The Manchester journal. [volume] (Manchester, Vt.) 1861-current, 1891-05-28
Hrhea, Leaveans Povsr-U. Govt Report Aug u, 1885,
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ABSOLUTELY PURE
THE TOWER OF BABEL,


Half q mile from the little town Of Kel
ton. California. the steep hillside rose will
I. rugged sbrupiness from the valley OF th,
/ San Loretzo 10 . high ridge. II ~s'
: furroSed with deep eullies. aud studded
With the blsckened s,umps Of erel
trees.
Among these stumps the monarch oI
ell the trees npon the hillside remained
untouched. Do y bold point. twenty rods
up the steep slope. stood . gigantic red
wood. Twenty'four feet 10 diameter Al
the ground. and scored with deep corru
cations like inches. the enormous trunk
, contracted until. ut height OF twelve feel
its diameter was lesseped to eighteen feet
Thence il rose. like hugh column, TO sn
altitude Of nearly three hundred feet, and
for two thirds Of that distance it hardly
seemed to decrease 10 bulk.
More that one hundred feet from the
ground the first gaunt limbs we're extend
ed. and above doomed the dropping bran.
ches OF the yasttop, not sbapeIy and grace
ful. but irr gular and con.crted. aud cloth
ed in .cspt. dark green foliage.
The pinnacle was gnarled spiie OF dead
wood, bleached TO u gray whiteness. and
punctured 10 q thousand places by the
bills OF many generations OF wood peckers
A multitude OF these birds made their
home in the lofty top, and morning and
evening filled the air with qnerulous clam
ors au they fitted about, or beat loud rolls
on the resonant wood.
| Some imaginative person. listening to
this dIscordant chorus of the woodpeckers
had called the great tree the Tower OF
Babel, and by that name it was known in
the country round about.
The Tower OF Babel had not been spar
ed from sentimental motives The ground
was so rongh and broken that it seemed
impossible to fell it without breaking it
into fragments, so it was lett unmolested
until ore favorable time. Not far above
toe Tower" three other large tree 10
group had been spared for the same res
sou,
Edward North, who had come to Cali,
forDia to engage 10 ranching and fruit
growing. had admired the Tower OF Babel
from afar when be first stepped from the
train at kelton. After looking about. he
bonght tract OF the foot OF the noun
tain, almost In the shadow of the great
tree. and there be built pretty and pic
tLresque cottage, and surrounded it with |
lawns and flower gardens.
Ralph Kepler, a poor boy who lived
With his mother in sbsnty Oh the road
to Higgins a. Foley's mill, never forgot
North's arrival in KeIton. Ralph was hon
est and faithful. but be was rude and un
maDnerly.
A deformed man. employed at the saw
mill. occasionally passed his mothers
house. He was humpbsck. with long.
powerful arms, and swarthy features deep
ly pitted With smsllpov. Ralph called af,
ter him one day. How are you. 'Humpiy
Dumpty? The dwarf suddenly turned
and rushed upon him.
The boy tiled TO escape. but the man
clutched bis collar. and be was dragged
Into the road aud shaken violently.
This happened at the moment OF Mr.
North's arrival in the place. He had sep
arated the two. and told Ralph to apollo
gizs TO the dewsrf; but the boy had taken
to his heels.
The dwarf gtzsd after Mr.. North as be
walked 90 with look Of perpleIi.y, and
at last shnmbed slowly away. mutteripg
to himself He seems to he . gentleman.
know I've seen bin before somewh here
but don't know where.
MIR. North was unmarried. and though
he employed man and bis wife constant
ly at Mount Hope. he had occasion now
aud then for Mrs. Kepler's sssitsnce 10
keeping the house 10 order. Ralph work
ej In the garden. Mr.. North gsve him
books to read, and, seemingly without in
'eaiioD. gave bin many manly lessons.
Ralph tried one day to find the dwarf
10 order TO spologiz' to him for his rude
ness, but the sswmili had been moved
twelve miles away, and the dsarf could
not be fouud.
A few months after bis house was CON
pleted Nr. North anuounced tha, be wac
going East aud ths, be should be abseut
sbou, six monihs. lLe tso servants were
and the charge Of the place was
given to Mrs, Kepler aud Ralph
Three mouths after Mr. Nor,h's drpar
lure. Mrs Krplvr sss taken i'll aud died
she charged Rslpb to isk~ care Of the
place faithfully, and gave him purse con
,iuing The money which Mr. North tsd
Il her. Thirty dollars Of the smonnt
she ,aij. belonged to Ralph. bat the rec,
n usi be given bach 10 Mr North
oae day as the boy vas working qlie.
y 10 The garden. an old man Who gather
"a d, rhs gu the mounisios told bin that
tar Tower of Babel sss slo~iy bat surely
going dpsn.
It's going down. sure. right dosn on,o
bis gimersek Of hou.ei said the old
man. /, Iesus doshhiil suybow. sui the 9
ops gone over foot sincs w'ek before q
at Get sone timber faIlers to look at
b; bn, no mortal msn csn .edge ihsi tree
iphiIi Aud Hiseios woot iei Il be cut :
anless II eau be- kept from bresiiag
The old man ven, s~sy, leaving upon q
4 ,lphs uind . weight 81 snIisly aud TER !
Tor. Three good timber euitsrs whom be
from ksl.On agreed tbs, the ros y
q vouid certainly turn up by the roots"
xiihin short time. and that Il vas i'm I