The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-07-24

is to come at 3 o'clock It will come at that time
no sooner. no later. The butcher. the baker
and the candlestick maker begin their prepara-
tions accordingly. The butcher takes down his
skinned animals hung inside out in front Of his
door. unfastens the picked. long-legged
chickens. hauls in his ice-hlled fish box and
double locks his door. He arranges everything
systematically in the interior. for sometimes
it happens that there is q remnant Of the
store left intact after tho tornado gets through
with 1t. though ottener not. The baker also
sets his house in order. Strengthening the
loaves of bread In neat rows and piling up the
doughnuts in toothsome heaps; the CANDLE
stick maker likewise. Then they all go home.
In the back yard OF every well-regulated Kan
sas homo there is a cyclone cellar. AS a usual
thing the cellar is dug first and the home is
built afterward. The cellar is covered. cistern-
like. with a curved roof, upon which is spread a
layer Of dirt. Many KansanS cunninRly grow
grass over these roofs for the purpose OF fool
ing the tornado into believing that 1t is merely
an innocent little mound there and no cellar at
all; but a tornado is a hard thing to fool. par
~ticularly a Kansas tornado.
At about ten minutes Of 3 the schools dis
band. but no sooner. Ten minutes is long
enough for the children to get to their cyclone
cellars II they are quick about 1t. and they
generally are. Indeed. used as they have been
from their babyhood up to tornadoes, they
often appear TO be very much excited. running
all the way home. their bonnets hanging about
their neeks by long strings, and the covers Of
their books Tapping In the wind as they hasten.
The teachers. on the contrary. ordinarily pre-
serve the utmost calm. They are possibly ia
talists. Ifa tornado Is to blow them away. they
reason. II will blow them away and that is all
there IL to 1t. II it isn't to blow them away it
Wnp't Thav Il mar ovar THAR uyprk norraofnN
compositions, attempting to solve alRebraical
problems or porting over abstract theories in
philosophy. Occasionally they overstay their
time. and the tornado. coming witt the prompt
ness OF a limited express at the appointed hour,
whirls them away, schoolhouse and all. How
ever, there are always plenty of teachers left
tornadoes, II it hasn'tit ought to have 6een|
II happened that one, day. a day upon which
the bulletin announced n tornado. n fashion,
SR6 6ImsdE vans a S] %Sman n Snd. a II h %as bdPF ffFt s1t,I HfE
OF white stone and complete, except that the
back yard was minus a cyclone cellar. Her
little. impromptq affair, a iew,o I the neigRbors
having happened in. Through the dense sui
sat at the little tables stunning and dealing the
cards. smiling II their hands contained kings.
queens and aces, and browning if they did not.
forpadoes, quickly glanced up at the, clock. then
hibited her nervousness 10 the stoical Kansans.
At ten minutes OF 3 the cards were thrown
upon the tables and the guests rose from their
Tit is time to go TO the cyclone cellar. isn't
it7" they asked In the same tone In which they
would say, 1T is time lunch was served.
II was high time. Every man. woman and
child in tie town was in his or her cyclone
cellar. Those who were not inside stood at
the door taking possibly their last look at tho
earth and sky. watch in hand. timing the tor
naho, waiting until the minute hand pointed to
3 TO disappear suddenly ccllarward and lock
the heavy door after them.
" have no cyclone cellar" said the hostess,
but have something better"
What ia 1t ~ they ASKED In establishment. for
the cyclone cellar hnd hitherto been the only
efficient remedy for tornadocst TINT the kansans
had been able tO discover: and that was not
wholly efficient, since more than one furious
tornado had been known to snatch UP even the
hole in tho ground and blow y into midair,
u have q charm, smiled the hostess.
Her sublime faith in the charm presently
transmitted ITSELF othe most inGTedulOus. They
waited patiently while she went upstairs and
hunted for II.
The atmosphere became oppressive. suffo-
eating. II was nearly time for the tornado.
The men stood about in, groups waiting for IT,.
chatting casually, meanwhile. OF the crops, tho
theatre, the latest scandal, quite as II they
were not IN danger Of being blown, within the
next few minutes, into kingdom come, Many
OF the women. now thoroughly frightened,
! huddled in corners and piled the fancy sofa pill