The Washington herald., 1910-01-23
MOST FR0ZE!!
Bill Hepburn Has a Cold 6 CIammy e.
peTieHts Returning From the Co. Seat
& Bill Says He Wouldn't Be Able to
Tell the Tale if II Wasn't for Licksr
Which He Considers Is the Best
Friend He's Got

Bill Hepburn. our artistick blacksmith,
had turrible experience on last Satur-
day and Sunday, including a miraculous
eXcape from a cold and olammy death,
the memory Of which YOU would think
would linger in Bills recollecshion the
longest day he lives and would scare
him so that he wouldn't never take
another drop of Ticker as long as he
lives. but on the contrary what Bill went
through don't seem TO make no impress
shion on him whatever To the horror
and consternashion Of everybody in
town. Bill saws that sinst this expert
ence he considers that Ticker IS still the
best friend he has got in the world.
Last Saturday was cold and raw and
the sky was overcast, betokening moro
snow added to the three foot or more
of snow which was already on the
ground In spite Of this. however, Bill
made his regular weekly trip to the Co.
seat He left early Saturday morning,
| driving his old gray mare in pung.
When Bill left town he was perfectly
sober, but a empty jug was saw to be
rolling around under the seat OF the
punq.
| When Bill reached the Co. seat, the
first thing he done was 10 have the Jug
I filed with one gal Of rye Ticker which
he slowed away in the pung, to bring
/ back to Bingville for home consump-
shion. Follering this Bill tarried in the
various bar rooms Of the Co. seat and
fingered over the flowing bowl, so that
when he started on his return trip to
Bingville it was past 4 p m. and already
getting dark, with Bill 4 long 10 mile
to drive -.
Before Bill got fairly started on his
way home, It begin to snow and grow
colder-in fackt II might almost have
been called a blizzard. The old gray
slowed down to a walk and kept poking
along the road, which was 50 dark that
+ Bill couldn't of saw his hand before him,
even if he had of been sober, which he
was not. Bill saws that the cold was al
most unbearable and that the only way
he could keep from freezin TO death was
to communicate freely and frequently
with the Jug. After Bill had filled his
system with about half OF what the jug
contained. he reached that stage where
he didn't know whether he was going
or coming-he didn't know what his
destinashion was and he didn't seem to
care much. Bill finally slid often the seat
down among the fur robes and dropped
off to sleep. The noble mare with no
hand TO guide her finally stopped stock
still in her tracks and there she re-
NAMED standing patiently, while the
winds bowed and the snow descended
the whole night through.
About daylight Sunday morning the
weather cleared up and the sun shined
out bright. Deacon Andrews thought
that instead of going to church as ushual
he would hitch his old sorrel to his pung
and drive over to see his brother Morti-
mer who lives on the road about halt
way to the Co. seat, being as Mortimer
owes the Deacon some money which the
| Deacon has been trying to collect now
for several years and never expects to
get.
| Well, when the Deacon reached the
bottom of the east side of Teck's Hill
who should he come across except Bill
Hepburn's hitch standing there in the
middle of the road Bills horse was
covered with snow and was standing
patiently still. As for Bill, he was still
asleep in the pung, but the Deacon thort
at first that Bill was dead, until he