Year: 1879

| WlSp Oh gTdylS ISL w HiSkGrS InISS 1ACuC5 III
length hanging downward from the point
of a chin belonging to an otherwise
cleanshaven face of more than usual
solemnity Two dead oyster looking
eyes martyred the feeble glimmer of ami
nation struggling for existence along the
outline of an aquiline nose, while his
mouth, with dropping corners, seemed to
be chief mourner at the funeral, and was
always asking pardon for presuming even
that much. His hair was long, and on
this damp day hung dank and stringy
behind his ears. When | entered he
was leaning on the counter, his chin
resting in both hands, while he elaborated
on the rulessof the "pullin" to half a
dozen contestants, most of whom were
seated upon empty barrels. tobacco and
coined, and then he went on with his
talk about the "rules" of the day, which
| he had framed in his own style. AS the
| rules are worthy of production here l
sandwich them in between the comments
of the eX-parson:


RULES OF GANDER PULLING.
"My dear friends. gander's head is
awful hard to fetch" he said, land the
feller that gifts it will yearn what he gifts;
but don't say this to discourage any of
L
your spunk 1t will add to the success
of the pullin' to have you all in it, You
want to hear the rules Well here they
are:


First-Thou shalst not pull at the gan
der till thou hast pade quarter piece.


Second-Thou shalst ride each his own
hoss and each one for hisself


Third-Theu shalst not pull at the
gander if thy hoss is not in a gallop.


Fourth-Thou shalst have five pulls at
the gander for one quarter.


Fifth-If thou FULLEST off the he'd of
the said gander thou shalt have 81 so for
quarter chance and $5 for two chances


Sixth-The he'd of the said gander
shall be creased.


"Now these is the rules to conduct
this pullin'. 1t makes one feel young
agin to beat a gander pullin'. 1t reminds
me of my early days in old North ar'liny
Them was good days. We pulled every
Christmas and sometimes on Fourth of
July; but all them things fadeth away,
as the Psalmist says, like the grass that
groweth up and is cut down. All, my
friends, we only sees such times once in
this vale of tears"


He was boring for tear and got it, He
struck water-or whisky. Any way it
was tear.


These rules" are an exact copy of the
original sheet taken by me under pre-
tence of desire to introduce them at
the first 'pulln' got up.


THE GROUND.


Near the groggery was an old field
from around which the fence had been
removed and thither the congregation,
as the ex- preacher styled the.crowd, re-
paired at twelve, to indulge in this novel
pastime A fork had been set in the
ground, into which long pole had been
placed, one end of which was nailed to
stump, and the other projected about
thirty degrees above the horizon and
many feet beyond the fork. This end
was smaller than the other and timber,
and hung about five feet above the head
of man on horseback. AS all were
eager for the sport an antiquated gander
was Immediately swung to the Timber
end of the pole by the feet, head down
ward, his neck we'll "greased," and pre-
sented Job apparently as tough as a
United States Treasury report. A judge,
armed with whip, with which to accel-
crate the speed of any horse which was
too slow took his stand near the gander,
who, for the first time in his life, was to
be truly dramatic, and blend with his
"Quack! quack" the glamour of martyr
dom.


THE CONTESTANTS.


The ex-parson, who was master of cere-
MONIES read out the rules" the list,ot
contestants, cast lots for position and
formed them in a row one behind an
other. He again read the rules" to the
motley throng, among whom was son of
"Afric's sunny cline" mounted upon
lineal descendent of Balaam's ass. Many
rough jokes few back and forth, and
Peter came in for goodly share, to
which he only grinned and exhibited
hand whose grip was too well known in
the neighborhood not to be regarded as
formidable rival for the honor of de
capitation. Fourteen were in line, head
ed by a lank, red headed ex candidate
for Sheriff, mounted upon gaunt and
spiteful sorrel mare His stirrups were
at least four inches too short, and hence
his knees poked out to the front with
painful angularity, while between the
tops of his socks-now- down over the
quarters of his shoes-and the hem of
his yellow jeans pants elapsed space of
bare, blush red shin cleaning bleakly in
the raw wind. AS one of the bystanders
remarked, he rode deep" that is, he
sat considerably on the small of his back
ALI SuCu COulllSuGS, dlo Gu0J WGf0 hu-
merous, had no effect upon the bland
smile of unapproacnable superiority that
dwelt kindly but patronizingly upon
those plebians who were not in the pull
ing The balance of the con ntestaEts
were of the usual backwoods cut, and
were as variously mounted as they were
themselves unique in character.


THE SPORT.


The programme was to dash under the
descendant of the saviors of Rome and
snatch for the head. If one missed from
any cause it was his loss The neck of
the "trouble began" The ex-canddate
came first upon the fiery sorrel Start
ing some fifty yards from the judge she
came tearing along at a scattering half
speed. Just as the rider was preparing
his hand for the grab the gander gave a
tremendous "quack" and q futter, the
Judges whip fell across the sorreps rump
with cruel hiss, she SHE'D clear of the
point and dashed away across the field
and was taken up by the eX candidate
800 yards away. A yell arose from the
crowd as the mare dashed away, followed
by another when a fat fellow upon
large flea bitten gray made his grab full
five feet beyond the, gander' head. The
celebration" was now fully opened
Rider after rider dashed by, the judges
whip kissing numerically as it swung
through the air down upon the horses
rumps, and the head was not yet touched
when Peter came in to close the first
drawing" He put spurs to the ass, and
the Judge, meeting him full half way,
piled the whip, but the ass Was true to
his original opinion that it was quite un-
dignifed and improper for one who
could trace his lineage back through q
long line of solemn ancestors to the days