More Old Tales

Here are some more tales from the childhood of Velorus Kent.

First Story: “The first time Forepaugh’s Show clime to Lansing I look a girl just past 13 to the show. l was just past 14. Wasn’t that starting early? I should advise mothers not to let them go quite so young . But then I was the white cow's calf you know. I once took a girl to a Sunday school picnic and there came on a big rain and we couldn't get home for two days: and no telephone.”

Second Story: “Suppose you were going along Bridge street one awful rainy day with her, carrying an umbrella over her head as I was, and you came to a place where the roots of a tree had lifted the side walk so that it sloped toward the inside as it did , and some galoot had pasted a bill for a political meeting on this place as he had , and the rain had wet the paste until it was slippery as glass as It had , and stepped on it as I did , and your feet went from under you as mine did and caught hers as they did and you let loose of the umbrella as I did and she stood on her head in the umbrella as she did? Sir, did 'that elevate your dignity?”

* * * * *

Before the railroad came. Simeon Babcock came at about the middle 1860s. He kept a team and hauled goods to and from Lansing. Everybody called him Uncle Sam and he was a joker. One awfully rainy day he went to Lansing with a load of goods; he wore a light blue soldier’s overcoat which had a large cape. Uncle Sam wore his hair long, and after being so long in the rain he said he supposed that from his looks the young fellow might have been somewhat justified in his remark.

Sam had put his horses in the barn at the hotel, and went into the bar room. There were several young fellows at the bar when he entered: one young chap spoke up and said: "And Satan came also."

This created a great laugh, the youngster supposing, of course, his joke would get the drinks for the bunch, but Uncle Sam was loaded. He said: "My young friend, if you will look a little further along in that book you will find where it says "And the ass opened his mouth and spake". This brought the house down and the youngster had to set up the drinks.

*The Great Forepaugh Show of 1867 was a traveling circus. A “white cow’s calf” means something very special and prized.