Ashtabula telegraph. (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1874-1880, 1878-03-01
Whole Number 1859.

it amt for me TO apologize for
Isaac; he played it on the prophets
of BaaI, and like enough he was ius
tfable, considering the odds that
vas against him. No, all say is,
'twan't any miracle, and that I'll
show you so's't you can see it your
self.
Well times had been getting
rougher and rougher for prophets of
lsaac's denomination. There were
four hundred and fifty prophets of
Baal in the community, and only one
Presbyterian; that is, if Isaac was
Presbyterian, which | reckon he was,
but it don't say. Naturally, the
prophets of Baal took all the trade.
Isaac was pretty low spirited, reck-
on, but he was a good deal of man
and no doubt he went prOphesying
around, letting on to be doing land
Office business, but 'twan't any use;
he couldn't run any opposition to
amount to anything. By and by
things got desperate with him; he
sets his head to work and thinks it
all out, and then what does he do?
Why, be begins to throw out hints
that the other parties are this and
that and t'Other-hOthing very def
mite, may be, but just kind of under
miDing their reputation in a quiet
way. This made talk Of course. and
finally got to the King. The King
asked Isaac what he meant by his
talk. Says Isaac, 'Oh nothing par
ticular; only, can they pray down
fire from heaven on an altar? 1t
amt much, may be, your majesty,
only can they do it? That's the idea.
So the king was a good deal dis
turJed, and he went to the prophets
of Baal, and they said, pretty airy,
that if he had an altar ready, they
were ready; and they intimated that
he had better get it insured, too.
So next morning all the children
of Isreal and their parents and the
other people gathered together.
Well, here was that great crowd Of
prophets of Baal packed together
on one side, and Isaac walking up
and down all alone on the other,
putting up his job. When time was
called, Isaac let on to be comfortable
and Indifferent; told the other team
to take the first innings. So they
went at it, the whole four hundred
and fifty, praying around the altar,
very hopeful, and doing their level
best. They prayed an hOur-two
hours, three hours-and so on, plumb
Till noon. 1t wasn't any use; they
hadn't took trick. OF course they
felt kind of ashamed before all those
people, and well they might. Now,
what would a magnanimOus man dOi
Keep still wouldn't he? Of course.
What did Isaac do? He graVelled
the prophets of Baal every way he
could think of. Says he, you don't
speak up loud, or may be your Gods
taking a walk; you want to hollerr
you know, or words to that effect:
l don't recollect the exact language.
Mind, 1 don't apologize for Isaac; he
had his faults.
Well, the prophets of Baal prayed
along the best they knew how all the
afternoon, and never raised a spark.
At last about sundown, they were
ali tuckered out, and they owned up
and quit.
What does Isaac do, now? He
steps up to some friend of his there,
Pour four barrels of water on the
altar!' Everybody was astOnished;
for the other side had prayed at ii
dry, you know, and got whitewashed
They poured it on. Says he 'HeavG
on four more barrels Then he says
Heave on four more Twelve bar
rels, you see, altogether. The water
ran all over the altar, and all dowT
the sides, and filled up a trenel
around it that would hold a coupl,
of hOgsheads,-' measure, it says
l reckon it means about a hogshead
Some of the people were going t.
put on their things and go, for they
allowed he was crazy. They didn'
know Isaac. Isaac knelt down anC
began to pray; he strung along, ano
strung along, about the heather II
distant lands, and about the sistel
churches, and about the State anC
country at large, and about thos'
that's in authority in the govern
ment, and all the usual programme
you know, till everybody had go
tired and gone to thinking sbou
something else, and then, all of {
sudden, when nobody was noticing
he outs with a match and takes it Ol
the under side of his leg, and puff
up the whole thing blazes like hous'
afre! Twelve barrels of water? Pc
troleum, sir, Petroleum! that's wha
it was!
Petroleum, captain?"
eyes, sir, the country was full o
it. Isaac knew all about that. YOl
read the Bible. Don't you worr!
about the tough places, they ain
tough when you come to think then
out and throw light on them. Their
amt thing in the Bible but wha
is true; all you need is to go prayer
fully to work and cipher out how
twas done"