Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1908-08-22
WOOD CHoPPING WAGER
Maxwell EVarts and U. S. Treasurer
Treat Bet on Amsden Man.

MaHW6Ii EVaFtS ana u. y. FeaSurer
Treat Bet on Amsden Man.
Wood, cord wood, is going to be
worth something in these parts about
the Goth of next month or else Ed
Moote is mistaken in his ideas of
wood-chopping, says an Amsden COR
respondent. Moote-Ed they call
him mostly-is the champion wood
chopper of Vermont; indeed, they
think in Washington, D. O., that he
is the champion wood chopper of the
whole universe. This idea of Eds
ability found birth at a dinner re-
Gently given at-the New Willard
Hotel, where Maxwell Evarts. attor-
ney for the Southern Pacific and
son of the late Senator Evarts of
Vermont, was host, and Is or 20 of
the best-known men in Washington
were the guests.
Evarts is largely interested in
several industries in Amsden and
among them are several timber tracts
the clearing Of which is under the
supervision of Luther G. White, the
manager of the Amsden Lime com
pany, another Evarts industry. In
one of the reports from White to
Evarts the former had told the at
torney of the Underwriting capacity
of Ed Moote and had rated Eds cap
aclty at about 81 cords a week, cut
split and piled. That looked like a
pretty good record to Evarts, and
always proud of his native state and
the prowess Of its people, he told the
story to several of his friends.
One of these friends was present
at the New Willard dinner and after
the seventeenth round of the hubby
stuff he proposed to Eyarts that he
explain to the guests just how this
man Moote could average more than
five cords of wood a day, cut, split
and piled Mr. Evarts' explanation
wasn't very satisfactory, and he was
Immediately bombarded by offers of
wagers that neither Moote nor any
other man could perform the feat
described. When Charles Fl. Treat,
treasurer of the United States, ta1nt-
ed him with a wager he accepted;
other bets followed and pretty soon
Evarts had wagered some $4,000 on
Moote's wood-chopping ability. And
then he wondered if White might.
not be mistaken in his estimate of
Moote's capacity, So he wired White
as follows!
il. q. White, Amsden, VT:
Rush wire me at once, care New Willard.
how much wood Ed MQote can chop in one
day, that one day to be Sept. rs of this
year. Don't guess ON this, AS am making
book ON it. NJ.
Whites answer to the message
was prompt and specific He said;
Maxwell Eyarts, New Willard, Washington,
n. @.
Sure, Moote can chop six cords In a day
loaf part of the afternoon. Bet all you
can and save half of the total wagers for
me. j., @. W,
When Evarts got the message he
was all the more anxious to bet, and
the total of his wageTs is sufficient
to pay the bills for the two special
cars from Washington, which start
in time to land in Amsden on the
Goth Of next month, and which will
bring the most distinguished party
that has ever come to this part of
the state. Downer's, that's tho vii
lage hotel, has been hired in its
entirety for the OCCASION, and the
CHICKEN dinners and dried beef
breakfasts which win be served that
week will add further to q reputation
which has already spilled over into
New Hampshire and Massachusetts.
Moote, upon whose ak and musole
Evarts is banking, saYsi "Win2 of
course Nj. Ayarts will win. My
plan now is to chop about two cords
and q half before dinner, have a good
meal and then in the Afternoon III.
show them a little wood chopping.
About six cords will be the days
total"
Moote is to receive 500 from
Evarts if he chops the FIVE cords,
and that will make that particular
wood worth about $50 cord.