The Cooperstown courier. (Cooperstown, Griggs Co., N.D.) 1902-1913, 1903-12-03
The Earthquake at
Shutters Corners.
BY n I. KER3lLKA.

Il
i and It's surely comm. Wen ali
sbe In eternity BY this time tomorrow,
ana the world. atzleast our part Of ii,
viii be all joggled to pieces. This is
or last day ON earth. and we'd ought
TO- reflect onto the future state" Mrs.
Potter cceaked dismally back and
forth In her wooden rocker, as she
gAsed with lack-luster eyes at some
half-grown chickens that were con-
tentedly scratching before the open
door. !
wal. I dunno" replied her husband
cheerfully, as he combed his scanty
locks before the small looking glass.
pr'aps we'll be here quite q spell.
yet Them prophet chaps don't know
II all" Mr.. Potter was a cheerful
soul. though his wife regarded his pres
emit optimism as nothing short of rank
Sin. But he did not believe that any
serious cataclysm was impending, so
he sat down to supper with his wonted
good spirits. IS s. g ~ q
For prophet had arisen Il. Shutters
Corners one Of those lank, sad eyed.
ignorant beings who are given to
dreams and visions, and who exert an
unaccountable influence over the minds,
Of.country folk. This particular seer
had been afflicted with dolefully real
iatic dream. In which he had seen the
Corners" and the surrounding coun-
try swallowed up by a great earth
quake. Then an angel had appeared
to him In his sleep, and had told him
that 1t was an all-wool vision, and that
the things which he had seen would
surely come to pass. on the 9th day
Of the coming month, at exactly eight
O'clock in the morning. The destruc-:
ton was to be Complete, and after that;
date the world would know Shutters
Corners noamore. The prophet, it was
said, had eaten heartily of fresh pork
and fried onions, on the eve Of the
dream, which circumstance may have
had some connection with the VISION"
though this ii mere conjecture.
From the time Of the vision, the
prophet had done nothing but wander
about the, little hamlet, s'warnin' :. the
Inhabitants, many Of whom, greatly;
to their discredit, believed the lanky
one. and were accordingly much de-;
pressed. These believers were for
leaving the place at once, but as none!
seemed to know just how far the earth
Quake's destruction might extend, they
changed their minds and concluded to
die at home. Besides. 1t was right in
harvesting time, and with a faint hope
that there might be some mistake in
regard to the coming Of the advertised
calamity, these superstitious folk con-
tinued to gather in their crops, though
the work was done In q perfunctoryr
manner. Mr.. Potter and his son. John,
were quite unaffected by the prevailing
gloom; and the cheerfulness and en-
ergy with which these two worked at
gathering in the harvest surprised and
annoyed the followers Of the prophet,
and caused the dyspeptic soothsayer to
declaim loudly against the! worthy.
farmers "ongodliness." But Mrs. Pot
ter was the only utterly hopeless one
In the place. She looked forward with
absolute certainty to the coming of the
earthquake on scheduled time, the 9th
day Of August, at eight o'clock. It
was now the evening Of the 26th. ;,
Mr.. Potter sat down at the table and
began peeling a boiled potato. Anx-.
iety for the morrow had not impaired
bis appetite.
Come, Sairy," he said, cheerfully,
''set up and hev some supper. Come
and hev cup Of tea and some Of these
poached aigs. They're real good, the
way you cook 'em."s Mr.. Potter had
always been indulgent with his wife,
and now, though he was thoroughly
Disguised at her taking SO strongly to
the popular delusion. he tried to cheer
her and to divert her mind from the
expected catastrophe.
Wal" said Mrs. Potter, coming
YEARLY to the table. II s'pose may
% we'll set down with you. though I
amt no stomach for eatin'. Mr.. Car
ner says everybody ought to be pray
In, and preparin' for the end
Dang Jabe Garner!" exclaimed her
husband. in burst Of just indigna-
ton. He's a dunn nuisance. and ought
to be drove out Of the Corners. II
he'd pay little more attention to his
business, and try to raise something
on that weedy farm Of hisn, or do bet
ter work at plasterin'. when he tackles
/ that business, he wouldn't hev quite
90 many pesky dreams. He's plum
fraud" Mr.. Potter savagely speare1
4 another potato from the dish, and be-
gan dercely cutting It up with its skin
on.
20 elias. Z said Mrs. Potter, with =
rsprcxchfsl look at her husband, '.how
can yull speak SO onrespectful Of Mr..