The Fulton County news. [volume] (McConnellsburg, Pa.) 1899-current, 1901-05-16
DOWN THE MOUNTAIN
A BOWLDER THAT WAS STARTED
ROLLING JUST FOR FUN.

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-
isteDce as | have ever known. before
or since. The blue skies, the big noun
tains, the lnyigorating mir, 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
10 confnlns chat I could not get away
On mountain walks pretty frequently,
and 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 gap into the valley be.
yond.
II had n particular object In view,
and with my dog wandered along up
the mountain. which was without vege.
tation except n furry thicket in places
and the surface was covered with
rocks Of various sizes from n footbnu
to a haystack. After awhile. for some
thing better to do, began to roll the
stones down the mountain side, and II
rapidly developed into most exciting
sport, for the mountain was steep and
the rocks went down with a whoop
and a hurrah that stirred the blood
to watch them as they bounded along.
/ 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 1t
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, II great big, round
bowlder that would have weighed n
ton if it weighed n pound. 1t was n
Job to get 1t started, but by pulling
the rocks from under it on the lower
side and loosening 1t up all around
got 1t going ut last and stood back to
enjoy its progress down the mountain
1t went slowly at first as If in doubt
but 1t struck n steep place about so feei
down the hill, and 1t leaped out like
restive horse from the post. and away
1t went, bounding dozen feet into the
air and jumping over gullies and rocks
as If 1t we're rubber About COO feet
down, when 1t was going at tremen-
dous speed, 1t leaped 80 feet into the
air. and ! was just going to let off a
whoop when | saw - mule team In
the narrow road below and directly in
the track OF the monster.
''The team was drawing two wagons,
rs was the custom ~ith the mountain
freighters, and it was driven by old
JerrT Simpson, one Of the best known
tea~. sters 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. | stood speechless,
scared white but the driver had seen
the rock coming, and, dropping of
the saddle mule he broke back up the
road as hard as he could run. would
have run. too. but my legs refused to
act, and | stood fast aud watched the
great rock go tumbling down toward
its victims. | hadn't long to wait. Of
course, and just as | gasped at the last
bound of the bowlder 1t struck an OBJ.
struction of some kind and jumped
clean over the team and the road and
went crashing on Its way down into
the ravlne below.
"Then | recovered my wits, and.
knowing that what had been doing
was entirely ineXcusable. 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 l went over to the post
Office, which was n general loafing
place, and there found Jerry telling Of
his wonderful escape.
Derned eff didn't think 1t wuz
haystack comm down the hill.' he
said with somethin alive In It,
Have you any idea who rolled II
DOWN. asked innocently.
"'In course | hain't Ef | hadn't
been in sich hurry and left my Win.
chester in the wagon, I'd "a found out
mighty quick, fer | 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
onsY said.
Dynamite. Four tons Nv It,
"'Good Lordv | exclaimed. There
wouldn't have been much left OF that
team, would thereT
"'Nor the. neither reckon he said.
shaking his head.
"'What did you think Of as you were
running up the roadT
"'Not much NV anything, | guess,
but mostly ef they wuz goln to be able
30 git enough Nv Jerry Simpson meat
out of that mule meat to have funer
nj with
81 don't know where Jerry is now
concluded the senator; dead. sup
pose, but | never told him who rolled
that rock down the hill. nor did | ever
tell anybody In that town who did it.
because 1t came altogether too near be
ing a tragedy for 1t ever to be con
sidered joke."-New York Sun.
PRpeFed with BONDS.