The evening times. [volume] (Grand Forks, N.D.) 1906-1914, 1906-10-05
) o . . o 8 % g. :. 9. 9 g :. . . :, 9 (
) TALK ABOUT HOT DAYS.
Captain Ephraim Duncan FIX.
perienced One That Was
= Marvellous.
= . :, ) > . .. :. : . : (. > . . .


% Marvellous. ("
Philadelphia North American:
whats that. boys. call this a hot
day." said Capt Ephraim Duncan,
as he hobbled into the small country
store, where the villagers had collect
ed on the benches and nail kegs to
discuss the news OF the day, while
outside it was beginning to get hot.
and was considered the warmest day
of the year by all present.
We'll boys" continued Duncan.
this amt in it with the weather We
had when l was young Teller. way
back in the summer OF 40, ii re-
member the date correctly. and I'm
always about right on these points.
and guess that was the worst spell
of hot weather We ever had in this
section.
81 was living right here in this set
element at that time. and had just
cast my first vote, and we'll do l re-
member it,
The loafers who knew Capt. Dun
cans reputation for story telling and
his many experiences before they had
been born, realized that it was useless
to try and contradict him. especially
so far back as '42, SO held their
peace and waited for the aged villager
to begin. Capt. Duncan had followed
the fishing business for many years.
uitil he was compelled to retire with
an attack of rheumatism, but was one
of the steady loafers about the store
stove while the mail was being opened
by the proprietor, and, after carefully
loading up his corncob pipe and blow
ing few whiffs of smoke about the
group, he started in:
1T was along in the month of Au-
gust of AZ that We had it so hot that
it wasn't safe to go out of your house
for fear of being sunstruck or burned
up by the heat, and when l tell yer
it was hotter than hades' l amt
stretching it bit. sir; not bit
Il was around early that morning
getting my fishing gear in condition
for trip along the stream for few
fish for dinner, and began to notice
that it was going to be somewhat hot !,
but didn't seem to mind it any be-
fore l got away from the yard, and
when | started for my boat to make
trip up Eel stream, where there was
always plenty Of fish to he caught,
she began to warm up bit, and be-
gan to feel kinder uncomfortable be-
fore l got on the craft, SO l pulled
off my coat and started for row sew
eral miles away.
My! boys, she was hot one that
day, and the further got away the
warmer she got; but was out for
fish. and kept at it until reached
the place along about 10 o'clock in
the morning, and then cast off my
lines.
Fish were jumping all about the
boat, and l had no trouble to catch
Ebem; after while had about all
wanted, so concluded it was time to
make for home, for my arms were all
sunburnt, and the skin was beginning
to peel off in layers and change color.
and every minute it was getting hot
ter and hotter in the boat.
II worked away on the oars for
few minutes, but it was no use, for l
couldn't stand the strain, and when /
passed near the shores in my boat l
saw the bark on the trees dropping off
ri layers, and some OF the trees were
getting cracked open by the heat as l
looked further.
II kept right on rowing, for want
ed to get back home soon and cool off
little; but it was the warmest work
1 ever had in my life. And then 1
began to notice that most of the paint
was beginning to peel off the sides of
my boat, and that she was leaking
badly through the cracks.
Il put my hands into the water,
thinking it would cool them off some,
as intended to put some OF the liquid
on my face; and, would you believe
me, boys, 1t was boiling hot, jest like
lead, and it blistered my flesh jest as
If it came off red-hot stove.
The water that had leaked into the
boat was now deep enough to wet my
feet, and, before l got them out of
the way, the water was through onto
my feet, and it was SO hot that l had
to keep 'em out of it or be scalded.
So | was In mess, as the boat kent
on leaking, and ME several miles from
home
II also noticed that the stream was
beginning to get smaller, and the
banks were showing in many places,
as the water was evapOrating fast in
the stream, and l could see the stream
rising from it all along the creek, it
was so hot that day
1.-THE steam lowered over my head
and boat like SO much hot fog, and
made it kinder difficult to see where
I was going. as l had no compass:
and it was SO awfully hot to breathe
that stuff all the time.
81 kept at the oars; but how the
Derspiratfon came off me that day
was caution! Many kinds OF fish
that I had never seen before, as well
as the common kind. kept coming Il
the surface of the stream with bellies
turned up, and l knew that they were
dead-being actually boiled alive IL
the hot water of that stream.
81 saw big school OF fish maxim:
for the narrow part of the creek, il
the direction that was going, and
followed 'em as they made rush b!
me to get on the shore and out of tn
hot water.
1.-THE bank of the creek was now ex