New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-11-23
UNCLE BILL" TELLS SOME STORIES.
THEY ARE PRETTY BIG, BUT THEY SAVIOR OF
ORIGINALITY.

THEY ARE PRETTY BIG, BUT THEY SAVIOR OF
ORIGINALITY.
| 1t was time Of great excitement In ono OF 'ns
small villages on the Hudson. The serpent had
been In the river and astounding tales OF its
sIze. strength. and voracity had to curdle ths
blood and stifen the hair Of the inhabitants. ON
"Uncle Bill' Williams particularly excited ovar
the and his active imagination had pictured to ms
| uneducated mind such an array Of hideous shapes
that he became positively daft on the subject. All hm
life had been spent the river, but at this time hi
did not dare to venture upon tho water at ALL wheri
asked to go errand across the Hudson he ab-
solutey refused. He said he "wasn't going on mo
river while that thar sarpnt with eyes as big ~
saucers and teeth like a buzzsaw in thar" Not
! he indeed.
"why. my gran'pop, what 1T into the Revolutionary
| War, crossin' the river one mOrnin', In
Q rowboat, an one Of them big ssrpinm
| come shOOtin up alongside an jumped right
| inter the boat. Granpop scared at fust,
| he didn't know what ter do but when the sarpinf
made jump at i'm he list slid over the starn and
| hung onter the keel He seen the sarpint lookn'
down at him the side Of the boat, an then gin
to come over alter him. Granpop got good grip on
the keel an the way he slip up to the bow, under
| the boat, caution. He got TO the bow am
hauled hlsseK inter the boat and got holt of oar
an when the sea sarpnt up hit him whack ovei
| the head what knocked him silly. Then he took the
painter an cOtched the sarpint round the neck an
chopped his head of, an II you go up to Fort Mon.
carniery you kin 1t yit No. sir you don't ketch
| me on no river now.'
| After q week or two had passed with no further
tdings of the dreaded asarpnt, the old man was
| persuaded to row the writer the Hudson In
the passage large sturgeon leaped OF tile water
| few feet ahead Of the boat Noticing this, Uncle
| Bill, Immediately began
lone afternoon was rowin' up to Fart Moncarmerv
when come up to stargun fast asleep the water
I rowed up to i'm without making no noise an got
lun in fhe hoU m ms MA
of hafhitches round his tail with the painter, am
went up the river Eastern the Mary Powell.
"No, sir he tried that, but got in the starn
Z How dld you get loose from hin. Uncle Bnli'
up am cracked his head with noar'
~ suppose, Uncle Bill, you were strong man in
wall could stand up with most Of 'em: I kin tell
you that. One day, when me an Capt Broat was
Of LAWN on the dock that twelve men had been a
~ git GET Sesas TT 1 s
that hunk of ore histed her in the wheelbarrer an
took her aboard the slop an dumped cr in the ho'
How much did the orc rev weigh, do you thinki'
Not moren half a ton, guess But that warnt
down here, | broke all the handles Of the wheel,
barriers, put such big loads on; one time was In
ter me an 'gin ter sass me: tole em ter keep
away. but they KEEP on, am got mad an went fur
the back part Of the store where they KEEP the moassee
and vinegar an hauled of an let 'em have IT. fust
| one an then the other. Well, sir, l knocked EN-
clean through the door an purity near through the
wall at the other end Of the room. You kin bet they
didn't bother mo more"
Il wouldn't like to have You take hold Of mo.
| Uncle Bill,
| oh / amt no good now I'm too old : I've hnoved
| the time when could walk off with a pianny on my
| back b. amt no good no more
" Good-by, Uncle BILL, said the writer, stepping
ashore. .
Coed by keep good Of yourself in the city,
replied the old man.