Drastic Fun

Among Mr. Tilton’s numerous vehicles was a double deck Studebaker wagon which he bought brand new, its first trip probably being to Vigo, the closest shipping point, about nine miles away.

Mr. Tilton had a new hired man, and he had never been that far away from home in his life. To top it off, he had not seen a train and did not know the first thing about shipping a load of hogs.

Now Vigo is situated in a sort of valley with rather sharp slopes on both sides of the tracks. At the time, it was a small village consisting of a mill, two general stores, a doctor’s office, and a barber shop, along with, of course, a small depot.

The fast line went through and dropped off the bag of mail twice daily. Following the double load of swine in the brand new green and red wagon was Mr. Tilton, driving importantly and dressed neatly, ready to ship his hogs to some distant market.

Alas for Mr. Tilton, the hired man drove the wagon onto the tracks, unhitched the horses, and was getting ready to leave.

Coming down from the crest of the hill, Mr. Tilton arrived on the scene just in time to see the fast line scatter his new wagon and load of hogs all over the village. Some loafers sitting on a nearby store porch could have prevented what happened, but Mr. Tilton was a bit too prosperous for their taste. They decided to sit still and watch the fun, which in those days was rather drastic.