The Saint Paul globe. (St. Paul, Minn.) 1896-1905, 1901-04-28

NAL by q suffering candle set in a bot
tie, the sides of which were covered with
q copiouS overflow of Iallow, young
man sat, attempting to decipher the
words on a small piece of paper Near
him, with her head bent forward In an
anxious, half-eXpcctant attitude, was his
mother, on whose not unattractive face
were the lines of toll and suffering.
Wen. George" she finally said, why
don't You read it?'
Il can hardly make it out. mother
her son replied; but it's new, and he
says he get the receipt from one of the
great piano makers in New York; it's
the stuff that makes the cases shine so.
Think Of it! If l could get such a pol
ish on my skis, why, I'd win the 500
and pay off the mortgage and get you
thick cloak and all the things you
need
Yes, George" a slight flush tinging her
pale face, but you've tried so many
kinds of dope and they all failed. I'm
afraid it's your way of riding, dear
My way of riding" exclaimed the
young man. and he looked up and ran
his hands through his curly hair why
there isn't a man in Plumas county who
can toss more snow in a day, lift more
stand more than L
His mother said nothing; she sighed as
she looked up at the snow-covered WIN
ooWs, then glanced at her companion with
pity. The young man had not oVerstated
his prowess; he was giant a colossus
IL slreF2th-Seven feet tall, but SO thin
so long of limb, so strangely drawn out
that for miles around he was known a.
Long Barton and ''Tanglefoot - He
was miner, like his father, who had
been killed in an avalanche two Years
before.
The winter had set In early, and a.
succession of snowstorms had buried the
little hamlet of a dozen houses so deem
III the snow that around the Barton
rome II was nearly thirty feet on the
level, and the hamlet, so far as annear-
9hce went had been wiped out of ex-
istehce' and lay with all its domestic
IRE unuer the snow. The entire male
population had dug the Bartons out. as
On previous winters, the operation con-
slsung IN beginning chute fifty feet
rom the front of the house. or where
i M"S supposed to be, and sinking a
p"IroW or chute at an angle Of fortv-fiva
ueSrees In the direction of the second
STORY. II took some time to accononIisb
tIIIS AFTER the last storm, but finally The
miners reached the attic window. giving
=" IOuslhS cheer as Mrs. Barton and ber
s spn appeared to welcome them. From
tblS time the attic window bod 49,
the front door George had cut Cto,,r, ~ ~
Ihe ouIfoW, and the Bartons. as the nost
master remarked, were 'in sot4
9%liI' Inc chimney had been snlice5
WIN pieces kept for the purnosa 90 49,
ne Top reached the surface of the sno,T,
nv os george mad piled a plentiful SIM,
Ply OF wood in the house In Senten,ha,.
ana there was an abundance of ootl.Ie'
o1 ana provisions, things were &C $3.50
iortaoIe IN the Barton home nc =;
, ,,UGse IN the place, twenty or mora Fly
under the snow AAofe Ieet
~ g' mere is a skeleton In ever, bo,,so
IL. II
- was pride and debt The eIde, I,a atoilie
Aau LETT an mortgage on the -toI,so barton
80 soon TO expire, and the mort $500 80
"ISnSu the money. He lived In +ba 80
i've hundred miles distant and dtd ny,
saTe Ior a risk where the secIIri+-S ,- rtos
sc 'Die 70 De crushed beneath thirty faot
a. DIS ooth Plumas and Sierra co,1,o
Stes were famous for heavy snoIyfo1Is
george Barton had not been abIa ~ us.
enough money for the mortgage A,,a
!aHcheS mad covered the mines ana -.
nm from work; then one night IN ~
turning home, he could not find the cbnte
anu mao wandered off, and when discoI1e,.''
was pduly frozen 1t was the custon,
IN inc village for the miners whe,, 49,.
TO work to plant staff with eo.is
streamer at the entrance of the ot,,to 90
so that they could find their homes ~
q STORM came up; but the wind had blown
Barton's flag down. II
4heh there was another trouble For
huIhpeG of years George Barton had
DeeH q contestant in the ski races. which
are the principal amusement Of tho noe
pie of these counties of California Pm N
WINTER; but in every one he had been de.
Aeated-more Inundated. as twice nm
apIe TO control his long legs, he had ar
nrst wabbled. then slipped, and gone
down the slide upon his back. amid the
Foars OF laughter and gibes Of the crowd
The funniest thing about it." remark
ed the storekeeeper. lis that George
th1nks he can ride, and always laws it to
MS skis, or the dope But bless voIlr
heart! a man might jest as well trv to
ride on stills as them legs Of his'n. thew
am quit for skim; they'd made a good
shlo Tor bridge. My! how he did
tangle up, legs and arms all in knots
why don't some of you chaps tell him
nature didn't intend him to ride skis?"
why don't You tell him?" retorted a
listener. laughing
Wall. it amt my business, an 7 get
heaps of fun out of him; but it's truth.
he amt got any sense
He's entered for next week" said one
Of the group
What for? the sweepstakes?' asked
the StOrekeeper.
You bet" was the reply. He's got
some dope that's like creased lightnln
ana you can't get the secret out of him
with team of wild horses Gus Lind
berg offered him $40 for a cupful. but he
wouldn't look at him. and he's given it
out that he expects to win
Hell win If the prize is for tying his
legs in knots laughed the storekeeper
He can't equal the time he went to
Miss Bates party. and slipped at the
head of their chute. 1t was seventy-Ive
fect If it was foot, and he went sliding
down like a log Of redwood, a mile a
minute. The front door was shut, and
he struck it feet first, and landed right
IN the party, his legs all in knots"
The ski races had been announced for a
week, and Long Barton had entered. The
grand prize was $3.50, and he believed he
could win it; but on the morning of the
event his mother made some excuse for
remaining home, ana was the only Wom-
an in the hamlet not present at the
races; she could not bear to witness his
defeat The course was on the slopes
of the Sferras, a splendid hill 2000 feet
long, slippery as glass, and at so sharp
an angle that man could not ascend
1t; and once on 1t with skis, 1t was a
race like the wind for nearly half a
mile, then out on to a gradual slope into
the valley, where the little village lay
buried. Every town village in Plumas
and Sierra counties of any pretensions
had ski club and many Of the mem
bers were experts who had performed
wonderful feats, and for this race the
pick of every club was on hand at the
top OF the CLASSY slide, while an amir