Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1871-04-07
A Remarkable Stranger.

A SANDWICH ISLAND REMINIsCENcE.
had barely finished my simple state
ment when the stranger at the other cor
ner of the room spoke out with rapid ut
terance and feverish anxiety:
"Oh, that was certainly remarkable, af-
ter fashion, but you ought to have seen
ny chimney-you ought to have seen ma
chimney, sirl Smokel Humph! IwisR
l may hang if-Mr. Jones, y0u remember
that chimney-you must remember that
chimney! No, no-I recollect now, you
warn't living on this side of the island
then. But am telling you nothing but
the truth, and I wish l may never draw
another breath if that chimney didn't
smoke SO that the smoke actually got
caked in it, and had to dig it out with a
pick-axe! You may smile, gentlemen, but
the High Sheriff's got hunk of it which
l dug out before his eyes, and so it's per-
fectly easy for you TO go and examine for
yourselves"
The interruption broke up the conver-
sation, which had already begun TO lag, and
we presently hired some natives and an
out-rigger canoe or two, and went out in
the roaring surf to watch the children at
their sport of riding out to sea perched on
the crest of a gigantic wave.
Two weeks after this, while talking in
a company, looked up and detected this
same man boring through and through me
with his intense eye, and noted again his
twltching muscles and his feverish anxiety
to speak. The moment | paused, he said
Beg your pardon, sir, begyour pardon,
but it can only be considered remarkable
when brought into strong outline by isola-
ton. Sir, contrasted with circumstance
| which occurred in my own experience, it
instantly becomes commonplace. No, not
that-for l will not speak so discourteous-
ly of any experience in the career of a
stranger and gentleman-but | am obliged
TO say that you could not, and you soOuld
not ever again refer to this tree as a large
one, if you could behold, as | have, the
great Yakmatack tree, in the island of
Ounaska, sea of Kamtchat1a-a tree, sir,
not one inch less than four hundred and
| fifteen feet in solid diameter !-and wish
may die in minute if it isn't so Oh,
you needn't look so questioning gentle
men; here's old Cap Saltmarsh can say
whether | know what Pm talking about or
not l showed him the tree"
Captain SdStnlarSh.-"C Come, now, cut
your anchor, lad-you're heaVing too taut
You promised to show me that sumner, and
l walked more than eleven mile with you
through the cussedest aggravatingest Jun
|
you showed me finally warn't as big around
as beer cask, and yOu know that your
own sell, Markiss."
Hear the man talkI OF course the
tree was reduced that way, but didn't ex-
plain itg Answer me, didn't II Didn't l
say wished you could have seen it when
L first saw itY When you got up on your
ear and called me names, and said l had
brought you eleven miles to look at a sap
ling, didn't Explain to you that all the
whale ships in the North Seas had been
wooding off of it for more than twenty
seven yearsY And did you s'pOse the tree
could last for-eOer, found itH don't
see why you want to keep back things
that way, and try to injure person that's
never done you any harm"
Somehow this mans presence made me
uncomfortable, and was glad when ma
tive arrived at that moment to say that
Muckawow, the most companionable and
luxurious among the rude war-chiefs of
the islands, desired us to come over and
help him enjoy missionary whom he
had found trespassing on his grounds.
/ think it was about ten days afteTward
that, as l finished statement was max
ing for the instruction of a group Of friends
and acquaintances, and which made no
pretence of being extraordinary, famil-
lar and hated voice chimed instantly in on
the heels of my last word, and said
"But, my dear sir, there was nothing re-
markable about that horse, or the circum,
stance either-nothing in the worldl
mean no sort of offence when | say 1t, sir
but you really do not know anything
whatever about speed. Bless your heart
If you could only have seen my mare Mar
garettai there was beast there was
lightning for youl Irotl Trot is nc
name for it--she few How she e0uLO
whirl buggy alongl l started her out
once, sir-Colonel Bilgewater, you recol
, lect that animal perfectly well-I started