The times. (Owosso, Mich.) 1882-1897, 1892-03-04
Just An OLD Story.
EDITOR OF THE TINES:

EDITOR OF THE TINES:
As story telling seems to be IN fashion l
will relate pleasant little yarn that heard
In Ohio many years ago. 1t was on Hlnck-
ley Ridge, Medina county, away back in the
little fOrties. One winters evening found
myself at district school house, where a
country debating school was in progress. l
do not remember the question discussed nor
many of the incidents, only this the house
was large and crowded, with old and young
and the discussion was animated from start
to finish. The teacher of the school there,
L believe, led one side and a teacher from a
neghbOring district led the other with near
ly dozen speakers ranged on each side.
The disputants spoke alternately and the
two leaders reviewed the whole and closed
the discussion.
When the last leader got the floor he re-
viewed the arguments OF each one of his
opponents In order, invariably ending each
review with this remark, "And here you see
Sir. President, this gentleman's argument
runs into the ground" Then he took up
The next Op ,Onents argument, reviewed it
in the same manner and closed with the
same remark, and so on through the whole
list. When he had finished this review he
said addressing the president. ''As my OPP
ponents' arguments have all run into the
ground and all in the same place, | might
suppose now plug up the hole and all go
home with perfect safety. But | will not
do SO. 1t might seem cruel. | will just
relate little story heard few days ago
that may help my opponents to another
hearing"
THE STORY.
boy went out one mild day i'm winter
when the snow packed pleasantly, in search
of some carniverOus pests that made his
mothers hen cOOps frequent visits, and were
a neighbOrhOOd nuisance generally. This
boy was not a professional hunter, but the
depredations of the providers and the ten
cents their peltS were worth at the corners,
started him out. He soon found the trail he
was looking for and followed 1t up. 1t was
a weary tramp for the boy, round and found,
under logs, through brush piles, over hills,
down ravines, till finally i'm one of the gull
lies that opened into Rocky River, the little
egg-sucker made for hole i'm the bank.
That hole meant safety, so the boy gave up
the chase. He then struck out in another
direction and soon crossed the path of an
other animal. This trail he followed with
the same results as before, the chase ending
at that same hole in the bank. Nothing
daunted the boy took another turn. struck
another track, repeated his experience and
brought up at that same hole in the hillside.
He kept up this routine of business for
long time, hoping eventually to run some
track into brush heap, or hollow log, or
under some root, or INTO some getatable place,
but no; Il ey all made for that same city of
refuge-the mole in the sidehill. The boy
became desperate, and with determination
in every step he started for home. His
father, he knew, had several kegs of blast
ing powder and lots of fuse that he used i'm
tha sandstone lpdUaS that warn
numerous in that region. With key of
powder, some old carpet for cartridges and
about thirty feet of fuse, the boy was soon
back and busily engaged with long pole,
ramming home cartridge after cartridge right
into the midst of that city of refuge. To
the last cartridge he attaches his fuse. then
after champing the hole thoroughly around
the fuse with stone and clay, he fired his
fuse with match clambered up the OppO-
site bank and sat down to see what would
happen next.
Here the speaker very deliberately took
his seat. All eyes were on him. Every one
i'm the room was holding his breath, expect
ing the Climax but the speaker remained
silent Finally the opposite leader yelled
out, well, what then, was it tizZle?"
The story teller here took the floor again
and addressing the president said, my
friend wishes to know what happened next.
l am somewhat in duty bound to tell him.
for it was into hole in the ground | ran
the arguments or my opponents tonight.
did not think they would ever call for tn N
again! Was it tizzle? A boy, mat, n
and hundred pounds of powder all in line
with fuse OH fire never indicated such a
result. No sir! When that blast went off,
that side hill opened up grandly, and it
ralned skunks there for six weeks.
IvANIIO.
Elsie, Feb. Goth, 1892.