The San Antonio light. (San Antonio, Tex.) 1883-1886, 1885-02-19
CLEARING OFF TIMBER.
a hitherto unpubiished Article ny rar-
mcnas MIX.


a few week ago, wcaried with my
editorial duties. ] laid IN pen aside and
went on a visit to my uncle, who owns
n far In distant State. am partial
TO rural life. Nothing would suit me
better than to own farm in the coun-
try. | hardly think farm in the city
would do. The horse cars might run
over your cows. and the policemen
break into your corn cribs and steal
your corn.
Well. my uncle received me with
open arms. Said he; "Parmenas, those
heavy editorials that you wrote me
were creating SUCH profound sensation
In Europe are wearing you out.
enjoyed myself very much at Uncle
Jlm's. Nothing was too good for m,
at least | thought so-and time slip
ped away very pleasantly. As cold
weather approached the bracing air
seemed TO fill me with desire to exer-
else my muscles, so one morning re-
marked to Uncle jim; "Say, haven't
you got some timber you want cleared
oil this wintcrP I'm an excellent
chopper. and TO see the chips fly and
the giant oaks fall crashing TO the earth
always ills one with unbounded de-
light. (Once, while in the army
hacked down few small cedars Nr
iircwood.) Uncle Jim Immediately got
me an TX and piloted me to the worst
looking piece of timber had ever seen.
Most of the trees were four feet in
diameter, and the underground was as
thick as the hair on dog. Besides
there was an intricate network Of wild
grape vines woven in among the trees.
Uncle Jim said; There my boy. amuse
yourself" and left me.
After an hours arluous toll | made
a clearing around one Of the largest
oaks, spit on my ha" DIS and sailed in.
| managed to get through the bark af-
ter awhile, and sat down and gasped
for breath. / know now why a, mans
ribs are built so substantially; it's to
keep the WOO lchoppers' hearts from
jumping through their breasts and
bouncing off into the woods.
When night came | had made hole in
that tree about the size of the first cut
in cheese, and lelt next morning as
II | had been run over by all the artil-
lery and cavalry in the United States
service.
was three days in telling that tree.
| cut all around the COMPOUNDED thing,
and then tried to push it down. but 1t
stood there rs firm rs the proprietor of
a one-price store. | went to the house
and secretly got an old rip-saw, and
tried that on awhile. but no 90. An
other hours superhuman efforts with
the AK, however. made the stubborn old
fellow topple and rack, and the next
instant he fell with crash that shook
the arth from Maine to the Gulf of
Mexico. 1t fell aero "a new, eight
rail fence, and killed cows that was
grazing ON the other side, killed her us
dead as cove oyster then sat down
on a stump Il shed the first solid
tear had shed IL sixteen year To
think tn | should toll and sweat and
swear for three whole days Just TO
knock $50 out of my dear Uncle Jim's
pocket!
went sorrowfully to the house, and
when tn old gentleman came in he
said "Well, how are you getting
alongp' Got that big tree down." l
replied. (Which way did it fall?"
asked Uncle Jim?" "Downwards, /
answered, land smashed four panels of
fencing and gave an old spotted COW
such u rap that her cud flew fifty feet.
There's nothing salcable about her now
but her hide and horns; deduct the
price of thos and charge the rest to
me"
Uncle jim s.,nk nto chair, leaned
his heal upon his hands, groaned dis
maliy, and sighed Poor Spotv Aunt
Susan overcd her face with her apron
and sobbod poor Old Spottyl" The
CHI drcn also set up aw il of lamenta-
ton. | was forced to go nio the kitch-
en- and take u smoke Of the old mans
tobacco TO hide my emotion. Presently
he caIne in and said; well, there's no
Use CRYING ovct spilled milk lin this
instance it was spilled milk sure
enough); ''you can go right on and clean
of that timber, work the pink up in
to cord-wood and fcnce-lri.- and the
tops into firewood, and S." l. say no
more about it.
mo, Unrle,' feel IS r.plied,
"that would be too slight n rrinunora-
ton; you must receive II mur. generous
reward. I'll send you ny ,lprr for
twenty-five years ut 81 II We "" The
next morning came home. There's a
GOODNESS now existing between Uncle
Jim and me.