Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1889-02-08

IKenosha wis., Cor. Chicago Aerald.l
Four veracious farmers of kenosha
County sat around wood fire in a gro
Gerry store in this city last night. The
wind blew over the lake In great sheets
and whistled and roared around the street
corners in wild delirium.
"Talkin' about freaks in the Vegetable
kingdom" said grizzled old granger who
SAT on a soap box, before the cracking fire,
'the one up on Charley Shupe's farm,
near Racine County, sort o. knocks NE
out of time. One day last spring Charley
was ransackin' tool chest in his barn.
Among lot Of nails he found big, pussy
punlin seed. 1t was covered with mold,
but Charley didn't mind that. He put the
old seed in his vest pocket, and next day
stuck it in some soft ground near his wood
shed. He paid no further attention to 1t
until one day he saw that the burned thing
had sprouted and was CROWN like
school boy. He sort o. pittied the old
plant, CROWN as she was among
the chips and muck, and so he
let her rip. WAL, the punkin
seemed to 'preciate Charley's sympathy,
an, Just to show what she could do when
her mind was made up, she stretched her
long, green arms six feet In one week
Now, Charley is a good man He liked
this enterprise, an one day when time
was heavy on his bands he built string
trellis for the vines to creep up the rear OF
his wood shed. The days came and went
Hot weather made the old punkin sweat,
but she 'peared TO spit on her hands an
of ha ctr with inrraaGlQ'
vigger. 1t was hard work, but she got
where she could look into the caves by the
Fourth of July, an then she seemed TO
stand still for week to get her breath.
Charley nursed the plant as If 1t was his
first born child, an used to sit for hours
on a box watching the vines struggle up
the ropes One mornin' in the latter part
of July big yaller blossom broke out on
one of the vines near the caves. Charley
saw it in all its glory, but it gradually
disappeared from his sight, while he
marveled, an was not seen again. The
plant kept growi'. Once in August Char"
ley crept up a ladder to see how the pun
kin was a prosperin'. He found that the
vines had crawled over the roof OF the
woodshed an were anxious TO climb higher.
So Charley made another trellis for the
creepers an they were soon hustiin' Up
the rear of the house proper. There were
no blossoms on the plant at the time, but
one Of the vines bore on It's backs veg'ta-
bic about the size of eauteiope. Charley
felt OF the green bail, but IL was gradually
drawn out Of his grasp as the vine con-
tiuued it's ascent. The plant kept growtn'-
Now Charley sleeps in room On the
second floor OF his house, and mites, as be
lay in bed, be could hear the punkin rasp-
in along over the shingles as the vine
upon which it grew dragged its great
length along. All Of sudden these noises
ceased, and Charley, becoTniu absorbed
in his harvest, soon forgot all about the
little punkin en- the roof. But the req
table was not discouraged, even II its
growth was not watched
( "No~ comes tie stTangest part OF this
true story. Last Monday vas cold day
up on Char,ey's farm Frost gave the
pan kin q black eye sn every leaf ar rnsds
Charley shiver like IL he had the agu>. A
stove was rigsed "a la the pa-lsr Of the
house, an Charley got down On his mar
row bones 70 build Ere The paper
az shavings harmed al right to.
there 'peared 70 De sorDsskiU wrong
with the stove or pipe, for tie smoke
world be esrned IL il would 90 Up ;hs
chimney. Charley frsssd and fused
around Ike a bridegroom, bat al 70 M
purpose. After chanting soma enss words
an Eastln' several hours IL tToi.lsss vorx
he concluded 20 20 up On tbs roof an ses
IL there WAS Anytzha' the Enatssr Sits TIE
chizrnsy. &c eraxisd over .E> Eiscxsned
panLa vines Aisag shs peak Ok the root
ur:a he cane 20 tie PILE Of tricks, A<s' thea
he Looked do-z. GentienSa. ! vii state
rizht here tia. vast CEarlsy saw ia
mex. mini. pa-alIzed him. Eoos.sn' away
( down In the black AToat q that chime y
! -as bag red pznkau--as red q lied
/ Ioh4tsr al al covered rita SCI. an essd
leaves I: ras stln ei.nzsa' 70 tie via.
| an had 70 be cit swEy win n Ak wbsa
/ tie veg'tabls wGs split oyeE {: was
/ found tia: IL had tos.ursd 30 fas. TIA; nc
| sesds had grC~n, aithDsgk ihs core WA
/ c.isd with slivsrs fran the shingles"
Z The wind nsoaasd sally zitsSs.. -
I grocery cat locked wisl:a.ly a; he nsa
OF "a. soap box, some oss gasp-se tnxs -
Vas .-4arasa dry" and tAss al retired u
i the tack rom II sglsnca
}