Madison times. (Tallulah, Madison Parish, La.) 1884-1???, 1885-01-31
GOOD STORY-TELLERS.
Bill Nye and His Party Wet Him While
Crossing the Divide.

Bill Nye and His Party Met Him While
Crossing the Divide.
think that one reason there are so
few good story tellers among us is that
the listeners are, in many instances, so
willfully and so stubbornly unapprecia'
tive that it tends toward discouraging
the skillful narration of first class anec-
dotes
There were four of us together coming
across "the divide" a few years ago, and
this principle was then and there eluci-
dated. Gibbon, Gregg and myself were
congenial acquaintance, and we would
have enjoyed the long ride if it had not
been for man named Sausage, who had
only recently escaped from some low
priced educational institution. He had
acquired few rot-iron facts of the
cyclopedia variety, and with the odor of
the valedictory all through mis- clothes
he was making tour of the coast and
Colorado. He was what you might call
one of those really statistical, brainy
Young reservoirs of information, who
burst forth from the alma mater with
the intention of going to congress in two
years, but finally compromise the matter
forty years later by running for overseer
of highways and getting showed under
about 1877 majority.
When Gibbon saw Mr.. Sausage get on
the stage he said to me IN low voice,
"Nye, we are undone. Sausage will,
doubtless, cndeavor to relate some anec-
dote to us ON the way. and then l shall
commit an atrocious crime"
But he didn't do so the first ten miles.
He contented himself by shedding other
information and explaining things that
he had just found in his physical geogra-
ply, ard stunning us with the hard
words that always float around in the
aquarium which young men refer to as
their brains.
Finally, however, some one reminded
him of a story. Gregg tried 10 turn the
conversation, but it was of no use. Said
he: ut seems that many years ago
traveller or tourist of some description,
whose name is immateriai--"
Funny NAME" said Gregg. "Don't
you think so, Gibbon?"
eyes. Foreigner, probably. l knew
a man named Jimmy Terrial once,
though"
We discussed tie name for four or five
miles and then allowed Sausage to pro-
coed.
swell, as l was going to say this tourist
traveller or sojourner was. propounding
inquiries relative to the Innate, changes
and isothernal-"
"Now, pardon me-" said Gibbon, "but
are you sure that word is not prohounc-
ed isothernalP"
l ventured to remark that is other-mal
was the correct accent, while Gregg
sided with Sausage. From a quiet dis
cussion this grew into regular row
which lasted about ten miles. Then We
allowed the narrative to proceed.
"Well, at least, TO MAKE a long story
short, the traveller and a native of this
country"
Remember his name?" asked Gregg.
We've got the other mans name. We
ought to have this"
NO" saws Sausage, 81 didn't give the
tourists name, you remember"
81 beg pardon" said Gregg. 81 don't
want 10 seem querulols and all the time
kicking up a row with a comparative
stranger, but you certainly gave us the
other gentleman's name"
We then had long and highly enjoy
able quarrel, during which Gibbon and
| challenged Gregg and Sausage to fight
us in dark room, each :uan to be blind
folded and armed with an adze. Best
man to pay all funeral expenses and
scrub out the room next day.
40 this Gregg agreed, but Sausage
said he wasn't very expert adzeman,
and wanted to apologize.
aGinbon and 1 hesitated. Finally we
agreed to think it over, but in the mean
time we begged Sausage to go ahead
with his story, as We would reach the
home station in five minutes more.
At last he made out to tell the story
that Adam found under the currant bush
when he went into the Garden of Eden,
about the place where the year was
divided into mine months winter and
three months late into the fall"
At the station Sausage went on east
by the train, and we took No. for Salt
Lake city. On the way Gregg, Gibbon
and l sent telegram to Mr.. Sausage
separately, which read as follows, to-
wit:
L. Ptolemy Sausage, care Conductor
Ne. 4:
/ have heard that B. G.. story of youis
before. 8 Collect.
And we had, too. San Francisco In
gleside.