Democratic Sentinel, Volume 18, Number 7, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 2 March 1894 — Pulling a Tooth by “Magic.” [ARTICLE]

Pulling a Tooth by “Magic.”

One of the guests of the Briggs House yesterday was complaining of an aching tooth and inquired at the office where he could And a good dentist. He secured the information and went out to find relief, when proprietor De Witt smiled ata funny reminiscence. “I shall never forget a toothpulling Incident that occurred when .1 was a youngster,” he remarked. “My uncle, who was a physician, had a great, big, stalwart colored man for a servant. His name was Buck, and one day he went into his master’s office and complained that one of his teeth was nearly killing him. My uncle advised him to go and have it taken out Buck objected. ‘Naw, indeedy, boss,’ he exclaimed, ‘hit wud dess fa’rly kill me ter pab dis toof jucked out.’ My uncle then told him that he would fix it for him by using a little magic. Buck was equipped with all the •uperstition of his race, and be readily rtequiesced in the suggestion, for he thought a doctor could do anything. The old gentlemen took the ■malt string from his violin and making a loop dropped it over Buck’s aching ■ tooth and drew it taunt. Then he led Buck out to the hitching poet and made him stand on his tip toes, which brought his eyes on a level with the top Of the post, and tied tue cat-gut around it Upon the flat surface of the top he poured some gunpowder, and then solemnly warning Buck not to move he returned to the house. Suddenly he auae running out of the kitchen door

with a glowing coal of Are held in a pair of tongs. Buck saw him coming and backed for all he was worth. But he left that tooth in front of him.’—Washington Post