Alpena weekly argus. [volume] (Alpena, Mich.) 1871-1893, 1892-08-10
Fog that is Lifted with Jack Screws

10 see morse go In TWO minutes!
THAT depends altogether on the
climate, SENATOR" responded Mr..
Thompson, hitching one leg over
the other. "I've already seen a
horse go in 81 seconds"
you mean 2:57?"
mo, SIR"
What! Not 1:57?"
"No."
Then what do you meanP'
II mean 81 seconds hat-less
than minute. That's what | mean"
"Oh, pshaw!"
ats a fact, senator. But, as |
said, it all depends on the climate.
This happened away up in Dakota,
near the British-American line, and
| drove the trotter. 1t was in mid
winter and the ground was frozen
solid. The track was a down hill
straightaway-"
"And the horse slid, | suppose?"
mo, stree! He trotted every
inch, and he trotted honestly, too.
| held the watch while driving, and
stated it just as went under the
wire. The horse-by the way, she
was a flly, senator-went at a
pretty good lick, but | didn't real
ize how fast she was going until /
got up to the finish and looked at
my watch. and blame me, if it did
not show 81 seconds for the mile
81 seconds fiat, senator"
"Oh, bosh!"
"It's fact. senator. You see, it
was 80 cold the watch hands got
numb and couldn't keep up. AS |
said before, senator, it all depends
on the climate how fast Il horse can
90. Now, here in California the
watches are all limbered up by the
hot sun, and run along at Il rattling
rate, so | didn't expect to see two
minute horse here. But in Dako-
ia"
"Oh. confound Dakotaw exclaim-
ed Senator Boggs.
"You needn't do anything Of the
kind" responded Mr.. Thompson in
digpantly. Dakota fine coun-
try and in some respects it beats
California. For instance, take veg
citation there in winter. Here in
California all the elm trees drop
their leaves in the fall, and their
limbs are bare until spring. But
up in Dakota I've seen elm trees
green the year through"
"How's that when it's so cold up
thereP"
That's just it., senator. Every
thing'll be growing nicely when all
of sudden blizzard strikes the
country. 1t freezes the elms up so
solid the leaves can't fall, and the
consequence is they're green the
winter through"
Mr.. Thompson" said the sena-
tor solemnly, will you answer one
question:"
Certainly"
II want an honest answer, now,
mind you"
"Yes, sir.
"Do you ever have fogs up in
Dakota?"
Lots of EN-"
"Well, now, is it true that they
cut the fog with hatchets there, so
as to make their way through it?-
honestly, now, Thompson; you said
you'd answer honestly"
"And so l will"
"Well. is it true?"
mo, it's not so. It's lie
Don't you believe word of it. sem
ator. The man who told you that
yarn was giving you fill. I've
been in the northern part of Dakota
good deal, and | can truthfully
say that I've never yet seen them
resort to the expedient of cutting
their way through fog. That
may be the customary practice
in countries to the south of Dakota,
where it amt 40 cold, but it would
not work in Dakota. The fogs there
| freeze so solid that an ax wouldn t
haye any effect on them; its edge
would turn up, just as if striking
on steel. No, senator, the man who
told you thepeeple of Dakota chop
ped their way through fogs is a liar
of the first water. They have a
better plan than that. They work
it this way. You see, senator, there
is always more or less warmth in the
earth-in other words, the earth is
not so cold as the air, just as ice is
not so cold as frozen mercury. Con-
sequently, the lower portion of the
fog, be ng near the ground, is not
frozen so hard as the upper portion.
See?"