Crawford avalanche. (Grayling, Mich.) 1879-19??, 1883-10-04
A TRUTHFUL TRIO.


=. Mark Twain and Petroleum V. Nas-
by, cay s Donn Piatt, dined with Eli
Perkins at the latter's residence in
New York, The conversation at that
dinner shall never forget. The sto-
ries told and the "reminiscences brought
out at that dinner would fill n small
book.
After the last course, and after the
ladies had withdrawn, the converse
ton turned upon horses. Finally Mr.
Twain laid down his cigar and asked
Perkins and Nasty if they had ever
heard of fast horse he (Mark) used
TO own in Nevada.
Il think not" said Nasty.
"Well, gentlemen. continued Mr..
Twain, as he blew smoke ring and
watched it, THAT was Il fast horse.
But he was so tough bitted that l
couldn't guide him with bit ut ell. "
How did you guide Limf" asked
Eli.
Well, gentlemen, had to guide
him with electricity. ! had to have
wire lines and had to keep battery in
the r.sson all the tirIe in order to stop
him"
"Why didn't you stop him by hol-
lorin. who-ai" asked Eli
Stop bin 10y hoAerlnR whoa" +"
exclaimed Mr 1wtsn. why l could
not holIer loud enough to make 'ha'
horse near Ine. lie travelled SO fast
that 10 sound ever reached him from
behind. lie went faster than the sound
sir. Holler whoa and he'd be in the
next town before the sound OF your
voice could reach the dash board. 49,
Travel fast2 ! should say he could. -
Why. once started from Virginia City
for Meadow Creek right in front Of one
Of the most dreadful rain storms we
ever had on ihe Pacific coast. Wind
and rainl Wig, the wind blew eigl ~
niss an hour aad the rain fell IN
sheets. j drove right before that storm
for three hours-just on. tic edge Of
that hur!cans and rain for 40 a!iles.
Didn't vou get drenrhedl'
DrcnchedI No, sir Why, ! tell
you, drove right in front of that rain
I storm. could lean forward and let
the sun slime on me, or lean backward
and feel rain and catch hailStones. -
When the hurricane Stacked up the
horse Stacked up, too, and when it
blew faster Just said, G-lk! to the
horse and touched the battery, and
away we went. Now, / don't want 10
lie about my horse, Mr.. Perkins, and
don't ask you to believe what | say,
but tell you truthfully that when
got 10 Meadow Greek my linen dusteT
was dry as powder. Not drop OF rain
on the wagon seat either, while the
wagon box was level full of hailstones
and water, or I'm a, a."
Look hofe, gentlemen" interrupt
ed Mr. Nasby, speaking OF the truth,
did you eyer hear about MY striking
that man in Toledof"
Mark said he had never heard abont
it.
well, sir, it vas this way; There
was man there--one Of those world
Iy, skeptical fellows, who questioned
my veracity one day. He said he had
doubts about the truthfalness Of one
of my crossroads incidents. He didn't
say it publicly, but privately. I'm sor-
ry for the sake of his wife and fenily
now that he said it at all-and sorry
for the man, too, because he wasn't
prepared to go. If he'd been Chris
tan it would have been different.
say j didn't want to strike this man,
because it's bad habit to get into
this making a human chaos out of @
fellow man. But be questioned my
veracity and the earthquake came.
struck him once-just once. j reinem
Der he was putting down a carpet al
the tune and had his mouth full o.
carpet tGcks. But a man can't stoI
to discount carpet-tacks ia a mans
mouth, when he questions q mans We
rlcity, can hel never do. | simpl,
struck the blow"
Did it hurt the man inuchl" askeC
E,.
NJ don't think it did 1t was to'
sudden The bystanders said IL ] wa
going to strike second blow the!
wsuted to move out of the State. -
Now. don't want you to believe me
and don't expect you will, but to tel
yuu The honest truth, Mr.. Perkins,
rquas he'd that man right down into
door mat. ard his own wife, who wa
s.Aht CcvL CIe ,Gae OF tie carpe