Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1903-10-09
A BREEZY OLD GENT.
He Told Reporter a Story About
Some Famous Winds.

He Told a Reporter a Story About
Some Famous Winds.
Several years ago I was employed
as a reporter OIL one Of the Topeka
dailies, assigned to the duty Of inter-
viewing the prominent arrivals at no.
tells, and enjoyed some novel expert
ences," remarked a Washington cor
respondent the other evening when
entertaining a number Of the boys on
Newspaper Row with western remin-
iscenses.
Among the arrivals at the Wind
sor hotel one day was venerable
old baldheaded man, who closely re-
sembled the pictures of Baron Hum
boldt. There was an air Of mystery
about the old man that the guests
could not fathom. Finally I sent up
nv card to the venerable strangers
room and was graciously received by
him, and presented to his wife and
five beautiful daughters. 1t was a
| strange thing to see five beautiful
daughters travelling with the same
parents, and all Of them seemingly
about the same age.
when I ventured to ask the illus
trious stranger about the significance
Of his mission to Topeka, he said:
81 am the chief Of the government
weather bureau. Our mission and
business is to furnish weather to suit
the different states. arranged the
recent hurricane in Kansas City and
am now in Topeka to be present at
take place next Thursday
"And you say that the Kansas City
hurricane was gotten up especially
for that city,?
"'Certainly, young man; you see'
there had been a good deal Of wind
about Topeka, especially about the
state house, and Kansas City was
jealous, so they sent for me to get up
the rival wind and fancy succeeded
very we'll. Yes sir said the old
man, as he rubbed his bald head with
a silk handkerchief, 1T was a pretty
fair hurricane-pretty fair
"How hard did it blow over there?
1 asked, believing the Kansas City
papers had lied about their own wind
"'Well, my son, it blew hard-yes
very hard. In several instances 1t blew
postholes clear over the river in Clay
county Deacon Coates, Of the Coates
House, told me that it blew his cook
stove seventeen miles, and came back
the next morning and got the grid
dies
"'My gracious!'
eyes, sir; and worse than that. Four
Kansas City editors got caught out in
that wind They carelessly left their
mouths open, when the wind caught
them behind their teeth and turned
them inside out, and
Heavens! Did it kill them?'
"'Well, no; but they were a good
deal discouraged, my son. There was
one very queer circumstance, though.
1t seems that about a dozen Kansas
City Journal reporters were returning
from prayermeetlng-
| 'Prayermeeting?
Eyes, my son; returning from prayer
meeting, when the wind caught them
and blew them right up against a
stone wall and flattened them out as
thin as waters. In the morning there
they were stuck on the wall, and
| Ibid It kill them?'
"'No; you can't kill reporter, my
son. But, as I was saying, the next
morning there they stuck until Mr..
Van Horn went out with wheelbar-
row and spade and scraped them off. J."
"'Did you see these flattened report
ers?'
"T did, Mr.. Van Horn was just send
ing them to Texas by express
"'What for? What could they do
with these fiat reporters in Texas"
"'Mr. Van Horn told me they were
to be used as circus posters, and
| What is your name?' inquired.
"'You can rely upon my statements,
young man. My name Is Eli Per-
kins.'
eli"
| Yes
"Then bade the old fellow a hasty
adieu and rushed a breezy story"
Washington Post.