The Kimball graphic. (Kimball, Brule County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1905, 1904-04-01
It Blows In Jhl. Country.

It Blows In This Country.
The old timers in Kansas will tell
you OF a good many freaks OF the wind
In that country OF tornadocs and
cyclones. but the gentle Zephyrs OF the
pralrieS get Il move TN themselves up
this way occasionally. About as re-
markable instance Of it that we have
ever seen came to our notice a week
ago today.
AS noted in the GRAPHIC at the
time, DIR. Stewart started for Iowa
that day to be gone a couple of weeks.
While passing from one car to another
just this side of Plankinton, with the
wind blowing a Neutrality-suspicious. gale
from the south, his hat went off and
was almost out OF sight, like a wee
black speck, sailing toward the north
ern horizon. The doctor is very much
OF a ladies' man-but he continued his
trip bareheaded in a smoker, with the
single consolation that he would have
time to run up town in Mitchell and
get a fresh lid.
When the train reached Mitchell,
he tied a handkerchief over his head,
woman fashion, and left the train,
and as luck would have il, got off the
wrong side, on which stood the train
from Aberdeen just in with passengers
alighting. From out OF one coach got
a man, carrying an extra hat in his
hand, and the thought flashed into
the doctors mind in a minute to bor-
row it while he ran up town. He put
his thought into Il request at once
and you can imagine his complete sur
prise when he discovered that the
traveller had the doctors own head
gear.
Explanations quickly followed and
it was soon learned, unreasonable as it
may appear, that the hat was found at
W~oonsocket, Just as the stranger was
boarding the train, and it being a
likely looking lid he took it along, not
knowing what else to do with it.
The hat had traverscd the twenty
five miles across the prairie on the
wings of the wind in the incredible
short space of thirty minutes, and it
evidently never struck the ground
once.
The only incident equalling this
remarkable freak Of the wind we ever
heard Of also happened in Kimball-I
or close by. 1t was about fifteen
years ago, if we remember Alright. |
Truman Pattec, a farmer Lying two !
and a half miles south of town, got up
one morning during a gale of wind
that had tried to pry the roof Off all
night long and turned the interior OF
his domicile into a S%moke-housc i'm
mediately after lighting the kitchen
fire. Truman was quite profane when /
aroused, and the words he said would
look awful in print. The others of the |
family were more calm and set out to
investigate the trouble, which result |
ed in the discovery Of a wash boiler
fitting as snug over the chimney top
as II pounded there with a maui. Then
Truman did swear-to think ANYBODY
would play him a doggasted trick like
that. He was so mad he hitched up a
team and came to town to tell about
it. While standing in front Of the
Oclhsner store breathing fire and
rhinestone to a group Of interested
listeners, Miss Currens, who was in
the store making some purchases,
heard snatch of the conversation
and made some inquiries. She was
told Of the affair. "Why," she ex-
claimed, "wouldn't it be funny if that
was my wash-boiler. 1 left it standing
outside last night and this morning it
was gone and | can't find a trace of it
anywhere in the neighborhood."
"I'll bring in that blasted boiler,
madame" spoke up Truman promptly,
"and if it's yours LII take back every
word I've said. You are too much of
Il lady to PLAY trick on a man like
that-but the wind isn't"
True to his word, he brought the
boiler in that aftcrnoon-and it be-
longed to Miss Currens. She lived at
that time in one of the little cottages
just south Of John Byrne's house You
can go over there any time and see
where the boiler stood on the back
steps.
jhrarv Mcpt1nS
A mass meeting Of the citizens of