The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1896-03-28
TNHIS story may be a libel on Mr..
Jimpsonweed OF Main street and
the other actors associated with
hin, in the fo1loWinu account but

L
Jimpsonweed OF Main street and
the other actors associated with
him in the following account, but
it was told to me before witnesses in -
drug store the last time | came over to
town to draw my salary 1t appears from
the declaration of my informant that dur
ing the last snow storm Mrs. Jimpsonweed
tried to persuade her husband to buy her
sleigh so that she and her daughters could
mingle in the merry and exhilarating sport
of sleighing. Mr.. Jimpsonweed promised
his wife last summer vehicle of this sort,
but as this winter had been so mild the
fulfillment of the promise had not been
exacted until q few days ago when the
ground was covered with the better-late-
than-neyer snow. Mr.. Jimpsonweed, who
is a man of his word, would have granted
the request had not his practicability sug-
gested that an outlay for sleigh so late in
the season would be to certain extent
unreasonable But he said nothing at the
time He weighed the pros and cons for
this outlay when his mind Was suddenly
illumined with bright idea. Now 1T was
said above that Mr.. Jimpsonweed was
practical man, moreover he was practical
carpenter in mild amateur way. His
effulgent idea was for him to build sleigh
himself. st will have to play second
fiddle to the regular coach built seghs
he said to himself, "but then it would
afford temporary relief. The winter is
now about over, and at the end OF next fall
can add a few more dollars to the amount
| laid by for a sleigh this year and get
something handsomer than anything in the
town"
So the following morning Mr.. Jimpson-
weed taking advantage OF his family S
absence from town, they having gone over
to Port Deposit for the day, commenced
work on his sleigh He labored assiduously
all day and Just as the approaching shades of
evening were throwing long shadows he
had neat though rather cumbersome
snow chariot completed. True it had no
shafts, but shafts are not everything. Mr.
Jimpsonweed surveyed the result OF his
labors with pride, and being practical
man he decided to take a trial trip then
and there. The family had driven his two
carriage horses to Port Deposit, so the only
animal he could hitch up was supeIannu-
ated mule that was living on feed pension
granted to it by Jimpsonweed for its active
work in the business he had lately retired
from The mule was rather surprised at
first at being suddenly drafted into service
but submitted nevertheless to being har
messed in. Then off they started. Every
thing worked to perfection until they
started the descent of - hill. 1t was
then that practical Mr.. Jimpsonweed re-
GREETED the absence of shafts, for the sleigh
although handicapped began to outrun the
mule. Mr.. Jimpsonweed saw the imml-
nent danger and modestly dropped out
backward and the sleigh quickly filled his
vacancy by catching the mules hind feet,
tripping him up and throwing him into
the late drivers seat. There he sat tangled
up in the traces an unwilling victim to
popular and seasonable form of amusement,
gliding down the hill with record breaking
speed.
Just about this time Mr.. JabeZ Boles of
- street was coming up the hill with a
load of masculine marketings he had gath
cred that day at Havre de Grace. He is
naturally short-sighted and the effect Of his
sojourn in Hartford county affected his sight
even more. He saw in the dusk the strange
looking object bearing down upon him and
instantly formed but one impression, and