The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1894-04-29
JONES' CYCLONE HOUyE
A Surprising Tale OF tho Kansas Prairi.s.

Jackson Peters seaned back in his
chair and slowly blew a cloud OF SMOKE
toward the ceiling. Jones'" he said.
II want to ask your opinion In regard
to the probability of story which was
told me the other day"
We'll, Jackson?' was the guarded re-
ply of the cautious Jones.
1T struck me-" continued Peters, that
man who had told as many-that IS
to say, man who has told as much
of what L may call awe-inspiring truth as
you have, ought to be good Judge of the
probability Of a story. Ii was a cyclone
story which l was going to ask you
about"
Most cyclone stories are palpable lies,
Jackson"
mo doubt. The point is this: He said
he had seen straws driven through inch
boards by the force OF the wind
1T never happened, jackson. That is
a stock lie told OF every cyclone that
blows. Your friend imposed upon your
youth, my boy. He would never have
dared to tell such manifest and self
heralding lie to Robinson or Smith. /
must admit, though. that the force Of
the wind In genuine cyclone Is consd
srable. When / lived in Kansas. I'm the
1Gs. ] had a quantity of poultry. hut IL
Of the season except one black Spanish
rooster. He chung TO a grass root with
his bill, and allowed his tail 10 crack
and whip in the wind like a yacht PEN
nant. He rode out the gale. though most
of his feathers were blown off. Suisse
quently 1 found some of them imbedded
over half an inch in my grindstone.'
Yes" returned Peters. II presume my
friend was trying TO impose upon my ad-
olescence."
II think so, Jackson. had consldera-
bic experience with cyclones that summer
in Kansas. But l learned to handle my
self, so that | did not mind them much.
/ soon saw the fallacy of depending on
cyclone cellars and that sort of thing.
The fundamental difficulty with all such
things is that you try to hold yourself
firmly i'm one place. Il IS as if a ship
in a gale should tie up 10 a post Sup
posing mid-ocean posts for the time be-
ing) instead Of driving before the tenn
pest. The first cyclone that summer /,
of course, went down cellar like other
folks. My house was soon blown away
but | crouched in the cellar and felt safe.
The next thing ! knew the cellar went
too, rolling over and over like silk hat
I was soon spilled out. With infinite
labor 1 crawled back in the teeth Of
the wind intending to take refuge in
the hole the cellar came out of. To my
CONSERVATION / found that had blown
away also. / then followed the example
OF the rooster, chung to a root. and al
lowed my legs to flutter and snap in
the gale like a weather signal flag.
when the wind subsidized. toward night,
and objects began 10 come down-a hay
stack here, man there, d wagon some
where else-1 set myself at work on
p %
currence I'm the future. Applying the
principle Of non-resistance, l constructed
a spherical house agout twelve feet IN
diameter. 1t was an exact ball. covered
with light boiler plates, and with iron
shutters for the doors and windows. l.
was not the most convenient house IN
side. but by fitting it up like ship
that is utilizing every inch OF space. 10
matter where it was. for some purpose
IL did very well. / had bunk on one
side for sleeping purposes, with straps
to hold myself in.
THE first cyclone came up one after
noon while l was hoeing my water
melons Tucking my faithful rooster
under my arm, L retired to my house
and closed the shutters. / got into the
bunk taking the rooster with me, ana
strapped my self in. We got off in about
ten minutes, rolling easily at first, but
bounding along with greater rapidly
after we had gone a short distance. Inc
motion was peculiar, but not so violent
as that of a Fifth-avenue stage. 1t was
pleasanter when We were moving
right angles TO the plane Of my bunk
than when parallel to It. as n the lat
ter case we were standing on our heads
a good part OF the time. The rooster
did not mind it so much as / feared he
would, and occasionally | could hear
him growing Justify under the clothes.
81 fell into a light sleep after
while. When l awoke the motion seemed
much steadier, though there was an oc-
casonal terrific bump. | peeped through
a small crack and saw the reason. Inc
wind had greatly increased, and we were
being carried through the air near the
ground. only striking on the high places
Afterward we settled down TO fast roll
an a long. level prairie. We passed sew
eral ordinary houses, which, Deing square
cornered. could not make 50 good ume'
7 could see that the face Of nature was
being furrowed up, and the landscape
blown about right and left. / held my
rooster up, and let him peep out ne
crowed and tapped his wings heroicaty
as we easily passed large EpiScoPai
church. which was pitching heaVhy anu
making poor time, owing TO the tact thae
The eteenle was blowing into the ground
every few rods. We crossed the Arkansas
river with one bound, and shortly aiter
rolled into a little gully-or draw, as
they call It In Kansas-and LOGGED thsre.
The wind soon quieted down. Leaving
NV rooster on the dressing case, went
omt and ascertained frow man VINO
had lust come up from deep well tnat
we were in the Indian Territory for'
trnatelv. a cyclone came along from the
other direction two days later and piew
me hack home. When l released my roos-
fer ne went back and began scratching
in the garden as IL nothing had nap
pered" <arr, %.
inquired Peters. -. ,,,
Jackson" replied Jones, your mania
for inquiry has struck you too late. fou
should have become inquisitorial yester'
dav when your friend told you OF Cd
serving hay In the act OF periora'lns
heavy lumber. You show lack or the
ability TO Judge of historical values wnen'
after swallowing that story like three-
wears child, you begin to demand sor-
did details OF a plain tale from the
nrairles like mine. "-Harpers weekly.
Choroform in its Early Days.
your notice of the discovery Of chic
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