Evening journal., 1897-07-22
sTEpAEM eIzzeuNkLeR.
Old-Time Resident OF storIsvilIe Gem
ter-RemnrlsabIe ExperIence.

singular experience" said Col. Calliper,
"than once befell to the lot of my old
friend, Stephen Gizzbunker, who for
merly lived in storkville Center, Vt.
Mr. Gizzbunller. like most of us, had
his peculiarities, the most conspicuous,
perhaps, being his habit of always car
rying an umbrella. No matter what the
weather nor what the signs might be,
henever went out without an umbrella;
he knew it would be sure TO rain if he
did Where he got that impression 1
don't know. He may have been out
some time in his youthful days in his
best clothes without an umbrella when
1t came on TO rain.
"Some years ago when they began
making the curious and costly expert
ments in the arid regions of the far
west, firing explosives from balloons,
and one thing and another to produce
rain, Mr.. Gizzbunkler, standing one day
with his umbrella under his arm, in the
Storlxville Centre post Office, perusing
the newspaper which he had just taken
from the mail, said:
"'Why do they waste all this
money in mere experiments when they
could get rain with certainty and at
far less cost? Why don't they send for
me?
"What could you do?' asked a neigh
Dor who was standing near.
"'Why, 1 could go out without my
umbrella said Mr.. Gizzbunlxler, and,
amazing as it may seem, it is not the
less certainly a fact that he wrote TO the
mayor of a town near which some of
these experiments had been conducted
Offering to go there and produce rain
for his expenses. 1t shows the con-
suming desire for rain on the part of
the people and their readiness 10 take
any chances to get it, that they imme-
diately sent for Mr.. Gizzbunkler a
draft for the money TO come on with,
without even asking him how he was
going TO produce rain.
"When Mr.. GizzbunlSler arrived at
the town he was met at the railroad sta
ton by delegation Of citizens who es-
corted him to the hotel; later he was
waited on officially by the rain commit
tee of the town council, who, in the
presence of the reception committee
and a large number of other interested
citizens, asked Mr.. Gizzbunlxler his
plans.
"They had some queer people in this
town at one time or another, but Mr..
Gizzbunl1ler appeared to them TO be
the most useless person they had ever
had there. At first they thought they
would kill him at once; that there
would at least be some slight saving in
shipping him back as freight; but
! Stephen was so obviously well-mean-
= ing man that finally they thought they
! would give him trial, which they die
on the following day.
"It was a day on which any other mar
+ in the world would have left HIS um
, brella at home, anyway. Stepher
GizzbunBler was about TO leave his al
home for the first time in many years
and he was equally confident of what
{ would happen. He had been a little
shaken personally, by the attitude o.
the people after his simple plan hat
been unfolded; but his confidence il
, the success of his plan was quite un
: broken. He laid his umbrella careful
= " across the foot of the bed in hi
Z room at the hotel, looked at it almos
= lovingly, and then went down to NEE
the committee.
"They walked, Stephen ahead, thu
rain committee and the reception com
:. mittee next, and then after them tn
I people, along the dusty road.
: "Did it rain? No, no, no. It seemed
. to Stephen, and it seemed to the people
K too, that the corn shriveled up as h
= passed, and that the last blades Of gras
. withered.
- They gave him one more trial tn
y next day, with the same result, AM
then they took him back to the railroa
q station. They had taken him ava
e from the station in carriage; the
|. carried him back on rail; but thi
/. was a matter of detail that almost es
d capped Stephens attention at the time
50 glad was he to get back at all.
ION the day after Mr.. GizzbunlSler'
return to Storl1ville Centre he went ou
without an umbrella; he had had
great experience, and he had bee
: somewhat impressed by it. Possibl
l. he had been mistaken all these year
i and he thought he would see. But tina
i lay there came a storm that sweI
e away every bridge in the county, an
!, Il which washed away, too, whatever in
- preston the extraordinary experience
Il in the arid regions had made upon tn
% mind of Mr.. Stephen GizzbunlSler.
It thereafter until he died Mr.. Giz.
n bunlkler carried an umbrella always, &
firm as ever in the belief that it woul
rain if he went out without one."-N
Z. Sun.
Is Drummcrs' Experiences.
Is | =