Milford chronicle., 1931-06-05
A Sussex County Yarn That Is Re.
called With Thoughts OF The
Old Milford Hotel
Very truly yours,
Robert J. Mears

well, boys, now that l have thai
one oy my chest I'll tell you another
"a true story; and, to me, a most
funny one. It happened down in an
off corner of DagsborO Hundred
over here in Sussex, q few years
ago"
The speaker was Justice (Jet)
Lowery, of the old Milford Hotel, q
landmark until a few years ago at
the corner of North Frant and Wal
nut street.
The time was in the late sos
more than 40 years ago.
His hearers occupied comfortable
chairs around the walls of the read
ing room, just off the bar room of
the hotel-the usual gathering OF
toWnsfolk and not a few travelling
men. In the number were several
good story-tellers, but none were
more popular than our genial host,
the proprietor.
"You know, boys, I've travelled
many times over these counties
Kent and Sussex--buying furs and
sometimes other things" continued
the narrator, "and I've made friends
from Jones' Creek to the Breakwa-
ter and even to the ChincOteague Is
land, just by treating everyone fair
ly and giving the other fellow an
even break. So, on this trip / was
taking down a barrel of good old
rye to Jerry Brown, who ran a gen
eral store at the cross roads. There
was no restriction on the sale of
liquor and all the country mer-
chants had to carry it in stock. Old
Jerry had sent me word that he had
lot of skins ready and wanted a
barrel of rye. I arrived there in due
time and found he had the skins al
right - rabbit, mink, o'possum, rat
and few fox and coon skins.
'We tried to come to an agree
ment as to just how much difference
there might be in this swap but
the deal hung fire. know what my
whiskey was worth, and knew how
much furs were worth; but Jerry
thought it wise to let his gangling
son; Rufus, figger the thing out.
Rufus was called in. He had only
passed through the district school,
but knew figgers frontWard and
backward-at least he said he did.
1--WE couldn't find pencil or pen
about the place, so adopted an old
time custom of figgerin' on the
ground. We all moved into the back
yard-white and hard-packed Sussex
sand.
if.There the boy whitfield a stick to
the desired length and point, got
down. on his knees and began. Gal
Ions and furs were rapidly unfolded
there and line after line divided the
columns. The boy move backward
and continued his job.
',''Ptetty soon we saw what an im-
Etlense task that boy had taken over.
Jerry Browns eyes were filled with
wonder and / was amazed beyond
words as those figures grew and |
grew. Finally Mrs. Brown came out |
for a minute, held up her hands and |
said, Lord a mercy me, guess you |
all better come into dinner and rest |
o SPELL
"This proved an interesting di-
version, for that woman could cook,
and no mistake about it. So we
spent sometime at the table; but |
Rufus didn't seem to have no appe-
tfte at all. Dear, sakes alive, Rufe,
what is the matter with your his
mother said to him. Why don't you
eat your dinner. The chickens can't
get into that yard to scratch out
your f1ggers.'
& I'VE saw how it was with the boy,
so cut our chatter short, and went
again into the yard. Rufus sharpen
ed his stick and renewed his exer-
tions, while Jerry and myself tried
to. make ourselves comfortable with
cigars and big arm chairs, where
we could look on and not disturb
the young Demosthenese.
The afternoon sun sent slanting
beams under the old naples and
still no solution to the problem had
been arrived at. The boys britches
were worn throug at the knees, his
hand was cramped, the point Of the
stick was worn to q pulp, and the
Derspiration rolled off his chin.
, "Then ! began to think of home
and the drive old Jenny had before
here, so just naturally gave up the
fight and broke the spell.
Say, Jerry said 1 getting UP
and yawning and stretching my
weary limbs, I'm not much of a
mathematician and you don't claim
to be, and it looks to me kinder like
Rufus would need the whole of Sus-
sex county to figure out the price of
our whiskey and furs, and maybe
hog killing time would be here be-
fore the job was done. How about
you and making an even trade ;
your furs for my whiskey? Eth, how {
about it?'
Well, Jet said the patient par
ent of that boy, I expect you are
right. Rufus was good at figgerin',
but reckon he's been out of school :
too: long to do good job at it now. {
Come, Rufus, feed up, and take in a
passed. of wood. Your ma has a big {
preserving day for tomOrrer.' ;
$50, that ended the deal. left s
he rye and came home with a wag-
IN body of the best skins I'd gotten s
hat season. Neither one of us was
stuck, for Jerry told me afterward
hat his boy settled down to hard
work after that and got the foolish I