The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1899-12-24

into his mouth and tumbled him over
into drift, and when he picked him
self up the train was moving swiftly
away.
Now it happened that the terrible
cold wave that spread all over the
just beginning You may remember
that the orange crop throughout the
south was ruined and people saw ice
who had never seen it before
So that instead of losing all the snow
when the train entered the south not
bit of it had melted, even when the
trairr pulled up at the Tuscapoosa plat
form the day before Christmas. For
tune certainly favors the brave. Rod
had become a great favorite On the
train through his manly and unaffected
ways and the men were glad to see
that the trick had not succeeded
The snow was in patent dumping cars
and as the tracks ran alongside of the
place where Rod wanted it dumped. it
was an easy matter TO distribute 1T.
particularly as all the train hands fell
to with will and gave their services
to the boy.
The train was met by the mayor and
Rods father and most of the leading
men of Tuscapoosa, and Roderick was
thanked in any number Of long
speeches.
After the speeches had all been spun
everybody repaired to the coasting
grounds where they found the snow
ready for them. Sleds by the wholesale
had been made by. clever Jefferson CAL
houn and old and young. men and wo-
men and children united in the new
sport of coasting and SNOWFALL fighting,
while the local sculptor made beauti
full statue of summer out of the snow.
1t was nightfall before anyone thought
of going home. And quite a number
forgot to hang up their stockings they
were so excited over the fun they would
have the next day. Roderick was the
happiest boy that ever gave pleasure to
others. When he left there was only
the one town policeman left to prevent
anyone from taking away the snow
that wanted to do so. And while he
might have COPIED with mere men he
was helpless when Jack Frost went
home at 2 O'Clock in the morning. Jack
Frost had been south three days and he
was tired of the place. AS soon as he
had taken his departure the snow be-
gan to melt and by sunrise Christmas
morning the whole town was afioat.
Rod rose with the sun and looked out
of the window He could not believe
his, eyes Where was the statue of
summer? Where was any of the snow?
While he gazed in wonder he was wait
ed on by the mayor and asked to ex-
plain this new and unpleasant develop
ment, but he had no answer ready.
The mayor said that while he was
grateful to Roderick for affording the
people lot of amusement, still it was
not pleasant to feel that half the Gel
lars were flooded, and on Christmas
day, too. 1t could not have been worse
in the rainy season which had just con-
cluded the month before.
RodericH, much chagrined, went to
the engineer of the freight train and
asked him to explain why the snow
had gone, and that good man did so in
a few words. He said: Rod, you are
the victim of as mean a trick as one
boy ever played on another. Only you
got the better of them for a time. Snow
melts in warm weather and l expected
to see it begin to flood the tracks before
we left Pittsburg. If it hadn't been for
this unheard-of cold snap you would
never have brought your snow here in
good order. AS it is. you've had your
fun and every one in the place has seen
and felt snow and you'd better cut an
account of the whole proceedings out
of the local paper and mail it to the
boys up at Loudon Hill TIN make them
feel like 80 cents
And Roderick did so and if Frank and
Will Bill and all the other boys did not
feel like 20 cents whatever sensation
that may be) they deserved to.