Frostburg mining journal. [volume] (Frostburg, Md.) 1871-1913, 1886-12-25
Christ mas in Pike County.

g CHRISTMAS IN flkc county.
''Do reckomember the Christmas O. '26?"
said the old settler. WALL now that's durn
sensible question to asst me, amt it? Do
reckomember the Christmas O '26 If | could
Mt reckomember furder back n that, b'gosh
I'd be out a ridin down hill tonight with the
rest O. the boys! l were sayin' to M'riar only
this mornin' at breakfas', Mriar,' says /
Mira We're putin on another griddle o cakes
-Mriar,' says |, would yer believe that on
Christmas Eve, 1919 We had one o. the hardest
thunder storms, over on Pocono,' says |, 'ez
ever shook that corner o the country WALL
she says, 'Silas,' says she, Il mowt believe it,
an then agin mebbe l mowtn't. It'd pend
lcetle on who said So says she. wall, l says,
Il say so, o course. M'rar turned the cakes
on the griddle, an put another stick o wood in
the stove; 'Ye didn't get struck by ightnin',
did ye, siias:' says She Struck by lightning
enough says she. But if l was YOU says she,
4 wouldn't tell much bout that thunder storm
now, cause We amt too old to get struck yit,'
says she M'riar's q leetle queer when she's
bakin cakes, specially if she happens to git
holt of q stick o wood that's cut an inch or SO
too long, eZ she did this mornn
"But that thunder shower were curious
thing, an no mistake. l know me and my
brother jerry got ketched out in it, an was
durn nigh skeert to death. l guess none O
you fellers never know'd my brother Jerry. He
Squire mowt know'd him, though"
Il never know'd him, said the Squire, "but
I've heerd on him. Usety drive team fur ole
Jcdge Piper, didn't hep
''Y-e-e-s," said the Old Settler. 81 blieve he
did, wunst. Wall, me an him."
''They usety say that he could drive team
further in day without hurtin' em than any
other man that worked fur the Jedge," con-
tinued the Squire.
wall, me an him"
"Hc were the one eZ druv the Jedge's team
O blacks so fur one day that it tuck another
o the Jedge's men two days to ketch up to
him an drive EN- back, want he z" asked the
Squire. forgetting that it was Christmas.
''Oh yes" said the Old Settler, with his
memory refreshed 'Durned if | hadn't for
got all about that. That black team were the
all-fircdest pair O runaway horses cz ever
chaw'd q snatfle-bit. jerry was alluz afeerd to
drive EN-, an one day they got the upper ham
of him, an he couldn't stop EN- till they got
way over by Wilkes-Berry sonc'rs. An he
couldn't held EN- in then; but fort'nitly the
Jcdge sent one O. the men horseback round
by short cut, an ez luck would hez it, I'm
durnd if he didn't head off the team an
stopped EN-, jist ez jerry were gointcr give up
an jump out'n the wagon an take the chances
an eZ like ez not he'd broke his neck. When
they got the bosses quoted down, Jerry said
b'gosh, that he'd be gumm'd if he'd work fur
a man ez KEEP sech resky team ez them
blacks, an so he didn't come back, but Went
on to the lake country. But Jerry hain't got
nothin' to do with that Storm only him an he
Citing ketchcd in it makes me reckomember
I'm never furgit that thunder storm, my
self" said the Squire, with wink than au-
Cured ill for the Old Settlers serenity. They
were a terrible deep SNOW that winter WANT
they, Maj z"
deepest l ever see,' said the Old Settler.
''Ihat Christmas Eve were the coolest night
O the season, too"
''Cold 2" said the Old Settler 'Why,
b'gosh, 'twere ez warm ez May, almost!"
1t mowt Il ben warm at Pocono," said the
Squire, but three mile furder up the creek,
where We're, 'twere howlin' cold Why, durn
it, Major, don't yer reckomember how that
rain friz ez fast ez it fell, an how it come
down i'll pieces no bigger roun' than clothes
line, but some on 'em nlore'n hundred
foot long, an how they rammed one eend o
thelrSelf inter the snow, an stood rom thar
thlckern bean poles III Il garden? Don't that
leetle circumstance come back to ye?"
"No, b'gosht'lmighty! An"
An don't We mind how ev'ry wunst in a
vile Eghtnin' d dip the eend O one o them
pieces O ice, an d slide down it inter the
snow an melt so much of it that if it hadn't IL
friz ez fast ez it melted it d run in the creek
an flooded lis all OUT"
Were this in 1872 inquired the Old Set
tier, evidently puzzled.
''Sart'nly! 10, of course. Christmas Eve,
10, salu Tue squire why, uOu-Glfn II,
Major, You mus reckomcmber that if that
thunder storm hadn't Il friZ we'd a had the big
gest flood we ever SEE, an they wouldn't Il ben
thing left long the creek! An don't We mind
how the men an teams WAS busy fur week
dlggin' the shower out'n the snow, so ez to run
it down the creek fore warm weather come,
an git rid of it fore it could melt? Mebbe the
showery you an Jerry got kotchcd in were in 'l6
Major"
''They's good many things ez I'd liked to
had fur present this Christmas, said the old
Settler calmly, AN some on 'em is with a
heap o monev. If l could had EN- all,
b'gosh, an had EN- here right now, an some
body'd Offer me sixteen thousan' dollars fur
en- I'd say: No, sir; We can't have emf
But, Squire, if | could make turn with EN-
trade en- off fur your memry, I'd say,
'H'yer, Squire, bgosht' mighty, take 'cm!"
The teakcttle sang louder than ever. The
steam elfs rioted without license. Lemons
and spices and smoking glasses met in savoiy
confusion The boys smiled. The landlord
stood up in his place, glass in hand
"Gentlemen," said he IA merry Christmas
And the Old Settler and the Squire touched
their glasses and drank heartily.
En- MORT