The daily telegram. [volume] (Clarksburg, W. Va.) 1901-1926, 1903-10-08
INTERESTING
STORY ABOUT A FREAK OF MA
TURE COMES FROM AUGUSTA
COUNTY.
Large Sweet Potato Causes Much Atten.
tiOn on Part of Boys, But 1t Takes
Authority of Village to See
More in 1t.

Oil Well, Augusta County, w. Va.
Editor Telegram:
As | have been a subscriber reader
and constant admirer OF your model pa
per, which gives "all the news to all the
people all the timc,s | venture to com.
municate with You regarding a strange
freak of nature which is causing consid-
erable comment in our little village, and
as just now political harvests are rip
enings and eager hands being stretched
on high to grasp the plums overhowing
with nations bounty of sweetness,
thought, perhaps, this strange product
of the soil, which / will describe to
you at length, might interest you and
your host of patriotic readers.
TO be brief, last fall wien in Clarks-
burg attending a primary election, !
CHANGED to receive through the postoilicc
some samples of cereals, vegetables, ETC.,
from our appreciatiye and thoughtful
congressman representing us in this dis
trict. Some weeks after this particular
ly heated convention ! planted some
sweet potatoes, which were part of
the samples received. As this was my
first experience in cultivating these sac
charine tubers, | attended them very at.
tentiyely. and when the sun, natures
redcemcr, had ressmeeted them from
their shroud of earth ] carefully gath
cred them. One OF these potatoes, by
its unusual size, at once 0ttmcted my
attention; in fact, never had seen on
read of anything so gigantic. 10 cor.
roborate and substantiate my own opin-
ion, took it over TO the store one even
ing where "the boys" we're, as usual.
racing their horses around the store over
the spittoon hurdles, water jumps of to-
bacco juice, etc.
All the boys saw nothing about the
potato except its unusual size and, after
it had been duly commented upon and
some remarks made about potato rails
ed the year before the blizzard, was
about to place it upon exhibition in the
window of the store when my intention
was arrested by old Jabez Green, who
at that moment, was earnestly scrutiniz'
ing the potato.
Now, Jabcz is an authority in the vii
lage as he wears a G. 4. R. button, got
ten in horse trade. and came very nea,
being postmaster once. After he callc,
our attention to the strange formation
and mysterious markings Of the potato,
we all saw with our own eyes, to-wit. as
follows: On one side OF the potato was
what looked to be double row Of large,
strong, white teeth and directly above
were two potato eyes, around each a
sort of ring. looking for all the world
like pair of eyeglasses. Above these
the formation of the potato ran into
peak. the exact counterpart Of a rough.
riders slouch hat, and the stem Of il
was an identical likeness Of a large army
pistol, the other side was also cnriousiy
marked, some said like an oil well, 9th
crs like large hotel, but Jabez settled
the argument by saying it was no more
or less than the broad shield of the
American law.
Whatever this strange freak OF nature
means We could not decide, but as thesl
present times are fraught with momen.
tous questions, they must portenl some,
ching. If your paper or your readers.
can read us this riddle mot sec'yl, We
would be greatly obliged could have
sworn to this before the sheriff, but as
tomorrow is Saturday he wont's be III
town till Monday, or at least that was
the way it was in my time in Clarks.
burg.
N: B.-As this is the first story OF the
1904 crop, ! think you ought to give me
a little reading notice, and please make
it respected citizen" or something like
that for, although raised the potato,
Jabcz Green is getting all the credit,
because he had larger collection of
Mckinley spiders in 1900 than did.
xxx.