Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 40, Number 48, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 February 1908 — SKINNY BROWN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

SKINNY BROWN

By Byron Williams.

A awful tough boy’s cum t* live In our town: His folks is poor white trash, his name’s “Skinny” Brown. He’s got reddish hair an’ he’z had th* smallpox; He don’t wear no necktie, ner collar, ner socks! • His face Is all pimply an* sometimes he swears. An* none of th* kids dast t* give him their dares! He’s got a big hole In th’ seat of his pants An’ ylsterday mornin’ he et six big ants! Jlst et ’em right down an’ then rubbed -——on his shirt—- " They tickle a little,” sez he, ’’but don’t hurt!’’. He sez eatln* ants isn’t nothin’ at all. He’d bite a snake’s head off fur Billy’s new ball! He ketches big bees by-th* tips of their' wings, An* pulls off the end of th’ bee that boastings!

He carried a rat t’ th’ school by Its tali An’ hid Mr. Rat in Miss Stone’s dlnM* pall I . He never cried onc’t when she jlst dream* him down— A awful tough boy Is this here Bklnay Brown! He laughs at th’ girls an* jlst wiggles Ms moath. He’s got a "doll baby,” he sea, in ttf South! He carries a lizard around In his hat. But jimminee crickets! that feller Mat bat! He made three home runs in th’ gaum ■ ylsterday— _ He sez it’s jlst “nuts” fer t* knock *O®k., that way. Th* kids sorter like him becuz he’s “tM £■ stuff!” They don't seem t* mind es he Is pretty tough. T guess ’bout th* poplaiist kid in tkfl - town 4a this here ant eatln’, bad boy, Skinny Brown! .