The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1892-01-14
RRAUN'S STONE FENCE.
A Blizzard Tried to Lift 1t, But Gave 1t Up
as Bad job.

"a few years ago an old Dutchman
named Braun bought a quarter section
Just below mine He came from Penn
sylvania and was hard worker and a
thrifty chap, as most all Pennsylvania
Dutchmen are. My farm is fenced with
barb-wire. The Dutchman didn't like
wire fences, because they are not found
in Pennsylvania, SO in the spring he
planted a willow hedge around his
quarter section. Summer passed and
the hedge was growing like jimson
weed, when early in the fall a little
black cloud which had been hangin'
around over in the northwest all the
afternoon suddenly swooped down our
way and went rippin' and tearin' across
Braun's place 1t didn't leave a dozen
hedge plants standin'.
''Then the old man concluded that
fence which would stand agin hard
wind would be cheapest in the long run,
and by the middle of October he had
built stout rail fence to replace the
hedge. 1t was a beauty-seven rails
high, with locked corners and a heavy
rider on every length. But we had
hardly time to look over the old mans
handiwork and pronounce it good be-
fore blizzard struck it and scattered
the rails over several neighborin' town
ships
Rather reluctantly Braun then de-
cided to follow my example and fence
his place with barb-wire. He put in
place of the rail fence that was wire
fence which could scarcely be beaten.
1t had large, sawed posts and five heavy
wires, and should have lasted life
time. 1t might have done so, perhaps,
but for an unfortunate occurrence.
One afternoon early in November an
other blizzard came saunJerin' along,
pulled up every blamed fence post, care
fully wrapped few miles OF wire
around them, and sailed off towards
| Chicago with the whole outfit
"When the hedge was destroyed the
old Dutchman merely sighed; when the
rail-fence went he said something half
under his breath; when the wire fence
followed it he swore Then he sat down,
lighted his pipe, and fell into brown
| study.
bright and early the next spring he
began another fence. 1t was somethin'
entirely new for our country, but it was
a dandy and no mistake. The old man
set his hired hands to work pickin' up
stones and haulin' powders together,
and in a few weeks he had collected
enough of 'em to build a stone wall.
1t was as strong as stone and cement
could make it, and was four feet wide
and three feet high. One afternoon
Just after it was completed Braun wa:
pointin' out to me the fine points of hi:
new wall when we noticed black clouC
over agin the western horizon.
""There's trouble over thar old man,
said l. That blamed thing is jest roll
in up it's sleeves and spittin' on it
hands and gettin' ready for business
It'll be along here, too, in about tw'
minutes
"'Vell, let it coom.'
Then, as there wasn't anythin' els
to do, we sat down to watch it.
came zippin' along, twistin' off tree
close to the ground or pullin' 'em up b
the roots, cuttin' the prairie grass
clean as mower could have done
and sweepin' clean path. When
reached that wall, it jest stopped me
ment as if to look it over, and l coul
swear heard chuckle. Then it stoppe
and caught hold of the edge OF tn
masonry. 1t held together well, br
up it came, slowly and steadily. Je:
when the wall had been turned ha
over the blizzard suddenly gave groal
lost it's grip and lossened its hold. III
wall settled down upon its side and tt
/ blizzard jumped over it and went how
f in out of sight.
l "'Vellr said Braun, iubilantly. 'V
/ l told you. Dot fence is dandy, dor
f it? 1t is Won feet higher now as pefo
A dot Wind COON along And he wink'
r the other eye. Chicago Mail.