Evening star., 1918-04-07
THE shanty boat Euripides was
known everywhere up ana
down the Mississippi. Once It's

down the Mississippi. Once its
& coming had been heraided as
the coming of the doctor boat. but
m the name of Shagbark Jones became
famous the boat was lost sight OF In
the greater fame of It's owner. and 1t
was 'shagbark has come" or The Mys-
terry Man is at the levee." For the lazy.
shrewd medicine peddler had come to
be known as the most remarkable
solver of mysteries the river had ever
known. 1t was Characteristic of him.
however, that he should make use OF
his talent only to advertise the vile con-
coctions he sold-Shagbark oil and
Shagbark liniment. 1t had been but
step from being a mere medicine ped
dler to- being a fortune teller as well.
Chance had shown him that he had a
brain for solving mysteries.
The shanty boat was larger than the
average craft of the sort. and could not
have been mistaken for the home of an
ordinary river rat" because on each
legend:
SHAGBARK JONES
The Worlds Greatest Healer
Shagbark Life Oil
ehagbark Liniment for Man and Beast
Teeth Pulled Without Pain
THE MAN OF MYSTERY
Astrologist-Phrenolo
7th Son Of 7th Son
Direct Descendant of Pharoah
Grand Musical Entertainment and
Anatomical Lecture, 3 and pm.
At and pm. as advertised. each
day except Sunday. the grand musical
entertainment occurred, and then Or
1ando. the wrinkled little cook, became
for while guitar virtuoso; and Black
Pete. the glossy brown giant of a
negro, strummed the guitar and sang;
and Shagbark. the hairiest man in the
Mississippi valley, delivered his ana
fomical lecture. growing out such wis
dom as:
''Yes. ladies and gents, science tells
us the human body is divided into seven
parts-the head. the lungs and ribs,
the tnnards, two arms and two legs.
making seven parts in all, each of
which IL subdivided into seven parts,
making forty-nine medical herbs and
roots, each Of which cures whatever is
the matter with one of them forty-nine
parts, and all forty-nine Of which is
combined into Shagbark Life OIL, which
anatomy is subject to. One dollar a
bottle"
The o'clock sale had gone well. and
Shagbark had sold twenty-five bottles
OF Oil as well as ten cans of liniment,
the latter being in reality a salve. At
he donned his wizard robe-a soiled
red cotton garment, painted with moons
and stars-and had told fortunes until
$50. when he had retired to the caved-
in sofa for a rest.
Now Black Pete, his bare brown
shoulders glistening in the sun, was
working at the pump on the small fore
deck. churning the stale water from
the hull of the boat. and in the small
kitchen on the rear deck Orlando was
peeling potatoes for supper, his small,
monkey-like face screwed into a knot
~ he gouged out the deep-set eyes with
the point OF a paring-knife.
WHAT you gruntin' about, orlando!
growled Shagbark.
These here Dang-u-el J. Potatoes
piped Orlando. GROSSLY. 1T does seem
like potatoes never had so Etern-u-el J.
Many eyes as these have. been peel
In potatoes all my Born-u-e1 J. Days,
and II seems like every day the potatoes
has more eyes than they ever had
afore!"
why, you dod-gallux old complain
err said Shagbark, good-naturediy.
The trouble with you is You amt phil
osophic. If you was philosophic you
wouldn't complain because potatces has
. few eyes. You'd say. Orlando. you
potatoes would be to nx Il they was
born with fsh scales and duck feathers!
Just think how mean 1t would be IL
you had to scrape the scales on and
pick the feathers out Of all the pota-
toes me and Pete and Shagbark and
Alice eats every day.
As II her name had called her, Alice.
Shagbark's only child. opened the door
Of the cabin and entered. She had cast
q hurried Hello, Pete" at the negro
on the foredeck, but had not paused.
for her eyes were sparkling and in the