpockets and I am
sucker II the kangaroo didn't have
better sense than a lot of them hoo
gles from Pepper Hill what got picked
or they rolls because she was even
so careful she put her baby In a pocket
what was sewed right on to her STUN
mick. | seen that with my own eyes.
Scion, and you might have one OF them
| rah -rah boys what writes stories for
you at fat salaries make a fetur story
ABOUT 1t for the front page. They get
| a salary regular, SO when ii cores
out l Will put 1t on my string and
send 1t in and you can send me a
check. After all it is the man what
has bright ideas and not a head full
or Siezher and two and two is or are
i've what counts.
hNAtAcbpdy must nave lett the gate
-s"-tafe stni1te open and let one OF them
clowns in because faint nobodv else
got time around busy place like a
circus to go to the trouble OF painting
penutentury suit of clothes on a
| pore little mule. I seen It with nv
| own eyes and 7 don't care II some
| or them fancy folks did low Il was a
! zehru I guess a man what Ia been
porn In Chigger Ridge knows a mule
| when he amt seen no other kind of
iocomotion all his life Then right
next to this here pore little mule was
a deer of some kind that them clowns
| mad been feeding rubber. You lust
| ought to see his neck and you viii
know what l am talking about. II
| Ia long as fence rail and his STUN
| mick 10 stretched so far from, his
| mouth that he is pore as Slim Glenn
| mems and ell busted out in vaIlar
/ spots arn~gotng TT tell Ms. Bane
| who is interested in SIGH matters and
nave her see the gov. about stopping
such foolishness and preserve tha
natural animals OF this country before
tney Is all Joked on the map. Then
| IKE having the pore critters neck All
out or place wasn't enough. thew went
and called him by SIGH a horrid nane
as glraH- A animal amt got as much
chance TO live with that name hung
on MN as Muncey the repub. ia got Of
| getting himself in the gov. chair in
| Richmond
! Then they took a elephant and
whitfield him OF on all corners ana
made him look like them comic draw
ifgs you see In that Byrdtowne Cos
SIP page you run in your highly Inter-
esung paper every Sun. what carries
an inc latest from Chigger Ridge and
& Caii9G "a Iva. ,f,nxN
IS cut OF and his legs and all he's got
| FOR his chillun TO recognize him b,' g.,
I us smell which proves they don't
lever get no magnolia blossoms TO eat
me only things they didn't monkey
win was the monkey. That's a. pretty
soou Joke, Scion. and I got It nm NV
sen right as l run along In this letter
ana L believe it would make a pre+tv
good story and you get one of them
IFat mates to write II up and nut n
on the front page and we will 20 90
~ on II. or course II It Amt good
enough for your paper sell II to some
OF them other papers In town 49,
would be pleased to have a littls frs+
class STUFF once in awhile and 7 will
never CAIN no credit for Il to get Won
IN pad That's the way do business
| SCION right above the boarda p G
GU understand about that sn-4o
preparation up there line or two
am to get the so and You get tba
paiance as l am using nv old head
ana you amt doing nothing but set
thing there laughing at tho toke ard
OF course them rah -rah bows work ~,
saiafy anyhow and the company navs
il. pays
Ihey had cats out there all h,owsd
up TO twice they size and called then,
/ nohs and SIGH but even If aim mo-
where's but from the Ridge I NM
/, gong 10 be took in by no smart yanx
hees what just come down here 10 cot
20 laugh at us because all Yaplxoas
mas got enough money to stav up there
"here they can get Nkker If thew
want IT, but of course my wife he,
longs to the w. C. T L. and / don't
drink no more. ~oi
| seen a heap of other stpr r viii
zen you about when you come down
20 mat Xmas fox chase. IT'S All rtch
stun and had a good time even IL
some sucker did borrow NV watch
put OF course you won't saw notbtng
70 Ar smith and Neal Ivey who read
Late every week and cali thavsalfs
Jokesmiths. You might put LITTLE