Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1890-11-29
UNCLE .RILL.s- STORIES.
They Are Pretty Big. But They SAVIOR Of
Originality.


Prom the New York Tribune
1t was q time Of great excitement in one of
the small villages on the Hudson The sea ser
pent had been seen in the river and astounding
tales Of its stxe, strength and voracity had come
to curdle the blood and stiffen the hair of the in
habitants. Old uncle Bill" Williams was par-
ucularly excited over the news and his active
imagination had pictured TO his uneiucatad
mind such an array of hideous shapes that ne
became positively daft on the subject All has
NE had been spent on the river but az this
time he did not dare to venture upon the water
at all. When asked TO go on an errand across
the Hudson he absolutely refused. He said he
wasn't going on no river will while that thar
sea sarpint with eyes as big saucers and teeth
Ike buzz saw was in thar" Not he. indeed.
why. my gran'pop. what fit into the revolu-
tionary war, was crossin' the river one mcrnin'
In row boat an one of them big sea sarpints
come shootin up alongside an jumped right
inter the boat Gran pop was so scared at fust
he didn't know wat ter do, but when the sar-
pint made jump at i'm he jist slid over the
| starn and hung onter the keel He seen the
sarpint lookin' down at him over the side of
the boat an then gin TO come over arter him.
uran pop got good grip on the keel an the
way he slip up to the bow. under the boat, was
a caution. He got 20 the bow an hauled his
sell inter the boat and got holt of an oar an
when the sea sarpint come up hit him a whack
over the head what Knocked him silly Then
round the neck an chopped his head of. an il
you go up to Fort Moncarmery you kin see il
yit. No, sir, you don't ketch me on no river
now"
After a week or two had passed with no fur
Their tidings of the dreaded .,sea sarpint' the
OLD man was persuaded TO row the writer across
the Hudson. In the passage a large sturgeon
ieaped out OF the water few feet ahead of the
boat. Noticing this, Uncle Bill Immediately
began:
"One afternoon was rowin' up to Fort Mon
carmery when come up to a stargun fast asleep
on the water. i rowed up to i'm without max
ing no noise, an got up in the bow an leaned
over an caught couple of half bitches round
his tail with the painter, an went up the river
faster n the Mary Powell"
why, Uncle Bill should think ne would
have dived and upset the boat"
NO, sir; ne tried that, but got in the starn
an though he shook me up purity good hung
on on. an then he began to go up the river jist
How did you get loose from him. Uncle
Bill?' '
.'Oh, bimeby he gat tired, an then 1 hauled
him up an cracked his head with 'noar."
suppose, Uncle Bill, you were a strong
man In Your day?"
Wall could stand mp with most Of 'em.
KIN teIi you that. One day, when me an Can't
Broat was onto the slop (sioopl together. we
nad ter GIT load of ore at Fort Moncarmery
mar was big hunk of ore LAWN on the dock
tnat Twelve men had been tryin' to git into a
wheelbarrer. They couldn't git 'er in, an Can N
Croat ses to mt: Bill. how air We goin' 20 sit
tibet aboard? told him I'd see what / could
DO; and then / went ashore an grabbed holt of
tnat hunk OF ore, histed her in the wheelbarrer
an an took her aboard the slop and dumped 'er in
Gracious, Uncle Bill. Won must have been
strong! How much did the ore weigh. do YOU
Think
Not more'n half ton. guess. But that
warn much; why, when was workin' for the
company down here. broke all the handles of
The wheeibarrers put such big loads on. One
time was In Joe Petersons store an a couple
er 1elers come up ter me an gin ter sass me-
tole EN- ter keep away. but they KEEP on, an
L got mad an went fur 'em. They backed mn
agln the door what leads ter the back part of
the store, where they KEEP the molasses and
vinegar. an hauled Oh an let 'em have il,
fust one an then the other Well. sir. 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 me no more"
Il wouldnt like to have you take hold of me,
"Oh. amt no good now. I'm too old: I've
knowed the time when could walk off with a
PLAINLY on my back, but amt no good no
Goodbye, Uncle Bin," said the writer,
"Good-bye; keep good care Of yourself in the
CITY, replied the old man