The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1881-02-18
A COLD WEATHER REMINIsCENcE.

A party recently conerecated in tavern
up in Pike county, this State, were relegated
with the following reminiscenoe by one Of
their number. 1t Will be found hard TO eX-
Gel as a story
q guess none O. YOU fellers ever heerd o.
the Winter o 1T76. OF you'd keep leetle
mum on the cold weather question, said the
Old Settler who had come down from
Wayne county tor little visit We
knOw'd some snortin' old Winters in my
time. but my gran fathers experience in To,
Winter of '76 rather beats anything o mine
''My gran father were a great hunter at
Iniun Killer. He ht in the revylutlOn- q.
long the Del war valley. The Winter o. 'fs
vas ter bic cold. Ey'rythiuE i'm these par
was friZ up tighter n snare drum. On one
o. the coolest days my gran father struck the
track O some lnJIns on the hills Jest abOfS
here. lie follered 'em an killed a couple
Oh 'eIn, an then started back over the ridge
fur his cabin. Ny gran father lived 10 be a
hundred wear old, an to his cyin' day he
stuck to it that what m COin 10 tell you
were ez true ez preachin', an L b'lieve it,
He started back for his cabin over the ridge.
III hadn't gone fur when he shot n wolf
He hadn't much more N fired Ais ole lint
/ lock, when he heerd a yell OF 10 the left, am
I lOokin' that way see a big painter comm Tor
/ him. Painters was picnic for the old man,
an he Tammed down big charge o. powder
. an reached fur his bullet pouch, when, 10 an
behold We il were gone He'd lost il some
out bullets wasn't 50 much Of picnic Be
sides, the ole man had g0t cold while stand
. in thar an he didn't care TO tackle an able
bodied painter while his hands was all stiff.
/ The painter come a creepin' up with his
fangs q shown an his Jaws redder'n =
round o. beef an lis tail a switchin like q
I cows in fly-time Cold eZ il were, my gran >
F father said the sweat started out on his for
rid an rolled down his cheeks bigger'n hoss
. ches nutss They dropped on the ground in
. dig balls, fur they tTlz eZ fast eZ they fell
They piled up al his feet, an the painter
KEEP = Creepiu' up. Suddenly an idee hit
my gran father plumb in the top knot lie
grabbed up a hauful o. the sweat ez were
1 iriz IN balls an poured 'em in his muskit
' If / kin cit these in ON that painter
/ fore they melt he thinks 10 hlsself, 'mebbe
thev'l settle his hash
AFTER cTammin' the sweat O. his brow in
the muskit, my gran father blazed away
But the heat O. the gun bari had melted the
ice balls, an they went out'n the gun like q
stream o. water Out'n q hose. But the cold
weather want fOOlin' round there for moth
in an fore the stream % water had gone
three foot it was friz inter a solid chunk, an
went kerplinkity inter the painters skull
But nv Cran'fRthe said he owed his life @
natur arter all, fur the charge o. ice never
would a made the painter give up the ghost,
an il never would had no effect on him al
all only there want force 'nouCh to drive il
clean through his head. That saved my
gran father from chawin The chunk %
ice stopped in the skull The animal heat
melted il. an fore the painter could recCop
crate an git work in on the old man he died
o. water on the brain. ! was allus sorry my
Eranfsther didn't have that painter stuffed
an handed down in the family continued
the old settler, as he adjourned with the boys
for refreshments.