Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1871-08-13
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better known, sLittle Peddlington, pro
cured q horse and rode over TO the Liver
more valley, where / stayed all nigh
with rancher, who was known in thu
valley as ssClamps." They all call hin
that because he got rich by holding on tc
his money with degree of fortitude mo-
universal in this country. Wen, as sup
per time approached, ssClamps" asked mt
If / would like some egg, and how / pre-
ferred il, hard or soft, boiled or fried.
told him that would, and that it would
suit me best soft-boiled.
In few moments there came Clamps
and his wife, rolling an. egg the size of 8
-four barrel, which they boiled in short
time in large cauldron, and then set il
up on one end alongside of madam's chair
at the table. A hole was made in the top
of the shell, and the egg was dipped out
with a long handled ladle. l was aston.
ished at the size of the egg, and observed
that his hens must be enormously large.
ssBy no means," he replied. ssYou will
not be 50 much surprised when tell you
that one hen did not lay this egg alone;
it took seven or eight hens almost week
to lay it. 1t was joint-stock produc,
ton of the chickens, but still it is better
than the individual responsibility plan. !
At breakfast the next morning we had
more egg, and then / went on the road to
Stockton. reached San joaquin river
at noon, and was, with my horse, ferried
over in very unique looking craft.
While the felrymsn was Juggling silently
at his big oars, started a conversation
with him by inquiring whether his ferry
was very profitable.
Doesn't scarcely pay for raisin' the
boat he replied.
'sRaising the boat2n / repeated, "What
do you mean by raising the boat9'"
sinister, said he, resting for the while
on his oar, s.you be stranger in these
parts, bean't you2"
Ireplied that had not been long in
the country,
''Then," said he, pointing away to the
field, ''This ere boat growed in that pun
kin patch over yonder."
'Growed in punkin patchl |" l ex-
claimed.
'Growed in that punkin patch on a
punkin vine. Mister, this boat is a pun
kin shell, cut in two and the innards taken
out. That patch is where it growed."
"Where, over by that barn2" l inquir-
ed. .....
E'Thst amt no barn." he answered,
sunless you choose to call it SO. That's
a punkin, too. But started hole in the
and ov,,f and LAT tho efooIy ;ne;Jo- - ond
when the wet season sets in, why you
see, jist plug up the hole and let 'em
winter in there. They come out awful
fat in the spring. That big green-looking
squash over yonder, Pm hollerin' out to
live in. 4"
"Are these the growth of the season %
/ asked.
''We don't have no SIGH difference here
on the San Joaquin as CROWN seasons
and them Others; things keep on CROWN
all the time till We pull 'em or they die. "
As Twas about taking leave of the
ferryman he gave me a pumpkin seed,
with the remark that l might sometime
astonish the folks in the East with il; and
before twentysfour hours had elapsed
came near having calamity by reason of
this same seed.
1t was ia this wise After riding
several hours In the SUE l was so over
come with drowsiness as to find it impos-
sible to keep in my saddle, so / dismount-
ed and lay down on the ground, intend
ing to take short nap. / had put the
pumpkin seed in my vest pocket. During
my slumbers it fell out on the ground,
and ! rolled over on topof it My great ia
tigue caused me TO quite OVersleep my.
sell, and was awakened the next morn
ing by being roughly hurried along over
the ground in my PROSTATE position, and
it seemed as if rope were wound round
my body. / brawled Justify for help, and
my cries attracted the attention of two
men who were on their way to the harvest
field. .Hsu ...--.
On being released from my perilous PC
sition, the mystery became clear to me.
The warmth of my body caused the
pumpkin seed to spring into vigorous
life, and one of the tendrils of the new
vine had cooled itself around my body,
dragging me along in its rapid growth a
distance of more than half a mile before
] was awakened. My two deliyerers had
a hard run to keep pace with me in the
clutches of the pumpkin vine, and finally
arrested my unwilling progress by cutting
off the end of it with their scythe blades.
! gave them the vine for their reward,
and we counted on it no less than three
hundred young pumpkins; ranging from
the size of hens egg up to flour bar
rlel e. ..-
On returning to my horse, found him
filling himself with green pumpkin, and
as q consequence, during the after part of
the day, while we were proceeding on our
journey, he was seized with a violent fit
of colo of which he died, notwithstand-
ing that l gave him several bottles of Cali
fornia soothing syrup. l did not feel
able to pay for the pony, which l knew
would be required of me on my return to
Little Peddlington, and began 10 think
very bad over the unlucky turn In things.
While sitting on the ground near my
deadly pony, a jackass came browsing
along. / took out my hunting knife and
in jiffy whipped off the pony's hide
and threw it over the jacksss. 1t fitted
to charm, and after visiting Yosemite
Valley, l returned the disguised jackass
to the man of whom had hired the pony
in Little Peddlington. To this day he
does not know but that he has got the
same animal he lent me. -- -r
There is but one more thing l will no.
tice in this letter. Six years ago, a gen.
tleman residing near Stockton planted q
grape vine by his house. In couple of
years the building was completely ems
folded in the strong branches of the vine,
and the gentleman was surprised at See
ing his dwelling starting from Its founda-
ton. The vine grew with wonderful vi
gor, and carried the house bodily and un~
harmed up to height of sixty feet in the
air, where it remained at a stand. The
gentleman now reaches his front door by
means of winding staircase around the
stout trunk of the grape vine, and any
body who will take the trouble to go and
see will find it just as have related.
... OCEAN DRIFT.
A bottle was recently picked up on the
unuth loooh of tho icland Of Eav, Wa.t