The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1907-01-03


FOUGHT AND KILLED EACH OTHER
Liars club. Strangers passing through
and intending to simply stay overnight
at the tavern would hear of the club
and stop for two or three days. The
three ministers of the town had set
out time after time to break up the
club. Deacon Spooner was chairman
and Il member of the church, but when
they argued and appealed and threat
cn@d to discipline he merely replied:
I'VE are a club of liars. but we don't
lie to hurt any one. They are just
slick, pleasant lies, told to pass the
~s5me away and to help along the bust
%Ss of the town. Take away our liars
>-,'hd we would degenerate into one
horse burg in two weeks"
The Liars club had passed its fifth
year and was gaining on it all the
time when there arrived in Jericho one
day little old man who gave his
name us Abiiah Goodhcart. lie came
10 look for II relative. but the person
had moved away Mr.. Goolheorr
wouldn't have stayed beyond two DAYS
II he hadn't happened to hear Of the
club. His old wrinkled face Ii-itcI
UP with caGerness, he rubbed his hln4<
with @lee, AID he wanted IN intro luc
ton to Deacon SpOouer at once Whom
the deacon was brought around tho
two fell in with each other. and that
night Mr.. Goodhcart occupied the post
of honor on the corner of the countc.
Nine of the best liars of the club were
selected to give him specimens. and a
lie heard them EEL off their yarns his
face was wreathed in smiles, and h"
said he hadn't enjoyed an evening So
well in twenty years. When the nine
liars had finished the stranger was
asked to tell whopper He was
promptly willing.
There are plenty of people yet living
in Jericho who remember ever; Incl
dent of that story The old man wa.
prospecting in Colorado for gold anG
remained in the mountains too long
Winter found him there, and he built
a shanty and had been living on thl
carcass of deer he had killed when
there came Il SnOwslidc. He was car
ried Il full mile and buried under thirty
feet of snow. Some logs lyin" on to,
of powders made an arch and thu.
saved him. His gun was gone, 30 haG
neither blankets nor provisions, and he
realized that it was impossible for him
10 dig his way out After three day.
OF hunger he turned to his boots. They
lasted him eight days. He managed {,
eat them down to the last inch. but
gave it as his opinion that they didn't
begin with cold chicken as Il steady
diet After three days more of gnaw
ing hunger he laid him down to die
bat Providence was looking out for
him. \ grizzly bear was tunneling in
from the west to get him, and mt the
same time another was tunnelng in
from the east. They met right at his
camp and fought and killed each Other
and supplied him with food for tive
months. At the end of that time, dur
ing thunderstorm. a bot of lightning
struck the snow and bored hole down
Al him and let him escape. In escaping
NSe found a nugget of gold weighing
a hundred pounds and had been living
on the sale of it ever since.
OF course there were Il hundred lit
tie incidents connected with the story
that | have not related. Taken alto
getllcr, it was thrillingly interesting
and Mr.. Goodhcart was given vote
Of thanks and the freedom of the town
He was asked 10 repeat the story night
after night Word seemed to 90 al
over tie country about it. and within
week there began to he inquire ~
vacant houses and real estate W."
two Pvsks there had been five .a'