The Lambertville record. [volume] (Lambertville, N.J.) 1872-1968, 1900-06-06
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
A BOWLDER THAT WAS STARTED
ROLLING JUST FOR FUN.

The Senator'S story of IL Thoughtless
Act That Barely Escaped Resulting
In Trngedy--A Lucky hound Into
the Air.
"More than 20 years ago" fald the
senator In reminiscent mood, Il was
doing clerical stunts at Hamilton, New,
and having about as enjoyable an ex-
istenee as | have ever known, before
or since. The blue skies, the big noun
talns, the inYigoratlng 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 combining that | could not get away
ON mountain walks pretty frequently
aud one day | started out with my
dog for 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 he
yond
II had a particular object In view,
anu WIN NY bbH hbAi'Ni - tti'''f9 ~
the mountain, which was without ycge-
tation except a furry thicket In places,
and the surface was covered with
rocks of various sizes from n football
to haystacls After awhile, for some.
thing better TO do, | began to roll the
stones down the mountain side, ana 1t
rapidly developed into most exciting
sport for the mountain was steep aud
the rocks went down with a Whoop
and hurrah that stirred the blood
10 watch them as they bounded along.
/ never thought of the road passing
along about 1000 feet down the hill,
aud, as nobody happened TO be going
by, my attention WIS not called to II
in that way. and kept on.
Naturally enough, my success with
the smaller stones made me ambitious,
and | c5aayed something larger. 1t
was a dandy, too, II great big, round
bowlder that would have weighed a
ton If It weighed n pound. 1t was
Job To get II started, but by pulling
the rocks from under 1t on the lower
side aud loosenIng 1t up all around /
gOt II going nj last and stood back TO
enjoy it's progress down the mountain.
1t went slowly at first, rs II In doubt,
hut II stfuel, "A steep place about 80 feet
down the hill, and 1t leaped out like It
restlyc horse from the post and away
fl went. bounding dozen feet into the
air and jumping over gullcs and rocks
as If II were rubber. About GOO feet
down, when II WAS going nj tremcn-
deus speed, II lenped 30 feet into the
air, and | Wns Just going TO let off
whoop when | saw T. mule team In
the harrow road below and directly In
the track of the monster.
"The team was drawing two wagons,
as was the custom with the mountain
frelghters, and It was driven by old
Jerry Simpson, one of the best known
transfers in the mountains. II simply
pAralyZcd 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. | stood speechless
scared white, but the driver had seen
the rock coming, and, dropping Off
the saddle mule, he broke back up the
road as hard ms he could run. | would
have run, too. but my legs refused to
act, and | stood fast and watched the
great rock 20 tumbllng down toward
its victims. | hadn't long To wait, of
course. aud just MS | gaspcd Mt the last
bound of the lowlder 1t struck an OBJ
struction of some kind and Jumped
clean over the team and the road aud
went crashing on It's way down Into
the raVine below.
'"rhcn | recovered my wits, and
knowing that what | had been doing
was entirely incXcusablc, l skinned of
up the mountain behind the rocks ans
disappeared. trusting to ProVldenc,
TINT the old Jerry hadn't identified me
l slipped around another way to tow
aud got in all right without having any
questions asked where | had been, ant
that evening | went over to the post
office, which was n general loaiinl
place, aud there found Jerry telling OF
his wonderful escape
'Derned Of | didn't think 1t wuz II
haystack comm down the HIM. lie
SAIL Win NhIltlUlH hllNt Ill IL.
"IIaye you any idea who rolled II
DOWN. ! asked innoCently.
'sIn course | han't. IF | hadn't
been In slch hurry and left my Win
chester In the wagon. Id n found out
mighty quick, fer l seen him run, ant
he had a dog with him
81 was little nervous, but kept OF
asking questions.
"What did you have In your wag
onsY | said
Dynamite Four tons NV IT.
Good Lordv | exclaimed. There
wouldn't have been much left OF that
team. would thereT
Nor me neither reckon he said
shaking his head
"'What did you think Of rs you were
running up the roadr
mot much NV anything, guess,
but mostly cf they wuz goin to lie able
TO SIT enough Nv Jerry Simpson meat
cut Of that mule meat to have a fuueI-
IL with
Il don't know where Jerry is now.
concluded the senator; dead, ! sup
pose, Tut | never told him who rolled
that rock down the hill, nor did ever
tell anybody In that town who did It,
because II came altogether too near be
Ing a tragedy for 1t ever To be con
sidrrtd joke."-New York sun
Papered with Honds.
Wall paper having an apparent value
% l,,t In, ,,