Western Reserve chronicle. [volume] (Warren, Ohio) 1855-1921, 1864-12-07
HoM 70 Get gid ofa ROCK.

Uriah Abel was q Connecticutf far
mer, and in his time a pretty good one
His farm, like a great many other
Connecticut farms, was full OF stones,
and be delighted to clear them off out
Of the way of the pillow. He built a
great many rods Of substantial stone
wall, but he could not use up all the
stone. He had cleared one field of all
but n great boulder, about the size
ofa large hay-cock- He wanted 10
get rid Of that. He would have "blown.
It to flinders" as he had a great many
others, but it was within two rods Of
"the best room" windows, which might
go "to flinders" at the same time. So
he attempted to haul it ont Of its bed
one day. After firing his own and his
neighbours oxen, and breaking several
chains, Uriah grew wrathy, and de-
clared that "he would give So to any
one that would put that pesky stone
out of his sight"
"Wa'al meow, Idon't mind taking
the job, ifyou'll find q spade, and a
mug Of cider, along in the afternoon"
The proposition was made bya stran-
ger who had just come up. He was q
fair specimen of a working Yankee,
and Uriah dropped the broken chain
and turned square round to look him
full in the face.
eyes, III give it, and the dinner and
cider, too, but l won't pull my oxen
again at that stone, M how"
"Don't want you should. I'm to
put the stone out of sight, make all
smooth about here, so you can plow
right along. That's what am to do,
amt it,"
Eyes, that is all Iwant. I don't
care how you do it, but if you fail, 1
don't pay anything, do you under
stand? Very well, then come in to
dinner"
That done, and a large cud- of tobac-
co adjusted, the Yankee threw off his
coat and took up his spade. He gave
a look at the stone to see which way
it would lip easiest, ami then COM
menced digging q hole on the lower
side, large and deep enough to bury
the boulder quite out of sight. In three
hours he got out and took 4 careful
me 3surement, and then dug a little
more on one side. Then he went to
the woodpile and got 4 stout stick Of
wood, which he planted firmly, with
one end in the bottom of the hole and
the other bracing against the rock.
Then he began undermining, and
worked till he saw the dirt begin to
give and found that the rock was res
ting on his brace.
"Now," says he, Il think l will
take that mug Of cid Ter"
Uriah, who had been watching him,
ordered ont the cider with fright good
will. LIE even offered to add ssome
doughnuts and cheese"
While the Yankee vas wiping away
the perspiration and drinking his cider,
Uriah brought his oxen around and
hitched q chain 10 the wooden prop.
Il did say l wouldn't pull my oxen
again, and L don't NEAR 10, cause it
only needs z smart jerk"
Jerk it was, and down went the
boulder, and with it q shovel full of
dirt, and another and another, in
quick succe sion, until ali was smooth
and level, and long before night the
Yankee was ready 10 resume his
journey
There" said Uriah, rs he handed
him the five dollars, "there is the best
spent FIVE dollars that | ever paid for
work on my farm. Won't you take
another mug of cider? You are en-
tirely welcome. I bave learned some
thing Of you"
Perhaps some persons who read
this may learn something-learn how
to get rid of some Of the boulders that
cucumber the surface, and which are
often blasted and broken up and
hauled away, Just to get rid of them,
at 4 much greater expense than it
would require TO bury them where
they lie, entirely out OF sight