Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1900-05-31
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
A BOWlDER THAT WAS STARTED
ROLLING JUST FOR FUN.

The Senator's Story of n ThouEht1ess
Act That Barely Escaped Resulting
In n Tragedy-A Lucky Bourd Into
the Air.
More than 20 years ago." said the
senator in reminiscent mood, 81 was
doing clerical stunts at Hamilton, New,
and having about as enjoyable an ex-
isteuce as l have ever known, before
OR sincss. The blue skies, the big noun
tains, the invigorating air. the whole
some food and the interesting people
all around me made my life about as
good as life ought to be this side of
the pearly portals. My work was not
so confining that could not get away
on mountain walks pretty frequently,
and one day l started out with my
dog for a turn up Mount Tom, just be-
yond the town. The main highway
leading into the town from the west
passed along the side of this mountain
and on over a gap into the valley be-
yond.
Il had particular object in view,
and with my dog 1 wandered along up
the mountain, which was without vege-
tation except furry thicket in places,
and the surface was covered with
rocks Of various sizes from football
to haystack. After awhile, for some
thing better to do, | began to roll the
stones down the mountain side, and it
rapidly developed into a most exciting
sport, for the mountain was steep and
the rocks went down with a whoop
and hurrah that stirred the blood
to watch them as they bounded along
1 never thought of the road passing
along about 1000 feet down the hill,
and, as nobody happened to be going
by, my attention was not called to it
in that way, and l kept on.
Naturally enough, my success with
the smaller stones made me ambitious,
and l essayed something larger 1t
was dandy, too, great big, round
bowlder that would have weighed a
ton if 1t weighed a pound. 1t was q
job to get it started, but by pulling
the rocks from under it on the lower
side and loosening it up all around I
got it going at last and stood back to
enjoy its progress down the mountain.
1t went slowly at first, as If In doubt,
but it struck a steep place about so feet
down the HILL and it leaped out like q
FESTIVE horse from the post, and away
it went, bounding dozen feet into the
air and jumping over gullies and rocks
as if it We're rubber. About 600 feet
down, when it was going at tremen-
dous speed, it leaped 80 feet into the
air. and I was just going to let off
whoop when l saw - mule team in
the narrow road below and directly in
the track of the monster.
"The team was drawing two wagons,
as was the custom with the mountain
freighters, and it was driven by olI
Jerry Simpson, one of the best known
teamsters in the mountains. 1t simply
paralyzed me. for didn't see anything
but destruction for everything in the
way. There was no turning back or.
whipping up to get out Of the way, for
the load was heavy and the road was
rough and narrow. l stood speechless,
scared white. but the driver had seen,
the rock coming, and, dropping off
fthe saddle mule, he broke back up the
road as hard as he could run. l would
have run, too, but my legs refused to
act, and stood fast and watched the
great rock go tumbling down toward
its victims. hadn't long to wait, Of
course, and just as l gasped at the last
bound of the bowlder it struck an OBJ
struction of some kind and jumped
(.1a In
went crashing on its way down into
the ravine below
Then | recovered my wits, and,
knowing that what I had been doing
was entirely ineXcusable, I skinned off
up the mountain behind the rocks and
disappeared, trusting to Providence
that the old Jerry hadn't identified me.
| slipped around another way to town
and got in all right without having any
questions asked where had been, and
that evening | went over to the post
office. which was general loafing
place, and there found Jerry telling of
his wonderful escape.
Derned eff l didn't think it wuz a
haystack comm down the HILL he
said, with somethin alive in it,
Have you any idea who rolled it
down" l asked innocently.
lin course l hain't Eff l hadn't
been in SIGH hurry and left my Win
chester in the wagon, I'd "a found out
mighty quick, fer I seen him run, and
he had a dog with him.
II was little nervous, but kept on
asking questions.
"'What did you have in your wag-
ons" l said.
Dynamite. Four tons Nv it,
Good Lord" l exclaimed. There
wouldn't have been much left of that
team, would thereH
:" Nor me. neither.' reckon he said.
shaking his head.
What did you think of as you were
running up the road!'
- Not much Nv anything, l guess,
but mostly eff they WIZ goin to be able