The record-union., 1892-11-18
AN EVBNTFUL DAY.
1t Was While Hi Greer Drove a Stage
From Carson to Bodie.
How Millions of sagehens Blockaded
the Road in Canyon-Sad Fate
of a Big. Fat Lady.

Perhaps you're one of those who don't
believe that statement Of mine. that my
partner and I killed 1900 ducks in one
day, in '62," :" remarked Special Policeman
Hi Greer yesterday to reporter. But
irs true, all the same. Ny shooting part
ner on that occasion was Frank Sheplar,
and [ tell you Frank could shoot in those
daysw
Genial Janitor Curtis gave a knowing
wink TO the reporter, as much as to say,
"HPs get'n' wound up; let him go on"
yes" resumed the noted Nimrod,
''you bet Sheplar could shoot! Why,
none o. these Spoonbill fellows would "a
been in it with Frank when he was a
shootin', and 1 reckon they wouldn't be
now if they'd tackle him in the field or at
the trap"
"Hi, t-t-en th-ther g-gentleman about
th-th-that s-s-sagehen story said the
doctor, persuasively, with another wink
at the reporter.
Greer was repairing an old street gas
lamp at the time, but at the mention of
the sagehen episode he Strengthened up,
wiped his perspirlng brow, and with all
the earnestuess of man who believed he
was telling the truth, said:
well, now, about that sagehen story,
good many people don't believe it, but
it's the dead truth. You see, l was
drivin' stage in those days between
Carson and Bodie, an it was a mighty
rough road to travel. We had to go
through deep canyon, where the road
was very narrow, and no place to turn
out.
Il had a big load o. passengers that
day, and had to put on six horses gOln'
through the canyon. We got along all
right until we came to the narrowest part
OF the gulch, an there we had to stop on
account of the sagehens."
Had TO stop on account of the sage
hens! What do you mean by that?'
(Ihe genial janitor gave the reporter an
other wink, and elevated his finger warn
ingIy).
Il mean" said Greer, '.just what l said
we couldn't go any farther because the
sagehens were so thick! You don't be-
lieve it, hey? That's all right, but l tell
you the canyon was so full of sagehens
that they blocked the road an we
couldn't either drive through 'em nor over
'emi
why, nobody ever saw the like. You
see there was snow on the ground, an
the birds had huddled so thick in the cut
that they completely blockaded it,"
And they wouldn't fy?'
NO, they wouldn't fly, nor do moth
IN !' replied the story-teller in q matter
of-fact-way.
What did you do-turn around and go
back ?''
"Ah, l almost forgot about that. No, I
went off to the nearest mining settlement
for men an guns, to shoot passage
through the blockade; but would you be-
Heve 1t? When we got back there Wasn' t
a sagehen to be seen!
If you don't believe this story, Just
ask DIR. p, of X street. who was one
o. the passengers on that trip" said
Greer, as he resumed work on the gas
lamp.
''oa-say, Hi, you forgot to t-t-tell the
reporter about the fa-fa-fat w-woman,"
and the genial janitor again worked his
left eyeld.
"Oh, yes,' resumed the whilom Jehu
nlmrod, while a sad, far-away expression
settled over his kindly features, "that
poor Dutchwoman! Wei, that was too
bad-too bad. l felt awful sorry for her.
I on see, we'd had long, tiresome jour-
ney, and one of the passengers, a big, fat
lady, who weighed about 80 pounds, was
nearly dead. When we struck the sage
hen blockade she wanted to get out an
rest, an DR.. P IN me helped her out of
the Inud-wagon..
''The poor lady stepped to one side a
lew yards am sat down in the snow. That
was the last we ever saw Of her.'
what became OF her?'' asked the re-
porter.
"Well, you see,'' said the truthful po-
Hceman, where the lady sat down was
right over an old mining shaft that was a
thousand feet deep, an as soon as the
crust of the snow melted under her she
just went down. l didn't know the hole
was there"
Minister Reporter, w-what d-d-do
you think of th-that for a story?"
The reporter gave searching glance at
the narrator, but he had resumed his work
and bis face wore its usual earnest, honest
expression. Evidently there is at least
one man who believes what was said
about The sagehens and the fat lady