Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1889-04-15
A MICR0PII0NIC EAR.

W o sat tlstls-nly On the starnHiri dss's III our
sea chairs a rather GUM hooking vt. talking
at intervals in a lazy, desuitory way OF ans
trifing subject that cane up We spoke Of
the fog. which had kept us back the previous
night small, sharp faced man Of about
~, who usually kept very quiet, ard from
whom 10 one had succeeded in obtaining any
bits Of autobiography to amount TO any
thing, suddenly spoke up, as If new and
remarkable idea had Just popped into his
head.
BY the great Harry. couldn't jim Bulge
low have taken in the shekes special fog
watchmani"
We all started up interestedly at this excla
nation There was silence for a moment
Each one waited for some one else to inquire
into the special qualifications Of jim Budgelow
for tue position Of special fog lookout Fl
nally an on hand old gentleman from Illinois
said
perhaps you wouldn't mind telling some
thing about Mr.. Budgelow you've got
our curiosity stirred upf'
MOL don't know that there's any harm
In giving you few facts about Jim, said the
httle sharp faced man. He was queer
fellow, Jim was, he went on, slowly, with an
air which showed that he was going over
specific examples Of Jim's pecullarities in his
own mind, though his statement was general
Il first met him good many years ago
out at Pixies Peak. Hornetsville was the
name OF the camp gone now. not board
left, though there must have been thousand
people there then We caiIed jim the man
with the microphonic ear Johnny "hltiie,
who hadn't been out OF college long, cooked
up that name You See Jims right ear was
"a remarkable organ. 1t like a micro
txbi .b t.if hear tnsf Anf
seeing Sect That man could hear bat
wink in the daytime. When Jim Budgelow
took room at the hotel, he could soon tell
whether he was to be the only occupant of the
ocd All he had 10 do was to givet the thing a
kick and put his ear to the headboard, and If
there were any inhabitants present he could
hear them crawl
ihis faculty OF Jims was III some respects
very amusing one, so usually he wore
plug In that ear to soften things down But
the boys never knew definite'y when the plug
was IN, and Tor thls reason presume jim
budeelows character was tue only one In
Horhets'lie that naon peen thoroughly us
sected- Nooody cared SPEAK dsfe-lectfuiiy
Oh JIM. Tor rear ne nan Deal on en- with
his right ear
One Tune Jim did me mighty good turn.
and II II hadnt oeen ior mat same ear
wouidh oe mere no" ia oeeh on prospect
ing up among tne mountains ior couple o.
days Win my partner JACK Grodaie we
thought wed STRUCK something siSiis were
good at least But the thinS never lanned
out much, though that's neither here nor
there As was saying, we thon@ht we could
make 1t pay. so left JaeA aud went back
to hornetsvilie tor provisions l had turned
ous OF the oranch guich' IN which we'd been
prospecting, ana was scranoiing along tho
sides OF dig sort OF canyon cut that led
down 10 the VaAey In which the camp was
situated 4ne siope was pretty steep and
siiShuy ousneo aau 10 MAKE my way
along careluiy' tor oeiow me the SIDES OF
the gulch FORMED q series OF natural terraces,
and finally went straight down to the little
stream that spiashed anu tizzed and chuckIed
along tho bottom
All oil sudden heard noise like thun-
der 1t was the middle OF the forenoon and the
sun was shining brightly The roar grew loud
er In an instant II flashed upon me. 1t was
landslide. l didn't know what to do |
couldn tell whether TO go forward or back
ward. was pretty scared for a minute But
In that minute an idea came into my head l
crept down as fast as could to the edge OF
tho little steep which led to tho first terrace.
The Gill ives Notwithstanding In If
anything, It was about twenty feet down and
the ledge below WIS some SIX or seven feet
wide, with grass and bushes on It. was
banging over there In another moment, and
down pumped, pretty well shaken up and
bruised, but oil right The approaching
roar became louder anu louder lay
down close TO the rock fretty soon
stones and dirt and trees came a"hiz
zing and rumbiins on the ledge. AMI shot
past me down into the ravine-a regular
cataract Of stun II Kept up Tor about half
an hour and then the worst was over But
had to snusgle close, you better believe, after
the main body had got by for now and then
struggling rock would tumble ieisurely over
the ledge, and sock down, too close for com
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in trouble up there In ReI lien Gulchi Get
out the boys and we'll go see what's up Hear
that yelli No OF course you didn't, You
couldn't hear the steam whistle down at the
quarry mill unless you climbed up on the roof
and laid your ear to the pipe Don't talk
go get the boys
ut was beginning to grow dark, when l
heard faint calls away OF down the noun
tains started up. put my hands to my
mouth and roared like a foghorn. Ne shouts
came nearer and nearer, and at last they