Knoxville weekly chronicle. [volume] (Knoxville, Tenn.) 1870-1875, 1872-07-10
Baron Munchausen in California.

.
"rwo weeks ago, / started on n visit to
the 80 Semitic Valley. | arrived at the
wharf a moment too late to get on board
and, instead of waiting until the next day,
| | determined to go to Stockton on horse
back. | accordingly crossed the bay to
/ Oakland, or, as it is better known, Little
/ Peblington,' procured horse and rode
| over to the Livermore valley, where stay
ed all night with rancher, who was
| known in the valley as Clamps They
| call him that because he got rich by hold
| ing on to his money with degree of for
! ttude not universal in the country. AS
supper time approached Clamps asked
! me if ] would like some egg, and how |
preferred it-hard or SOFT boiled or fried,
! | told him l would like some eggs, and that
it would suit me best to have them soft
| boiled.
"In a few moments there came Clamps
and his wife rolling an egg the size of
flour barrel, which they boiled in II short
time in large caldron, and then set it
! upon end by madams chair at the table.
| A hole was made in the top of the shell, and
the egg was dipped out with long-han-
died ladle. | was astonished at the size of
the egg and observed that his hens must
be enormously large. by no MEANS he
replied. You will not be so much sur
prised when | tell you that one hen did not
| lay this egg alone; it took seven or eight
hens almost Il week to lay ii. 1t was
joint stock production of the chickens;
| but still it is better than the individual re-
sponsibility plan.
| AT breakfa the next morning we had
more egg, and then L went on the road to
| Stockton. | reached San Joaquin river at
noon and was ferried over in n unique look
! ing craft. While the ferryman was tug
ging silently at his big oars 1 inquired
whether his ferry was profitable.
Doesn't scarcely pay for raisin' the
boat he replied.
Raising the boat p repeated. What
do you mean by raising the boat p
! Mister said he, resting for awhile on
his oars, you be a stranger in these parts,
bean't you ~
II replied that l had not been longin the
country.
"'Then, said he, pointing to the shore,
this ere boat growed in that pumpkin
patch over yonder.'
"'Growed in that pumpkin patch :! I
exclaimed.
"'Growed in that pumpkin patch, on a
pumpkin vine. Mister, this boat is pump
kin shell, cut in two. That patch is where
it growed'
'''Where, over Ivy that barn . l in
quired.
""rhat amt no barn. he answered, 'un-
less YOU choose to call il so. That's a pump
kin, too. But | made a hole in the end
ont and let the stock inside and when
|
up the hole and let 'em winter there. They
come out awful fat in the spring. That big
, green-loOking squash over yonder IN hol-
lerin' out to live in
care these the growth of the season ~ [
asked.
1--WE don't have no SIGH difference here
! on the San Joaquin as CROWN seasons and
I them others. Things keep on CROWN
all the time till we pull 'em or they die
GAS | was taking leave of the ferryman
he gave me pumpkin seed, with the re-
7 mark that might astonish the fOlksin the
+ East with it; but before twenty-four hours
y had elapsed | came near having n calami
u ty by reason Off myself.
s at was in this wise: After riding sew
: eral hours i'll the sun, | was so overcome
by drOwsiness as to lind it impossible Il
keep in the saddle, and, dismounting, la.
down on the ground, intending to take
short nap. / had the pumpkin seed il
- my vest pocket. During my slumbers
: fell OH the ground and | rolled over on il
l. My great fatigue caused me to oversize
d myself, and | woke in the morning by be
ing roughly hurried over the ground in m
PROSTATE position with what seemed to b
Is Il rope around my body. | howled lustil
II for help, and my cries attracted the after
u, ton of two men who were on their way
the harvest field
u, "On being relieved from my perilou
position the mystery became clear. III
u warmth of my body caused the pumpki
seed to sprout and begin growing, and OF
ed of the tendrils of the new vine had cole
itself around my body, dragging me alon
ne in its rapid growth distance of more tina
half mile before / was awakened. NJ
-rG deliverers had hard run to keep pace wit
10 me in the clutches of the pumpkin vim
ed and finally arrested my progress by cuttir
it with their scythe blades. / gave the
ne the vine for their reward and we countt
lrt on it 30 less than three hundred your
AS pumpkins; ranging from the size of aher
an egg to flour barrel.
ed There is but one more thing ! will II
Ter tice. Six years ago gentleman residil
near Stockton planted II grapevine by /
house. In two years the building was col
ale pletely embodied in the branches of I
ev. vine, and the gentleman was surprised
ler seeing his dwelling starting from its iou
on dation. The vine grew with wonder1
M vigor, and carried the house unframed
m. to thu height of sixty feet in the air, wht
In it remained. The gentleman now reacl
M his front door by means of winding sta
.ol- case around the trunk of the grape-Vil
ln- and anybody who will take the trouble
ow 90 and see will find it as / have said.o
the ~---
-e a TALK WITH a HINGLIsIfAIAN.
dlu talked with a miniOn from Her Ma il