The Washburn leader. [volume] (Washburn, McLean County, N.D.) 1890-1986, 1911-09-01

CIDER DAY
BY N. QUAD
BY M. QUAD
1911, by Associated Lit
erary Press.

pOE twenty years IuO VAAA"8S Va
Pineville had had n custom of Its own
On the 18th of every September, In
case the day did not fall on a Sunday.
a couple Of barrels of new cider were
placed on the public square and tap.
ped and everybody invited to drink
their fill. 1t vas a day Of rejoicing
and was known as cider day.
On n certain l4th of September q
stranger arrived in the village by
stage. It was not 81 uncommon fol-
strangers to arrive, but this was an
uncommon man. He had n clubfoot;
he had but one eye; he had a voice
like the below of a bull; he had but
one eyebrow. His personal appear.
ance was freely commented on. as is
the way of the villager. and there was
great curiosity to know who he was
and what had brought him there.
The stranger was llmp;ng around
town next day when the cider was
=. brought in and the rejoicings began.
but he paid no attention until after
soon. Then the men had begun to
worm up and grin and laugh and slap
GuCH OluCI Ou LuC OUSh. OS0SAS
were thrown under the strangers feet.
and when he voiced his ~displeasure he
was laughed and jeered at. Then he
got Il hand on his back and was chal-
lenged to a wrestling match and a
trial of cutting off hats. He was in
vited to drink prosperity to Pinevtlle
In a dlpper Of new cider, and when he
refused to Dc SO a quantity was poured
On his hat.
The stranger was n good swearer.
and he swore. He stood on the public
square and swore. and he sat on the
tavern veranda and swore, and he
locked himself in his room and swore.
All day the town made merry, as per
custom, and next day some of the lead
ing citizens called to make Gus
The stranger had hired a rig and de-
parted after an early breakfast.
Pineville wanted a railroad. 1t had
wanted INT for years and at times
had had strong hopes. The trouble
was in the hills half surrounding 1t.
There must he n costly tunnel. En-
gineers had come and estimated and
reported. and the cost had been con-
sidered too high. A new and greater
effort was now on foot. and three days
after cider day q large and enthusias-
tic mass meeting was held. At this
meeting a greater sum was pledged
than ever before. and a delegate was
sent to the headquarters Of the r. and
p. railroad to lay the matter before the
proper officials. The line to Pinevtlle.
II built, would be II branch. The dele
gate was politely received and listened
to and then told that a larger delegn-
ton had better come down. Indeed.
the names Of seven of his fellow
townsmen were given him, and they
would be received and the matter
gone into.
When the delegation reached the city
it was informed that If Pineville got
its branch it would be through a Ger
tain capitalist. who would give them
audience half an hour later. He did
80. They filed into his Office and up to
bis desk to find the man Of the club
foot. He had a smile on his face. but
they did not like the smile. He spoke
honeyed words. but at the same time
he had the door locked and three stout
men brought in.
"Glad to sec you. gentlemen-very
glad" he said to the delegation as a
whole. "You may perhaps remember
that I visited your pleasant little town
the other day. Very nice town: very
nice town. Very enterprising people.
Very charming custom you have up
there"
"sir." replied Deacon Harrison. who
had been appointed spokesman for the
delegation. "if perchance u people
made too merry
"Oh. no. no. no! love merry peo-
pie"
ut was our cider day. yon know"
Certainly. certainly-plenty Of CT
der and plenty Of merriment. SO
you came to see about a branch line
to your town? Well. after an exhi-
bition of a little custom Of my own
We will proceed to talk. There's the
pail and dipper. Help yourselves"
None of the seven eve knew what
the nature Of the contents Of the pail
were. Deacon Harrison drank first,
and be looked weary al he turned
away. The w%eariness went down
through the line.
Now for some merriment," said the
clubfooted man Do he nodded to his
three stout r~etainers.
The trio moved. They cuned OF
hats. They slapped the delegates ON
the back. They gave them the iron
elbow. They hustled them up and
down and across and laughed and
jeered. After ten minutes the boss
held up his hand and said:
"The gentlemen must be thirsty. Be.
fore there is further merriment give
them more drink"
When the said 'merriment' ceased
there was no man Of the seven who
could stand on his legs. They had
honr h,,uklnA lnv pAA~ A. kAn- cat