Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 8, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 18 October 1894 — Next to Ham. [ARTICLE]

Next to Ham.

Chicago Tribune. They are telling a pretty good story of a tourist who ventured beyond Deadwood. He was determined to see all there was that could be called wild and woolly, and immediately demanded to know where he could ride on a real stage coach. The Deadwood stage coaches of dime novel fame are rotting, unused and unhonored, on the sides of the hills, but a stage line still runs between Deadwood and Spearfish. Perched beside the driver of this stage, the tourist was delighted’ to find thal this man had really driven a coach ip the good old days. All efforts tc draw out some story, or even a sage remark which could be carefully treasured and repeated, were failures. They were bowling along the side of a creek, and the tourist finally said: “I hear you’ve got fine trout in these streams.” No response. “Isn’t there trout in this stream?” “Umph!” [ > “Fine fish, sir.” No response. _ “Don’t you like trout?” asked the traveler in desperation, turning in his seat in a way that demanded an answer. “Next to ham,” was the surly response. The astonished tourist was delighted with the result of his efforts when he finally figured out that ham was once a luxury and trout an every-day diet in that country.