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Show One on Mason. In a humorous article designed to convince his subrcrlbers that he has been outside of Sevier at least once In his lire, the editor or the Salina Sun uses an expression that leads one to believe that ho has visited tho land of tho badger and has participated In that sport of all sports, a badger fight. To havo found ono who has watched the struggle between great Intellectuality Intel-lectuality and the badger Is like meeting meet-ing a brother. Ah, old boy, what can equal the excitement of tho throng as the honored one with a mighty pull yanks his victim from his lair! What expectancy as he heaves andstruggles, what shouts of applause as tho victory Is won! 'Twerc worth a king's ram-som ram-som to have witnessed at least one badger tijht. Tiik JtKruitLicAN man lecalls a night nt tho Fiench Lick Hotel In Southern Indiana, and a story that Is famous there. French Lick and West Haden springs are great Inland results, four million dollar hotels there entertaining each year the "biggest guns"of thlscoiintry and many foreign notables. On this night, an enthusiastic enthusias-tic expert arranged a badger fight In honor of Hon. Titos. E. Mason, dem-ociatlo dem-ociatlo sentator from Illinois. Hon. Thomas Taggart, one of the principal owners of the French Lick hotel, and Oco. 1 Howell, superintendent of the "Motion" railroad made a big alfair of It and advertised It thoroughly. Tho opeta house attached to the hotel was crowded with notables, all of the sterner sex of course, and Hon. Tlios Mason ns the honored guest with sutll-clcnt sutll-clcnt courago and "intellectuality" to diag tho badger rtom his den and act as tereiee In tho fight, was the cynosure or all eyes. Hets and exclt-meiit exclt-meiit inn high, as tho badger was known to be a p.irtlculaily fierce one and or ptodlglous size. Kid McCoy-was McCoy-was there that night and was selected as time-keeper and official scorer. When time vva.s called, tho Hon. Tom grasped 'the chain attached to tho badger and though or consld-eiable consld-eiable ponderosity about tho girth and shouldeis, railed tjo bring tho animal from tho barrel. Tom was cheered and jeered and finally lcmovcd his coat. A valiant tug, and the animal ani-mal came Tom's way. Hadger stock went down only to go up again as Tom's wind began to give out. With desperation boin or despair, Mason rolled up a sleeve and with an cx-clamatlonjthat cx-clamatlonjthat sounded like "d It, come out of that," gave a pull that landed the puller on his back and tho badger on top or him. That crowd yelled as It never yelled beroie and Mason's faoo was a study for a painter. Tho Joke cost him no less than a hundred hund-red plunks In cigars and suppers. For the benefit or those who havo never seen a badger light and mav never have tho opportunity, It may bo stated stat-ed that the "badger" Is nothing more nor less than that most popular American vessel which In many homes occupies a position Just under tho southwest comer or the bed. The ono Tom pulled was or the five-gallon kind filled with beer and pretzels'. |
