Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1873-12-13
Rags and Stoye-Pipe-A Mad Dam
hurian.


TWAS some time last spring that Mrs
Coville read in paper that idle stove
pipe might be kept from rustlng by fill
ing the lengths with bits of carpet, rags,
etc. After the parlor stove was taken
down in May, she made trial Of the
recipe by filling one of the lengths MS
advised. On Thursday, she being away
from home, Mr.. Coville conceived the
idea, and great deal of credit it re-
Elected upon him, of putting up the
stove and starting a fire in it so to sur
prise her when she came home. He
went to work at once. He got the stove
out of the closet, and put it on the right
spot. Then he got down the pipe
where it had been carefully laid away,
and after much tribulation, succeeded
in getting it together and mp i'll place.
With this much accomplished, he de
voted some ten minutes to fondllnS his
fingers and specializing on the astonish-
ment and qualification Mrs. Coville
would experience on her arrival. After
this indulgence and very pardOnable it
was, Mr.. Coviile arranged his kindling,
put on bod of coal, and applied a
match. The paper blazed mp at once,
and then died out again, and a volume
of smoke pulled into the room. Mr..
Coville was surprised. He got down
on his knees, and putting his mouth mp
up very close to the CRATE, was prepar
ing to establish powerful current of
air. and was just on the verge of doing
it, when another puff of smoke shot out,
filling his eyes and penetrating his
throat and nearly binding and strang
ling him. Mr.. Coville rolled over once
or twice to get out of the way, and,
reaching his hands and knees, coughed
and eXpostulated for some five minutes
i'll that position then, feeling somewhat
revived and refreshed, he made a
close examination Of the hampers and
the pipe where it connected with the
stove and the chimney, but could find
no solution of the mischief. He applied
another match, but the smoke again
rolled ont i'll the room, and it was only
by an almost supernatural jump back
ward that he saved himself from an
other strangulation. ii next took all
the coal out of the stove and made a
thorough examination of it's interior,
but there was nothing unusual in its APP
gered by his i'll luck, he put in more
ItDlUtttl VIC COdl, ana uSulil
applied the match. There was another
stronger than before, and an in
creased volume of smoke shot into the
room. And it continued to come, in
spite of the violent protestations he
made, and he was obliged to beat an in
glorious retreat, stopping III the hall to
cough and wheeze and swear. When
he opened the door again the room was
full of smoke, and it was i'll the midst
of it, feeling his way to the stove and
coughing and screaming, Mrs. Coville
found him on her arrival. The presence
of the smoke, with the actions OF her
husband. made but one impression upon
Mrs. Coville, and she promptly shouted
{" fire" and started for the street, but,
fortunately, was overtaken by her an
gered husband, and dragged back in
time to prevent a scene for the neigh
bors. OF course, Mrs Covillc did not
know what was the matter with the
stove, so she said it was the way the fire
was made, but seeing her husband grow
white about the mouth, and observing
him jump up and down, she prudently
amended this opinion by substituting
the pipe, and on the symptoms before
mentioned continuing she hastily ahan-
doned the pipe theory, and was about
to confess that she didn't know what
was the trouble, when sudden thought
struck her. "Oh ~ said she did
you take the rags out of the pipe 90
Rags" said he, Why, yes [ put
some rage in one of the lengths to see if
it would prevent it from rusting, rs the
paper said "You did?' he gasped,
showing very plainly by his looks that
he knew one or the other of them was
bercft of reason, but was not quite CON
tident which one eyes" faltered Mrs.
Coville, instinctively moving toward the
stairs. Mr.. Coville stared at her for a
full minute, while Mrs. Coville care
fully examined a fly over the door, and
then, with single exclamation which
we will not print, he silently jerked
down the pipe, and as silently pulled
from the link i'll question sundry pieces
of rag carpet, a jacket sleeve, and IL
night cap. AS the last article made its
appearance Mr.. Coville felt Us if he
should melt in shower of tears, but
Immediately changed his mind, and fell
to kicking the articles about the room
IN a most insane manner, while Mrs.
Covllle precipitated herself with com
mendable dispatch. What Coville
wants now is, to find the paper which
contained that advice. - DuRJuly
NcaUS.