Evening times-Republican. [volume] (Marshalltown, Iowa) 1890-1923, 1919-12-18
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m you are here today yOS may con-
ciuds that the predictlsa that the
world was to bc destroyed On Dsc. H.
1919, was grossly exaggerated. II the
thing broke as predicted. why there
YOU are and II doesn't mako much dif-
ference anyway.
Some folks are easy 70 convince that
the world is coming to an end. There
was job Clark. who used to trap
skunks for such living al that odor-
ferrous occupation provided In the
days when skunk skins were quoted
25975 cents. Once when such pre-
diction was spread abroad Job quit
trapping. He didn't want to waste
lot of time following a trap line when
he might just as well be playing euchre
and seven up in the blacksmith shop.
There wore others. OF course. who took
time by the forelock and quit ahead OF
all prediction and prophecy. Old Jim
Soandso always hated to get up his
winters wood. He was an adventist
and had It all figured out by the AN
cient of days" that things were going
to explode some time about election
time in November. or course he'd
made some mistake in his subtraction
for year after year passed without
general conflagration. And finally Jim
died without having seen the big fire.
1t must have been a great disappoint-
ment to him.
When the historical fire caused by
Mrs. OLeary's kicking COW laid Chi
cago in ashes 1t CHANGED that huge
forest fires ragged In the Wisconsin
woods. The smoke Of those two great
burnings drifted over the state Of II
Ilnois, visible to the eye and with the
characteristic scent OF burning. Some
folks assumed that the time had como
and that the last biz fire had started.
Some folks who had started picking
corn quit. What was the use OF pay
ing huskers a dollar day and board
if the stuff was to burn up along with
the rocks and the hills and all that.
And some of them held off and husked
corn in snow two feet deep.
But it was back in 18t3 that the big
show was pulled off by the barn burn-
ers Of the globe. A person by name
Of Miller had figured matters down
to the day and the hour and had been
ten years preaching and demonstrnt-
ing his theorem unit! he had about
$4,000 people as nutty as himself. AS
the fatal month and day approached
Millerites sold their property and made
all necessary preparations to be caught
up without smell of smoke upon the
ascension robes which they had pre-
pared for the event as a sort Of gradu-
ating gown. They gathered in groups
and waited confident that they were
to repeat the performance OF Elijah
and that the rest Of q bullnecked and
stubborn world would get theirs in
rolling pillows Of flame. It 10 possible
that sense Of qualification and ples-
sure came with the thought that the
chosen might shout back to . frying
population, 81 told you So" And when
the singing and screaming and 30
forth had been accomplished there was
nothing doing but to roll up the robes
and put on overalis and get back to
work again. The chances are that
they were mighty glad that nobody
scratched a match that day.
Then there was Old Uncle George
Blank. an old bachelor familiarly
known to the neiKhborhood as
Granny" who set the dny and hour
Of his departure hence and made com
plete preparations for the mighty
change. 1t was . neixhborhood event.
All watched the clocks that day won
dering whether Granny" might have
hit 1t and whether the angel with the
darkened wings would keep the date.
Unfortunately Granny" fell asleep
after the noon meal and didn't wake
up until chore time and the hour pass
ed while he snored on the cord lounge
In the sitting room by the chunk stove.