The Birmingham age-herald., 1908-12-26

Drawing the long bow is confined to no people or class The army is no exception, and the yarns of some of it's raconteurs lose nothing of their entertaining qualities because their authenticity might reason ably be doubted.
 Years ago there was one particular cav airy officer who was endowed with quail ties rivaling those of Munchausen. AL though he was not old, those who kept account of the time he had consumed in his various experiences could not escape the conviction that he had been actively engaged in mans pursuits for over a cen tury at least. His yarns were unique. For instance, at one time he was in Scan dinavia with his father, who according to the story, was head forester for the King. Part of his duties was to select and send to the royal shipyards especially fine ship timbers. One monarch or the forest had long challenged his admiration. But year after year he felt obliged regret fully to pass it by for lack of transporta- ton facilities. At last he could resist no longer The King must have this pride of the forest After carefully preparing a bed to prevent its breaking in the fall, the splendid tree was felled. As an agent of the monarch he requisitioned oxen to haul 1t. So heavy was the log that when the great number of oxen re- uuired to move 1t were yoked up they strung out for miles. The long and tedi- ous journey began, and in crossing some of the valleys it frequently occurred that the leading teams would be on one hill top and the log on another. while miles of oxen were suspended in midar, like great centipede with legs dangling hun dreds of feet above the ground beneath them.
 Again. he was in Cape Colony with his father who was this time an agent of the British government and in charge of the great government warehouses. Increasing essary. All building materials had to be essary. Al building materials had to be brought from England. It took year to get them. At last the long-delayed mate rial arrived and. following the custom of the time and place, all the men in the vi- cinity were invited to the raising when, To and behold! through some blum der one of the timbers had been cut IS inches too short. Unless remedied 1t meant a delay of another year. My father" said he, thought a moment and then ordered one end of the timber chained fast; to the other end he hitched a pair of strong young African oxen and began to pull and. by the Lord Harry! before he could stop them they stretched that timber p inches"
 Again, he was in Glasgow. this time on his own account and at the head of great shipyard. The place was infested with rats. So destructive were the TO- dents that they gnawed great holes in the hulls of new vessels and felled their masts. How to get rid of them was tho question. Many attempts had been made, followed by as many failures In the midst of the distress appeared a vaga- bond who claimed to have discovered means of banishing rats. But little atten- ton was paid to his claims. He was per sistent and confident. Finally he was per mitted to make a trial. All openings to the yard but one were tightly closed. The tramp entered and sprinkled throughout the premises a mysterious white powder, his secret, testeless and odorless. Then he emerged to await results. Long and impatienty he with the shipyard officials and the assembled and curious crowd waited and watched until ready to pro claim another failure. Wait a moment squeal, Another instant great rodent hoary with age came out No one mo- tested him. Off he moved followed by another and another-faster and faster For four days and nights necessarily the rats poured out andlnarched away in sin gle file Whither they went no one knew. At last the long procession ceased. A moment more. little scratching-then emerged two young rats with a straw Tn their mouths leading an old blind rat be- tween them. Never again was a rat seen in the yard. The tramp vanished, and with him the secret.
 But back to the tall timber; it seemed to inspire him:
 Standing in the midst of some n,agin- cent pines in the Wind river country re- minded him of being in southern Russia with his father, who had become a trust ed and highly esteemed forester in the employ of the Czar. There had just been felled a superb walnut From it log over hundred feet in length, without knot or twig had just been cut So per feet was the tree that the log was the same diameter at the top that it WIS at the bottom. But his father was deeply chagrned that in felling it a silver was sprung out at the base of the trunk. He thought to break it out. but so straight was the grain that the silver ran on and on clear to the top, and there 1t lay, per fectly square and exactly four inches on each side through it's entire length.
 He was a Nimrod, too. Shortly after joining the army he was hunting m In dian Territory; his army carbine was his weapon Wild turkeys were the game But none could he sight Discouraged and dsgusted, he mounted his hrose fired all his ammunition away to amuse him self. by shooting larks on the wing. as he rode along toward camp. Just as the sun was sinking rustling caused him to look back, and following, not 50 yards in rear, was huge gobbler followed by dozen or more hens-all apparently mock ing him in his helplessness. O for car tridgel A nasty search of belt and pock-