Democratic Sentinel, Volume 21, Number 28, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 July 1897 — WHAT PUZZLED MR. M’DONALD [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

WHAT PUZZLED MR. M’DONALD

He Hart Only Seven Pisa, but Coanted Eight Pair of Forefeet. Oldham & McDonald, a firm of Richmond, Ky., have a fifty-pound pig which had a whole lot of fun out of them recently. It was one of a lot of seven. which were placed In a board pen, the bottom board of which had been removed. Mr. McDonald knew that they had seven pigs. He happened to observe the pigs through the crack of a fence as they stood at a trough. He counted eight pairs of front feet all in a row.

He looked over the fence and counted seven pigs. He walked back a few steps and sat down on a log. Presently he found himself counting the pairs of feet through the crack, and, remarkable as it may seem, and even downright puzzling to him as it was, there were eight pairs of feet; Nearing the fence that there might be no mistake, he carefully counted the pairs of feet and there were eight. He climbed upon the fence, counted the pigs, and there were seven. A chill of superstition seized him and he got somewhat stampeded and began a homeward retreat in wild disorder. But in his demoralized condition he met Mr. Oldham and related to him his trouble. The two returned and counted the pairs of feet through the fence. There were eight. They looked over the fence and counted seven pigs. Then they resolved unanimously to catch the pigs, one at a time, and examine their feet. This they did and found that one pig had two well-developed sets of front feet, or six feet in all.

M'DONALD THOUGHT HE COULDN’T COUNT