Democrat and sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1853-1866, 1861-11-06

A mighty knowing man was Caleb Page,
who kept the grocery at the fork of the road,
Woodchuck creek, Sprang Hollow, in the
village of Hornville No occurrence had "a
ken place, of all the particulars of which Ca
leb did not possess thorough knowledge In
the minutest detail. All matters IN the pros
pective were anticipated, discussed, arranged,
and satisfactorily disposed of by Caleb, long
before they took place If a neighbor rushed
into the store TO communicate what he be-
leved to be very recent piece of news, he
would have the corceit taken out Of him by
being told by Caleb that be had heard il
week ago. Events of the past. present and
future were all the same to him; his ubiqui-
tious knowledge grasped and covered them all
to him they were all stale news
A small bet was made one evening between
ST Stevens ant Joe Stubbins 81 bet Joe
couldn't nOnplus Caleb with any piece of in
telligence-real or imaginary. Joe took all
such bets as that.
The following evening ST aud Joe, accom-
panied By tao or three more of the boys Of
the village, who were to help the thing along,
aud fill in' proceeded 10 Caleb's store. After
being comfortably seated here and there, on
barr els, boxes, ect-, ST opened the evenings
amusement By asking, in manner that indi-
Gated he was continuing a conversation com
menced before they entered the store:
SO you say, Joe. that they caught him at
last?'
Yes, sir, about seventeen minutes past
eight
Well, Joe, how far up the creek was it's
On careful consideration, should say il
was about three miles, or three miles and a
quarter. or perhaps half up the creek
Caleb who had not lost word of the con-
versation dropped his sugar scoop with aston
ishment, and opened his ears, for the boys
not posted The conversation continued:
'Welli' says ST, that couldn't been far
from Deacon Hunt'sf'
jest So answered Joe. it was about eight
rods from the Deacon's hog pen, in a slanch-
wise direction
Did you hear, Joe,' with a face as solid as
gravestOne, how much lie they gotS'
Yes did, replied Joe, with another face
as solemn as two gravestoDes; Il hearn that
they got nearly sixty barrels of it
The wags observed that Caleb was getting
exceedingly uneasy. and piled it on
We'll, Joseph, bow long was the Ieptile?'
We'll, SIlas. the insect was about eighty
two feet long. and twenty eight feet odd in
ches broad-thick in proportion
L thought. Joe, that there was two on
EN-
That's fact; there was pai- on 'em but
they only caught the he one.
A. this point of the dialOgus Caleb became
so desperately excited that be could contain
himself no longer. and snappisbly demanded
to know 'what'n thunder they were talking
abontf'
Why said Joe, with a well-feigned as
tonishment, don't you know about their catch
ing that are-'
That are WHAT peevishly snerled Caleb
That are wbale.' seriously answered joe
"a whalep exclaimed the bewildered Caleb
have they caught whale up the creek?'
They haven't caught anything else,' said
the iDperturable Joe.
And how much lie did they get?' inquired
Caleb as be recovered his wits
'Ninety-two bar'ls replied Joe forgetting
the amount he had previously mentioned
'Wen,' said Caleb, with slow deliSeration.
aud satisfied look. I'm glad they caught
that whale, heard they were arter him