The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1905-02-19

LACKAwAxEN Feb. ls.-"1t was the
first day sence the snow had come and
holed US up back o Lackawack like 'coons
in a holler log. said the man from the
classic but somewhat ambiguous division
Of the Pike county woods and ridges that
any Of us had dug himself out 80 az he
could git down the tavern, and we was
allowin among W. pooty strong that no
setch weather as that had ever sot down
on to US before. when | see that Uncle
Jase was windn' up his reoollectin' works
to set en- gon and it wasn't long before
they begun buzz
! see says he that none of you don
recomember the winter Of
But cut in and shet him of right there
by s ,Wa ,,,,, .o,,i,. ,.ro ,-rolo .I... !
Gays. TO listen to no Contrary Swaybaokin'"
] says.
-Wunst on time Pete Swayback was
our oldest inhabtnnt. and he had setoh an
uncompromisin way o. facn' US down by
rememberin the time when somethin
had happened that was leetle wuss than
anything that was happenin' with US,
particly the weather. that we used to call
him old Contrary Swayback, and his
memory is hngern' yit in back o. Lacka-
wack
We used 10 have some toer'be snug
and s'archin weather there takin' it IA
the seasons come and went and | reco-
member one day in July when the sun was
jest s-sizzlin things 30 that | had 10 quit
mowin and pull for the shade Of tree over
10 the edge of the field. and it was nigh
about all | cd do to keep from cookin'
fore | got there. When | got to the tree
who did / find lolin there but Contrary
swayhack. He was pantin wuss than
tired out churn dog and ketchn' for breath
till was afeard he was goin to die, while
the sweat rolled oiTen him big "a peas
Peter saws | "a soon as | could git
wind enough to talk, this is leete the
red hottest Of any red hot weather that
was ever made. and III bet on it, says.
Peter mopped his face a while and be-
twiNt pants ne says to me:
Dan' he says 'this'd be most like
the frosts o. November. says he. long
side the July we had back in IS "
A drought struck US one spring and
hung on TO rs for weeks. Everything
was dryer than a bone. and the cattle was
standn' around with their tongues hangin
out. poor critters, cause water was 30
tremendous skeerce.
The wells was dry. and there wasn't
q spring in the hull district that had water
enough in it for chippy bird TO battle in.
! had to lug water in from the pond, two
miles from home, and the pond was gittin
80 low that had to dip the water out of it
into my pail with pint dipper.
-One day. at the height o. this dry spell
I was comm home with a pail o water
no I arl
in the road His lips was crackin' and his
tongue was thick, he wanted a drink so
bad. but he never lot on that such was the
case, and says TO him:
Pete. / says. II there's been anything
dryer n this spell Of ourn sence the ashes
o Sodom and Gomorry. | says. 'hist'ry's
forgot to set it down.
Pete tried to get a little moistur on 70
his lips by wipin' en- with his tongue, but
there want none there and without even
lookin' at the water in my pail, he -.-ys
Danl' says he, this dry spell is like
a sponge you could squeeze wetness out
Of by the barl says he TO the drought
that tackled us in the spring Of IS
Il guess It was the very next fall after
that when We had them tremendous rains.
They fell night and day for week, and the
creeks was ragin and roarin' torrents.
mile wide. most. in some fiat places. and
on top o. one o. them rippn' floods what
should come ridin' and bobhin' down when
they was at their very wust but Fote Sway
backs cabin, and Pete straddlin' its peak
like a circus man on camel
The rolln' waters sweep the cabin under
the overhanRin' limb Of buttonVood
tree, and scraped Pete of into the b'ilin'
food, kerplunk. Clean down out o. sight