The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1906-10-14
LIFE AND DEATH OF A TOAD
Lived IOO Years After His Resurrection
Crushed BY an OK.

Wy IS VA
LINCOLN PARK, N. j., Oct. 13.-Methuselah
is dead and Jethro Harrison is inconsol-
able. Jethro's brindle of OK Bill was the
cause OF Methuselah's death. Yesterday
Bill was browsing peaceably near the back
door and Methuselah was sitting under a
horseradish leaf catching flies when fifteen
year-old jackson Phillips passed Town the
road with a new air rife. Seeing BIZ he
Of course had to try a shot; the OK got il
on the tender part OF his ear and jumped,
not knowing what struck him. When he
came down, as luck would have il, he landed
right on the horseradish leaf under which
Methuselah was sitting. or course the toad
was killed. He had to be.
Jethro said he wouldn't have taken sion
for the toad, and there is no one around
here that thinks he would. Jeth and his
family are the only ones ever heard of around
here that took a likingto a toad, but in their
case there was an excuse for it IL ever there
was one.
Jethro's grandfather built the old stone
house on the east side Of the mountain. on
what il known as the Underclitf road. where
Jeth now lives. a little more than a century
ago. He dug the cellar and laid up most
Of the walls himself. and II was while he
was digging the cellar that Methuselah
was found. OF course Jeth wasn't born
then, but he has heard his grandfather tell
many times (and so have many others Of
the old people living in Lincoln Park how
he found at the cellar bottom inside a hard
lump OF clay the biggest. fatteet kind Of a
toad that winked and blinked for a time
when the sunlight wa let into his prison,
but which in another moment hoped
away. It was noticed that over the toads
right eye was a huge blood red wart that
made him easily recognized.
How the toad came to be where he was
found buried under six feet of solid earth no
one ever tried TO explain, but there he must
have been for more years than could he told.
When some one suggested the name OF
Methuselah for him the name struck
When the house was finally finished =
huge fiat stone was placed at the back
door. It wasn't a dressed stone. being
naturally fiat or one side only, and when Il
was laid there were several hooks and
crannies beneath IL, and in one Of these il
was found that Methuselah had made his
home.
. just as long ago as Jethro can remember.
and that must be all Of sixty years. for
he WINS up to being 90, that stone
had been Methuselah's favorite evening
resting place in the summer time, The
family always took care in going out or
in not to step or him or disturb him in any
wav. They found Methuselah a never end
ing source Of amusement. Inc many hours
were spent watching him catch the hies'
bugs and mosquitoes that tried to enter
through the screen door.
Placing himself just on the edge Of the
low sill. Methuselah would sit as quiet as
a knot on a log until a bug darted by. Then
quicker than the eye could follow, his long
tongue would shoot out and that would
be the end Of the insect. Jethro used 20
feed him sometimes. He would catch a
lot OF flies and then hunt up the toad. which
in the day time usually sought the shade
Of the garden truck. Having found HIM
no would sit down and hold out the fies,
n at a time, and Methuselah would take
them from his fingers. yethro used 70 say
the toad would come when he called. but
no one else ever saw him 10 that.
JethrO was working in his garden close
had not noticed the OF until il jumped on
being hit with q bullet from JaCk-ou'
air rife. When he went 20 drive the OK
out OF the yard he saw the poor toad. or
az least what was left Of him. Jeth san
afterward that tho sight brought h.s heart
in his throat and the tears TO his eyes. There
was not another thing on the place that DO
would not M rave seen DESTROYER
or killed b Methuselah. He gathered
up what he could Of the toad's rema,ns an
buried them beneath the back door step
that was for 30 long Methuselah's favc1'o
resting place.
Jethro says he will have carved on DO
nat surface Of the stone under which ''
favorIte IN buried the following inscrD Dt'on:
.sss..r.t..