Omaha daily bee., 1900-02-04
TALES OF YANKEE tNCHANTMENT.
The Permanent Snow Compound.
By Charles Battell Loomis.


Copyright by the author. Charles Battell
LOOmis.J
ia as soon sell you my farm for 2 cents as
to buy your compound, said Farmer Catln
20 the black-haired and unlanny locking
stranger. He had arrived just at uightfall
at the close OF a long winters storm. The
fields and trees and fences and roofs were
white With snow and the two Catlin boys
were delighted, but their father with his
knowledge OF the work that it entailei would
have been glad 90 see the snow take The same
wings that had brought 1t and ny 10 the ut
termost parts Of the earth. And here was
this fellow having the impotence to OFFER
him a compound that would make snow per
manent.
Mr.. Catlin had let the man into the little
hall with its winding stairway that LED u
the bedrooms above and now they stood talk
ing while Bernard and Brainerd, his two
sons, eagerly listened to the strangers en-
tranCing conversation.
why, i've sod quantities Of it to fellers
down in New York. who are going to use It
TO make toboggaD slides thatn last al sun-
mor.'
well, people in the city may have time
for such foolishness. but what in taruation
do you suppose / want my farm buried under
three foot Of snow tho year around for?
Summer seasons She: enough as tbs
But papa. SAID Bernard. you wouldn't
have TO work so hard
And we'd live on the snow l s'pose. Snow
pudd'n' and ice cream" said the old man
sarcastically.
And we could go sleigh rldin' when the
weather was so warm that we'd wear just
a shirt and trousers. Wouldn't that be
dandy said Brainerd.
Wei, it's aout Of the question. amt
go'n' to buy your compound an Their amt
no one so foolish in all Saouth Ardmore to
do sech a thing. Haow much is it,
only s. a quart and a quart will sprinkle
an acre, besides which l donate a beautiful
nickel-plated machine for distributing it,"
Say. young man" said MIR. Catlin. sud
denly. Il think you're dealin' in unlawful
goods an ef they amt they ought to be.
S pose you was to strike some cnischievous
Teller that had a grudge ag'in his neighbor?
He'd sprinkle his fields with it while he slep'
an 'twould be winter all the year 'raound
on that farm. l don't question your bein'
able to do it. Sence l see horse cars go alone
I'm prepared for anythin', but you don't sell
me nothin' Of the kind. Good night
With a little sigh the man slung his bag
over his back and left the house.
Mr.. Catlin went out to the barn TO bed
down the cattle and the boys followed the
stranger.
Say, do you sell that in small quaint
ties? ?" asked Bernard.
Don't like to open a can. You sec a quart
will last a life time, so you only have the
first expense. Your fathers got the wrong
idea. / don't want to cover up his potato
fields with snow the year round, but if he
has a hill that amt worth cultivating and
spriukles it with this powder you boys can
coast all summer long and he can keep his
milk and butter cool and comfortable without
any need of ice"
Wish We could see the thing work. said
Bernard with caution. Course such
weather as this snow is going to stay any !
way, but how do We know it would stay
when a thaw cameo"
That's So echoed Brainerd.
Easy proved said the stranger with a
smile, "Ill build a little fire here out of
some pine cones if you boys II get EN- and
I'll sprinkle a little of the powder on some
snow and you can make snow balls that'll |