New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1889-05-12
THE CYCLONE STORIES.

70 seems pleasant to see the cyclone dispatches
appearing again, not that there II ordinarily any
thing pleasant about cyclone, but the accounts
of them brought by the specia! telegram arc
usually Of such a high order OF imaginative VIII
ing that they make most interesting reading
and, besides, thny show that summer is mere
for, though one cyclone may not make summer
still when they begin to appear all over the
West rs at present IL may be taken as conclusive
that the warm season is at hand
So far no cyclone OF any great importance
seems 10 have occurred, or at least the cyclone
experts have not begun their really hnS WORK
rs yet; among the damage TO property they nave
only reported q few houses unroofed, ntie
livestock blown away and a few similar minor
incidents Of the cyclone reporters stock. wan
until midsummer md we shall have Straws blown
through grindstones-for the cyclone man never
forgrts thS-locomotiyes will be hurfd from
tracks, blacksmths' anyils whrled away Ike
gossameS, and. while the whole landscape Is being
lacrrntcd by the force Of the Wind, large barns
and county eourt-houses will 20 bounding across
the country like footballs closely followed by
hurryng cellars OF ralatial residences and nifty
foot wells going end over end. The soeptic
may smile A. this n he chooses, but IL is>rr5t
what the good nll-around cyclone Expert can do
any day from the first Of June 10 the last Of
September And he does do IL every summer,
and wore 1t is not necessary, OF course, 20 my
ihpt he ia a liar; no man can 20 through cyclone
or be anywhere near one and tell only the truth
ahout IL but he will continue "a be interviewed.
and we shall all continue 20 read what he say
with the usual pleasure Were An tho stories
told by the cnterpriSBg cyclone liars Of hinno-
Soto Nebraska and other States trHe, IL would
not be surprising II the wind should some day
get stnrted under corner OF one OF their thrifty
commemorative Rpd roll The whole thing up like
a piece OF carpet But fortunately, as We have
lnpmnied. they are not eli true.
II is interesting 10 note that it Is only "hcn
hrOu ght close 10 nature that man rises to the
upper heights 81 fAlschoOd the only truly sublime
lies are always OF the great works or convulsons
Of nature There are other liars who are great
In their way, Of course: n man, for instance, who
has some old oil paintings Of doubtful origin 90
sell may tell some very ambitious lies thcre nrC
slulful liars In all walks Of life; hut 1t is only
when some man living close TO the great heart OF
nature steps forward and makes his deposition
that We are moved 10 real admiration. Witness
the North Carolint roaring cave, which Gibbs aud
flows forcing out o whitening upas-tree-like
breath for six hours and drawing in rocks. trees
arl houses for the next six. Note the Kansas
agricultuTiSt who thoughtlcsSly bhsphemes about
the poor crops and ia struck dead by bolt Of
lightning from n clear sky. Observe the mighty
sca-scrpcnt, the Pennsylvania wild man lar mp in
the mountains. the kentucky shower Of FISH foot
long and nbove all the cyclones that precipitate
the fragile wheat straw through the thick and
| non porous grndStone. The authors Of these are
the giants among liars and perhaps the only
reason that the cyclone liar exceeds the man with
hut u humble shower OF blood In back county
70 report Is that he hns greater foundation on
which 10 build: for The cyclone liar prefers 10
have q few facts which to raise his super.
structure Of fiction. lie can, II neoes airy, plough up
| the surface OF the earth with the worst cyclone
OF the SEASON in some back district when the
| winds arc hushed and tho sky serene, but he
prefers az least breeze 70 start with. lie has q
little conscience in the matter he may eHaggerato
| hut he prefers not 20 manufacture out Of whole
cloth, except when business is dull or some other
| State is getting ahead