The Prince George's enquirer and southern Maryland advertiser. (Upper Marlborough, Md.) 1882-1925, 1908-10-23
THE FIRST FOG HORN.

Johnny, who always liked to have
a reason for everything, said: Moth
er, dear, how'd they ever decide to
have a foghorn in the lighthouse?
Make me a nice story, won't you?"
Mother Dear" thought moment,
and then as the sand man" was
getting very busy with his bag, she
gathered Johnny up, $50 comfy" and
began: "Well, it was this way,
guess:
Make it a once-upon-a-time story,
mother, dear" murmured Johnny.
smuggling closer.
"Well, once upon time, far, far
away, there was a little island in the
sea, on which many vessels were
wrecked during the dense fogs that
rose so often. The people on the
island always felt sorry when there
was loss of life, but could do moth
ing to keep the wrecks from happen
ing. This sort of thing might have
gone on for years and years except
for a strange occurrence. 1t hap
pened one day that all the islanders
noon were caught in a tremendous
storm, which blew them far out OF
their course. Then, to make matters
worse, a great fog came up. Now,
these people knew If they ran into
the island they would be dashed to
pieces on the rocks, yet they could
do nothing on account of the fog, and
trusted to luck that they could steer
clear of it.
They were sailing along in fear.
when suddenly in the darkness they
heard the loud believing of cow,
which kept up incessantly. How glad
the men were to hear that noise, for
they realized that they were right
near the island, and also that the COW
must be in trouble to make such a
great noise So they set the ship In
the opposite direction, keeping far
from the island all night. At dawn,
when the fog cleared, they went back,
and upon arriving home discovered
that the cow had walked into the
house and was wedged in between
the walls of an entry, where she had
beloved all through the night.
"Of course, the men and women
were so glad that their lives had
been saved that they made garlands
of flowers for round the cows neck,
and gave her a beautiful breakfast.
And then the greatest surprise of all
was that when the men went to the
other end of the island they saw a
large trading vessel anchored there.
AS they looked they saw the captain
motioning to them to come out to
the vessel, which they did. When
they reached the deck the captain
had a table spread with all the good
things imaginable on it, and told the
islanders to eat their fill, as he want
ed to show his gratitude for their
having saved his vessel and life. The
captain explained that save for the
loud horn or whatever they had used
to make the noise during the fog he
would have been wrecked on the isl
and that night.
"Then the men told the captain of
the cows discomfort and how it was
she who had saved everyone.
When the captain heard this he
thought a while, and then told the
men it would be an excellent idea if
they would always make the COW bel
low during the fogs-and if they did
he would see that they prCfted by it.
so the fishermen, who had an eye
for business. decided that it would be
a good thing. and after that, at the
first sign of fog, or very bad night,
a cow would be put into the narrow
hallway and her tail pulled during
the whole night, SO that she beloved
terrifically, and many lives and much
money was saved thereby.
That was the beginning. dearie,
years and years ago of the fog horn,
which afterward, when the people
grew enlightened, was displaced, in a
really, truly lighthouse, by gigantic
horn, which sounds very much like a
COW believing, and also saved the dis
positions of the cows, don't you think
SO, Johnny, boy?"
But Johnny boy had drifted far
away on a slumber boat, where there
were no islands to run into and no
COWS to belloW-C. Maud Weatherly,
Dooor5 Iupior