Worcester Democrat and the ledger-enterprise. (Pocomoke City, Md.) 1921-1953, 1936-08-28
"Chirps'' ~
from the
Democrats Pen

Well, Sir, you know these guys who
make out the weather menu cards to
show what sort of provender the sum-
moon, anil stars will prepare each day
of the three hundred and sixty-five,
those fellows had lot of people up
in the air along about Saturday Of last
week. And you needn't say anything
about it, but I'm here to tell you
was one of that lot of people, and !
don't mean maybe.
You see, report came laundering
over the wires-there weren't any
clouds to carry the noise-that we
wicked people were in for another
lambasting like we had in August a.
bout three years ago; and some OF
those whose minds carry date as
easily as they do bit of gossip, re-
membered that last Sunday-the pre-
dicted day of tribulation-was the
correct anniversary Of the blast that
drove destruction at an 80-mile gale,
up and down this fair land Of the
Evergreens.
It didn't take long, for lots Of US
to recall just how Public Landing
looked-there wasn't even landing
left. Houses, wharves, piers, boats,
trees, and the sands Of the shore,
seemed to me were blown over into the
next state. When you went down to
look at the spot once named Public
Landing, you could see it was public
all right. but not much landing. 1t
was devastation heaped upon devas-
tation. It was one terrible manifesto
ton of what Dame Nature could do
when she lost her temper. 1t was an
exhibition of extreme contempt for
the work Of mere man. It crashed the
timbers of. buildings as if they were
pipe stems, and piled wreckage upon
wreckage as a woman would sweep
the lint of her house into little piles
for her dust pan.
Travel through the country revealed
tall trees broken off as if by some
giant looking for tooth-picks. Miles
and miles of wires and poles strewn
prone upon the highway. Bridges
washed away as easily as canoe
would glide over Niagara's cataract.
Concrete roads seemed to offer no
more resistance than tissue paper.
Rivers rose to unparalleled height AMI
bore on their swollen tides dwelling
houses, barns, chicken coops and other
constructions. 1t was hilarious spree
of wind, and rain, such as no one ever
wants to see again.
And, now, want to ask you, how
you felt when word came that another
of those play days for the elements
was coming, and such a play day as
would make August %, 1888 seem like
a funeral. Well, just felt like going
out into my backyard and digging me
a cyclone cellar, and taking all my
money and all my wife down there
with me. I'm not hesitating to say I
was scared, and those who said they
weren't-well, don't say they actual
ly and consciously told one of them
things, but they gave the goddess Of
Truth AMI Wisdom slap right on the
jaw.
How-some-ever, I want to tell all
you good people you owe me vote of
thanks for saving you from visit a.
bout as unwelcome as an earthquake
would be. I want you to know I'm re-
sponsible for shifting that tempest out
to sea where I hope it became food
for whales, sharks, sea-serpents, and
all the other monsters of the deep.
How did I do it? Why, I went as
soon as 1 heard the warnings, just as
fast as my old legs would carry me,
AMI took out something less than
100000 worth of insurance, which
was guaranteed to say to the angry
breezes, elbow your brains out, and
I'll pay the damaged" Just as soon
as those policies were written and the
agent told to charge the premiums up
for awhile, felt sort of better. 1 was
hoping that insurance would act
something like an umbrella and a cain
coat do. when you take 'em out to
protect ourself from a storm. The
storm stays put somewhere else. So
we amt seen anything of the cyclonic
tempestuous tornado, but I'm telling
you right now-it certainly is hot.