Audubon County journal. (Exira, Iowa) 1884-1993, 1905-12-07
Phe Strange Experience Of an
Obituary editor


the wonders of the world, q
Van was gazing in wrapt admiration
when he was acosted by voice which,
he had learned to know belonged toa
Harmonious
"Friend Van, of the tribe of Zant,
thou has received one M ore disappoint- I
ment. We will rest and bask in the I
beauties OF the great Acropolis for the
night, then we must on to the has been.
Where next"
Van remembered that Homer said
the poem was very ancient and said he
would like to visit that great Snowman
navigator, Noah; but would wait until
morning, as he'd like to write an edi-
torial on Grecian architecture and
would study by moonlight.
CHAPTER vi.
On the shores of beautiful lake in
eastern Media two pilgrims were seated
on the sands watching the waves as
they Tapped the shores.
TO the north across a river rose q
lofty mountain. One of the men was
asking questions as to the topography
OF the country, the other giving infor-
nation.
mThe water at our feet, friend Van, is
Lake Van; the river an easterly branch
of the Euphrates near it's source; the
mountain to the north is Mount Ararat
and is of volcanic origin.u
"Why, Shade Harmonious, are the
waters of the lake and the shores strewn
with debris, and dead reeds and rushes
hanging in the highest of trees?n q
Friend, we are now in the time of
the tenth generation of the Biblical
branch of the human race and there has
been a great flood in the valley that
covered the highest trees. The water
has but recently receded and wreckage
is everywhere"
.Then this is the flood of Noah, the
sailor?"
eyes, but we had best arise and
Trek up the Veldt,' as your country
men say"
The two travellers arose and started
on their pilgrimage to the north, pick
ing their way over fallen trees, and
making detours to avoid the foetid air
arising from decaying animals and here
and there human body fostering in
the hot sun.
The trip was sickening one and Van
was on the point OF giving upinteview-
ing Noah and have Harmonious trans
Eve and interesting family; but by
avoiding the more pestilent spots they
slowly advanced to the shores of the
Euphrates.
The river having it's source in the
foothills to the east was here very swift
and deep, but not very wide, and the
question of crossing arose.
The rest of the afternoon was spent
in constructing raft of the debris along
the shore, and after much labor and
some danger they landed on the north
ern shore "!just as the sun went down.
AS the moon arose the question of
supper confronted them. Not a living
thing could be seen and it looked as if
they must go hungry when Harmoni-
Gus suggested they try fishing. They
wove reeds into mat which they tied
to two poles and tried their hand at
SEEMING. After the usual 'tfisherman's
luck" they succeeded in landing enough
for supper and the next days rations.
After partaking of a frugal meal they
lay down to sleep, intending to take an
early start in the morning for the noun
tains.
At daybreak the travellers had re-
sumed their march and covered the
twenty miles to the base of Ararat by
ten O'Clock and commenced the ascent,
picking their way through slime, rub
Dish and carbon.
A little past noon as they rounded
projecting ledge they came in sight of
curious structure.
1t was built of wood and was in the
form of a large flat bottomed house boat.
In size it was $50 feet long, rs feet wide
and about As high. 1t was built more
for strength than beauty. 1t had two
rows of portfolios one above the other
and was evidently double-decker. 1t
was lying on an uneven keel and listed
of the old ships of the Dutch navy
named "Brindle Cow" that sailed back
wards as readily as forwards.
Surrounding this queer structure was
a vast throng of animals and birds of
great variety but only two of each kind.
They seemed thoroughly domesticated.
AS the two travellers approached the
ark, for such the strange building prov
ed to be, there arose sound of carousal
and thick voice was giving utterance
to ribald song:
"Noah bold (hic) he built an ark,
Noah bold he built an (hic) ark,
Noah (hic) bold he built an ark,
Made it out of (hic)ory bark"
On rounding the bow of the boat Van
discovered the musician. He was an
old man of six hundred years reclining
on the flat of his back and his head
resting on a stone, taking sun bath.
The forms of two younger men were
seen retreating. They had just covered
the bather with robes.
The old man was Noah, drunk-too
drunk to be interviewed. Gen. 9:21-24)
1t was disgusting sight and Van
soon had enough and intimated to Har-
monicus that they had better go back
to their camp on the Euphrates, as it
would be impossible to get any infor-
nation from Noah for some time.
AS they were leaving Noah took up
the refrain where he had left off, and
the last Van heard was from distance:
"Drove animals (hic) in two by, two,
Drove (hic) animals in two by two,
Drove animals in (hic) two by two,
The kitten and the konUaron ~