The Norfolk weekly news-journal., 1901-05-31
COULDN'T HELP IT.
An OLD Yankees Yarn NJ pcttcr Days
Was Pure Fiction.

WINS tuft ttcttph.
An old man was saving wood In n
Maine village the other day. lie had
taken n Job and was putting In his best
ticks.
A man who was going past stopped
and looked over the palings OF the
fence.
"Klnd Of tough work, isn't II, uuClcH'
asked the pnsscr.
The old man Strengthened M and
Rtrokcd the sweat of his forehead.
"Waal, mlddlin tart" said he. sort
OF takes holt Of my lumhngo once In
awhile | don't suppose | should mind
II NO much IL II hadn't been for the
fnct that | had money once aud didn't
hnvc TO do such things IA this"
~ thal-sgl Had money!"
"lns, that's right, You remember
the time they built the branch railroad
through hcrcT .r,r,~rw~e~rrEty,s-
Sure" ,sSSsrEssi, s4tGsSlssS@
"Wnal, | was doIn pretty well TINT
time. aud | subscribed to the stock.
Kinder thought there might he n
chance to make n little something out
OF the deal. Hut the first thing I
OF the stock. They coinc round to me
and wanted my assessment.
GLOW much hc itY snys l.
"'SiXty four thousand i've hundred
dollars SAYS they.
"'Wnnl.' says I, 'thnt's rather n attn
hnul on n man, hut I'll pay It. But I
give We notice now that yc better not
call on me again, FOR That Will just
about take the last rent | got And
for n rnct when | went home and went
into the old chist and counted out my
money that was Jest whit l Ind to n
cent. But the rond never amounted to
anything. Never got n cent back FOR
all that money ! put In. And here !
am snwin wood for II Twin"
When the stranger got down TO the
store nnd stood warming his hands nj
the barrel stove, he remarked upon the
sad case OF the old man saving wood
up the road.
'That man never Ind n cent ahead In
all his lifc,' remarked the atorckccpcr.
"Ilc's allus sawed wood for n Twin"
well, what did he want to tell such
n %thundcrin story M That forT' asked
the stranger.
"Wa-n-al," replied the storckcCpcr,
yankees have to sortcr keep In prnc.
ticc for what may come up. Jest hnv'
to do II.
"Whcn yon drive along, you'l probn
bly, see an old fellow up here workln
,.,,,,l L., a., Ia, ,,,,rl II. ,,.nru II,r
nee Grcclcys for whiskcrs and n straw
hat winter or summer. You'll know
him when YOU see him. stop and talk
with him n little while. He's kccpin
In practice too"
The stranger did so.
They fell into talk OF the corruption
Of modern institutions and of the difii
Guilty OF believing those who are on
gagged in business operations.
1.-TWO weeks ago" said the old man
Il was shinglin the Methodist pnr
sOnngc down the road here n ways, and
the elder conc out and says he, 'The'i
a big bank in Boston failed
"'Natlonnl bankT says l.
"'NatiOnal bank says. he, and he
gave me the name.
WAL, sir, for awhile ! never was sc
scared in my life. | jest jumped righ'
down off the roof OF that parsonage
bout 80 feet. Was 50 excited ! never
felt it.
II run all the way home. ! rushed
into the bedroom. Wife come a-runniI
after me.
""For the land sakes,' says she, 'b'
you craZyr
Equity nenr It, says I. The Sc
and-so national bank OF Boston hat
failed up, and It's Jest like my luck t.
have n lot OF bills OF hat bank In tn
chist here And ! threw the CHS
open and reached down for our box.
opened II. WAL, It didn't have n Sin
gle bill on that bnnk-nor any othc
kind OF n bill either. Never felt 30 re
lIaya1 In my lifn - WIstpp Jonrnnl