The Starkville news., November 29, 1918, Image 3

About The Starkville news. (Starkville, Miss.) 1902-1960

Image provided by: Mississippi Department of Archives and History

                
• • ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦-**♦-***-* I
♦ “ED” MOTT’S WRITIN’S. ♦
. t ♦
if A Newcomer at Biler Run ♦
|®.' ■ ♦
♦ —Story of the Snoring t
| Rattlesnake and Snap- ♦
jping Turtle as a Farm *
Hand. *
♦♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦
(ARTICLE NO. 2.)
ANKWOOMIOR had settled on the
old Hill Huimer clearing. along the
back toad to Suiter's sawmill. In
t the Kiler Rim district, lie was an en
tire stranger there and hail as yet
shown no disposition that would indi
cate possession of any intention on Ids
part to demonstrate that he was much
of a mixer.
George Washington I’ergenkanqier,
the imaginative one-eyed Horner of the
Run and its environment. by and by
concluded thiil it behooved him to
arouse The newcomer—Jim Tucker by
name—to a sense of tb<>' lay of things
around there and strike him with some
HUie showing of the capacity of the
Pergenkamper genius in the way of
vivid depiction of the wonderful and
startling habit Nature was indulging
herself in in her order of life nr and
about Hiler Run.
p This duty of .Mr. Tergenhamper's
made a strong appeal to him one
drowsy afternoon as he lolled buck in
the big sheepskin chair on the back
stoop, listening to tin* soothing song of
the grasshoppers down in the rye stub
ble. and he took to reflecting that that
was Just the sort of time to stroll over
along by the new resident's domicile
apd acquaint him with some Hiler Hun
( possibilities as handled in the George
Washington Pergenkamper way. in
stead of lying out there on the back
stoop In the big sheepskin chair,
stretching and gaping like a lazy old
long eared hound. So, after a while,
he found himself on the way to do his
duty by Biler Run and himself in lie
half of Jim Tucker.
Jim Tucker was sitting on a chopping
block at his wood pile out along the
road when Mr. Pergenkamper got hU
first sight of him. Mr. Tin ker was a
lean, sharp faced individual, and he
was busy at skinning eels. This
seemed to George Washington I’ergen
tnniper as offering promise of an open
ing. and he stopped in Iris stroll and
said, "How-de-do?” to Jim Tucker.
Jim said. "How-de-do?" back to him
p.and went right on with his col skinning.
THE "Rattler mms .still -snorts*
The Homer of Hiler Hun was some
p-wtaat taken aback at the impassiveuess
of the new citizen, but attributed it in
bia Ignorance of what went along with
the presence then confronting him. So
George Washington Pergenkamper
smiled benigmiutly on tiim and. with
condescending patronage, said:—
"Skinning eels, eh?”
The man on flic chopping block pon
dered a while and then said;—
m. "Well. I’ll tell you about that. Kelt
like oranges—not much use till
you skin ’em—l thought l'd skin 'em.
Yes. I'm skinning eels.”
"This callow citizen is getting pre
aumptuou*,” said Mr. Pergenkamper to
himself, “hut I'll humor him and lead
him on.” "Snaky looking critters, ain't
they?" said lie. referring io the eels,
“Ytp." replied the muu, fetching up
P mother wriggling eel and starling to
rip the skin off it, “Do yon know
anything about snakes?"
That made George Washington Per
genkamper smile. Now lie was coining
to his own. Now he would start in to
bring confusion to this Inconsiderate
newcomer and wake him to a realiza
tion of the place of the Pergenkamper
genius In Biler Run. Asa sample of
a poteney the custodian of that genius
f got ready to tell Jim Tucker, merely
[ as an eye opener, about the blncksuake
that chased to the rescue of a rabbit
that a dog was after (and on the heels
of), helped the rabbit over the fence
and then turned around and whipped
the dog.
Mr. Tucker, wrapped up In his cel
skinning, wouldn’t listen, but said;—
you ever hear a rattlesnake
Whore?"
m Right there the Pergenkamper genius
got a whack in the neck that almost
sent It to take the count. It actually
gasped, and Instead of George Wash
itigton Pergenkamper getting his stride
>Stwving Turtle HAvnp.es at home.
and telling Jim Tucker about the time
lie had been kept awake by a couple of
rattlesnakes that bad crept in bed with
him and snored so outrageously that
be couldn't gel asleep until he got up
and squeezed a patent clothes pin over
each one of their noses he supinely
stroked Ins chin and said no. he never
had.
"1 never did but once, either.” said
The man on the chopping Mock. "Poor
fellow!"
Then lie paused in his eel skinning,
seemed To feel bad over some recollec
tion. rose by and by from his chopping
block, looked toward a little barn that
stood back a way from the road and
called out:-
“Rupert! Oh-h-h. Rupert!"
Then he stood a little while as if he
was waiting for somebody or some
tiling. Nothing appeared and he said
to the dazed Mr. Pergenkamper;—
"He's getting ready to run The fan
ning mill like as not and didn’t hear me.
I’d like yon to meet him."
George Washington Pergenkamper
felt the world rolling away front under
Ins feet. So unstable did his footing
seem that all he could do was to stam
mer out: —
‘‘Not the rattlesnake that snored?”
"No.” said tile new citizen, Tucker,
sitting down to ids eel skinning again.
“Not the rattlesnake that snored, poor
fellow! Hut the rattlesnake that snored
was the curse of Rupert, though. Sit
down. Take the old black oak chunk
yonder. It hain't got so many knots on
It as the rest of ’em,” said Mr, Tucker,
giving with a comprehensive sweep of
his hand the privilege of the woodpile
to Mr. Pergenkamper. who hazily sank
to the resting place while Jim Tucker,
us he went, on with his eel skinning,
enlightened him further.
He told Mr. Pergenkamper how he
went over to the pond one day. looking
nature over and taking note of how she
and her creatures were acting, when
bis eye fell on a big snapping turtle
lying on the shore, quiescent in fhe sun.
Its head and its tail and its legs were
housed within its shell. By and by
what should Mr. Tucker see coming out
from among a lot of stones, up along
the shore, some distance beyond the
turtle, but a good sized rattlesnake, it
came right on toward the spot where
Ihe turtle lay, and when it got there it
never stopped, but climbed right on fhe
turtle's back and colled' itself there,
with its head raised above the coil and
its glaring eyes fixed on the end of the
turtle where its head and neck would
be if the turtle shot them out.
Mr, Pucker assured .Mr. Pergen
katnper that tie saw at once that if fhe
turtle ever did shoot his head and neck
out, the rattler's poison fangs would
he socked into them clear down to the
gums Just behind the turtle’s ears and
so quick that the turtle would never
know what had hnpened to him.
“1 felt sorry for the turtle.” said Air.
Tucker, unwinding an eel that was
doing contortionist stunts up his arm
and eliminating its pelt, "for I knew
that he would be starting to go hack
to the water by and by, and he couldn’t
well do that without sticking his head
and neck out of Ids shell, so 1 was on
fhe point of saving him from what was
threatening him when I noticed that
the rattler was getting sleepy. Kvery
little while it would nod, nod. nod until
after a while it Just couldn't hold its
head up any longer and ii curled down
In its coll and went to sleep.
“And pretty soon," said Mr. Tucker
“I heard him snore, poor fellow!
Snore? Snored like a hired man!”
Jim Tucker paused to unravel an
other eel. and George Washington Per
genknmper raised Ids bead and actually
begged him to go on.
"This is one thing I never knew
about snakes before." said he "Go
on!"
"Never heard one snore, eh?" said
Mr. Tucker. "1 never did. except that
once, and If It hadn’t been for that one
snoring I never would have seen the
point of that turtle’s nose ns it come
out of the shell, for 1 would have gone
bome and left the rattler in the de
licious embrace of Morpheus, and the
subsequent proceedings wouldn't have
been a feather in (he cap of tltesi- prem
ises here.”
Then Citizen Tucker stood up and
railed out toward the burn again;—
"Rupert! Oli-h-h-h, Rupert!”
He waited a uiluute. stretching his
neck to see whal result his call hud.
tiut, nobody putting in an appearance,
he sat down again to his eel skinning,
saying:—"Me’s gone down cellar to
kind o' see about stowing the 'talers
way. l shouldn't wonder I'd like in
inenjons for to have yon meet him."
And with a meekness that would
have appalled his old time compatriot*
af Hiler Run and sent them hurrying
for the doctor George Washington I’er
genkamper raised his head and said
that he would he glad to meet him, as
If there was any one thing that he
liked to see more than another it was
attentive and Industrious farm help.
Jim Tucker said that, as for that.
Rupert had ’em all skinned a mile.
Then he went back to what he had
that. dav ou tha shore of the pond.
xjgjj BXAiC&VILLE NEWS, STARKVILLE, MISSISSII
lie saw. lie said. The turtle's nose com
ing out of the shell, after a while, and
it. kept c.n coming out until the turtle
onhl peck hack and see how things
were looking up there on his roof, and.
hearing the rattler snoring away, he
■alcnlated that now was the accepted
time, and In* accepted it.
“The way that turtle rose on all
fours,” said Mr. Tucker, "couldn’t have
been beaten by mushrooms coming up.
it was so steady, unjoggly and certain,
and a trained elephant taking steps
over his trainer. lying In the circus
ring, couldn't have been any more
slow and careful ttian the turtle was
as he turned to march toward the
pond, with that sleeping and snoring
rattler on his back poor fellow! And
the turtle go; there at lasi, the rattler
still snoring like a tipsy fiddler. He
slipped into the water as if he had
been greased, took the rattler out into
the pond and sank down out of sight
like a chunk of lead That washed
Ihe rattler off fhe turtle's back, and be
woke up. I suppose, the most astound
ed serpent that ever was.
“Then the turtle grabbed him and
pulled him tinder the water, and when
the snake came up again he was
Srowned dead, as dead as the bottom
mackerel in the kit. The turtle Just
gave the snake one glare and then
swam back to i.iie shore and resumed
his quiescent, attitude, all shut up in
his shell.
"I didn’t have the time to stay there
and study turtle manners and customs
any longer, so I lugged that one home
to study 'em at my leisure. He hadn’t
been here more than a week when he
coaxed the old lien's brood of chicks on
Ids hack and was giving them a joy
ride on fhe gooJfe pond, greatly to their
delight. Hut to the terror of the mother
hen. who. mad all the way through,
pitched into the turtle with beak and
claws when he lauded her chicks ou
shore, only to see him pull himself in
side of himself and never say a word.
We found him in the bant next, day
shelling corn for the old hen. with her
just more than tickled to pieces over
him.
"And the first thing we knew." con
tinued Air. Tucker, “that Turtle had
Jumped in and took to running fhe
churning machine, and so he went from
one thing to another till he has got to
be Ihe best all round hired help we have
on the place.
"Rupert! Oh-h-h-h, Rupert!" (he new
citizen called again, getting up from
his cel skinning. "Hut, there.” said he.
suddenly thinking of something. "1
forgot to tell yon we named him Ru
pert because it was such a nice sound
ing name and so easy to say. t'an'l
get him to bear me. somehow. S'pose
we walk up and see what he's doing
I'd like to have you meet him."
"If this here gets out." said George
Washington Pergenkamper, bitterly, to
himself as he gol up obediently and
went along with Mr. Tucker, "I'll have
to shake the dust of Hiler Run off my
feet and take to some wilder and deeper
woods!"
Mr. Tucker led the way. Not seeing
Rupert anywhere, he called to his hired
man. who was lying on the back stoop
smoking his pipe:—“Where's Rupert
just now, Ahunanzor?”
“Rupert?" said Ihe hired man.
“Why. I think lie's gone down to the
hack medder to fetch in the spotted
heifer that went lame.”
"Socks!” exclaimed Mr. Tucker, alt
put out. "That's too bumdickered bad!
He won't lie hack now much before
to-night! <’an you wait?"
George Wasliington Pergenkamper
told Jim Tucker that be was tremen
dous sorry and disappointed, bur he
couldn't wait.
"Well, say!” said Citizen Tucker,
■SoaeMrawo when RUHMb WHO rncMiuoMtv
with a happy thought. "If you can get,
•round here early some morning while
Rupert's doing the milking that would
he a hang up time to meet him!”
Witli tile sense that now all was lost
to him, and that hereafter his genius
would have Jo squat in a rear seat In
the domain of Hiler Run, George Wash
ington I'ergcnkampcr was about *o say
he would he glad to get around there
some morning to meet Rupert at the
milking time, when-
"Hi. Ihere. yoh George Washington
I’ergcnkampcr! Rouse yourself up out
o’ Hint slice|skln chair! (juit your
snorin’ like a durn tired out old coon
dog and skite along and feed them hogs
that's squealin' enough to wake mum
mies from the tomb!"
Tims the voice of Mrs. George Wash
ington Bergen hamper. Air. Pergen
kamper woke up and wiped his inspir
ing brow.
“Genius survives even in dreamt!”
•aid be, bugging himself, “though ill
does have to wake up and coat slops!
before swine!”
ToKHSUMEEPERjI
J ff°a ?Exote nooto
"T'C remote the slain of mud fromi
I clothing nib well with raw |i
-1 tato.
When the clothesline needs cleaning
wrap it around the washboard and
scrub it with a brush in soapsuds.
When washing mauve prints and
muslins put a little soda in the water
hi whieh they are washed in order to
keep the eolor from running out. Soda
is said to have exactly the opposite ef
fect on mauve that it has on other dyes.
A blacking that will lie found inval
uable for stoves is made by mixing;
equal parts of kerosene and turpentine
mixed with a good stove polish until
you have a paste of the consistency of
thick cream. Apply while the stove is
slightly warm and polish with a flan
nel cloth.
To remove Ink stains from wash ma
terials pour a tablespoonful of kero
sene* on them and rub well. Then rinse
in kerosene and the spots will disap
pear as if by magic. This should be
done before the regulation washing.
A solution of chloride of lime and
water, a tablespoon fill of tin* lime to
two gallons of water, is an excellent
medium for removing the most stub
born stains. Soak ibe stained garment
for hours in the soldi ion and in lime
the offending spots will disappear, and
this without, injury to the fabric.
To remove grease spots from table
cloths. coals, trousers, &<•., sandwich
the article between two pieces of blot
ting paper and rest a licit Iron over the
damaged part fora few minutes.
To clean fine muslin I louses, table
centres. X<\. dissolve a tablespoonfnl of
borax in a gallon of water; pul the mus
lins into lids and let them remain for
Sturgis Locals.
(By Miss Sallic Bevill.)
Since tlie •■Flue” has subsided
we can get to glean a tittle news.
Mrs. J. W. Landrum spent
Sunday in West Point with her
husband
Mr. Archie Henry is home
from the navy for a short visit.
He looks well and happy,
Mrs. Mollie Harris is visiting
Mrs. Nannie Thomas. The
years have passed over her light,
l.v since she lefi her girl-hood
borne;
Mr. James Bevill spent Fri
day, Saturday and Sunday with
hotnefoiks and returned to West
Point Sunday i veiling.
Mr. Jake Richardson arrived
home Irom the training camp a
few days ayo.
Dr. W. E. Murphy returned
from the hospital Tuesday. He
had a nervous collapse as are
suit of the ‘ flu” and has been
undergoing treatment for a
month.
Dr. O. W. Roberts has been
holding the tort alone and
though working hard seems to
be holding out splendidly.
Mrs. J. T. Smith returned
home from Winona Tuesday
where she has been quite ill for
several weeks.
Post master Livingstone lias
resigned and is making prepara,
lions to move to the delta soon.
Misses Alice Hinson and Pearl
Bruce visited Mis* Jewel Bruce
Sunday
Miss Pearl West spent the
week-end with .her uncle, Mr,
Will Lee and returned to school
Monday. ,
Mrs. Nannie Brown has been
quite ill for some lime.
A surprise wedding took place
Monday at the hotel when Mr.
Ledbetter led to the altar Miss
Hannah Barron. Mr. Ledbetter
is the < fticient telegraph opera
tor hare. He is an earnest
Christian. Miss Hannah is one
of our towns most refined young
ladies.
half an hour: then gently rub them out
in firm white suds.
Wlten a wicker chair requires clean
ing dust it well and wash in tepid soap
-aids. Mix together equal parts of tur
pentine and sweet oil and a few drops
of methylated spirits. Wlten the chair
is quite dry rub with a cloth moistened
with the polish.
To renovate hat bands when stained
by perspiration dissolve one and oue
tiialf ounces white Castile soap in four
ounces of alcohol anti one ounce each
of sulphuric ether and ammonia; apply
with ti sponge or toothbrush, nth
smartly, rinse out with clear rain
water. This is equally good to reno
vate any cloth with fast color.
Before fastening tlte chopper to the
lahlc place a piece of sandpaper, large
enough to go under both clamps, rough
side up. on the table: screw the chop
per up fight and you will not be both
ered with clamps working loose.
Unvarnished black walnut can be
successfully cleaned by rubbing It thor
oughly with a piece of soft flannel
soaked in either sweet or sour milk.
When kitchen sn<h curtains are in
clined to stick to the window with frost
and steam fasten a cord across the
lower part of the sash with tacks lu
each corner. The curtain never cling*
to the window and keeps much cleaner.
Some laundresses get good results by
starching with rice water, with water
in which potatoes have been boiled
strained thoroughly, of course—with
cornstarch, with while flour. And then
there is the fine starch that does uot
need cooking that can lie very satisfac
torily used in many cases, it should be
made according to directions on each
package.
VVi> vvisle for tliem a happy
voyage upon the sea of life.
081 I’U ARY
Wo have just received the, sad
intelligence that Waller Bishops
an Oktibbeha boy lias made the
supreme sacrifice “over there,’*
He was slain Oct. ißib.
Of some fifty former pupils in
service this is the first to fall in
baffle and it is with a sad heart
that his old teacher pens a few
lines to Ins memory.
He was a dutiful son. an obe
dient pupil, an affectionate
friend. With a bright future be.
fore him he joined the ranks and
marched away to follow Old
dory to victory or death. For
him it Was to find a grave in a
foreign land with no mother’s
farewell kiss upon Ins brow as
the death dews gathered, hut
me. Hunks angels hovered near
to bear that pure young soul to
its maker.
Dear Walter, you have given
your all for Freedom’s cause.
May each nruhv drop of your
heart’s blood be a jewel m your
crown of life.
And though our human hearts
would cry out for vengeance up.
on the ruthless Hun who laid
you low we leave him m God’s
hands who notes the sparrow’s
fall and hath said, “Vengeance
is mine, 1 will repay.*’
To the heart broken father and
mother, the sorrowing sister and
brothers, we extend lenderesr.
sympathy and pray that you
may be a re united family around
the great white throne where no
tear-drops dim the eye.
Sal He Lee Bevill.
GOOD NEWS.
25c Cash per 10U lbs for old waste
paper. When you burn old pa
per you burn money. Save all
your old books, magazines, news,
papers, ledgers and other kinds
of paper and bnngDthem to Win.
Shienblum. the Junk Dealer and
he will pay you cash for same.
Also the highest cash price for
all other junk such as old scrap
Iron, bones, metal, sacks and
rags.
Wm. BHEINBLUM,
Hear of Blumenfeld & Fried
Slarkville, Miss.