Year: 1875




Zach Tell n story.


As the reporters sat around the
stove waiting, Bijah spoke up and
said:


There's half an hour to spare,
and l move that we all tell a story"
1t was agreed, and biting off
another piece of liquorice, he
began;


Talk about cold weather, You
ought to pass one winter in ARR
zona In the winter of 1870, which
the natives called an open winter,
the weather was so cold that coffee
froze CD the stove while we We're
getting breakfast. We had to
take maui and wedge to split
butter open and potatoes put into
red hot oven to bake would freeze
in less than five minutes"


Didn't all the live stock in the
country freez to death!' inquired one
of the sircle.


.Well, some did, but we saved a
good many horses and cattle 1t
was great deal of trouble We
had to pack each animal in box,
cover him with cotton batting and
fur, and then build fires all around
the boxes. Even then some of the
| horses were SO lrostbitten that
their hoofs dropped off, and the
poor animals had to be taken up on
sheets and taken down into the
valleys when spring came. Some
of you may think I'm lying. but
the man who says SO wants to
| come down behind the tannery and
| say it-yes he does. I've lived in
this world too long to have any
young man cast slurs on my state.
ments


There was an old man there
from ST Clair. q stranger in the
city, who had heard of the doings
in the Central Station Court. and
had come in to see for himself.
He had listened very attentively to
the story, and after taking long
| breath he commenced:


''Gentlemen, you may observe
that / am an old man. Ny locks
are as white as the driven snow,
my limbs are weak, and it is evident
to any of you that have not long
to stay in this world. I speak OF
this because it dosen't seem likely
that /. SO near the grave, would tell
a lie for the sake of telling story.
No, no; l shall speak nothing but
the solemn truth l was going to
speak about snow. The winter /
lived in California was poor
winter for snow There was great
complaint that the crops would be
frozen out. and many farmers were
downhearted. I was over in Los
Angeles county one day, hunting,
and while going across a plain |
came upon circular hole in the
snow with a ladder leading down.
Filled with curiosity, l descended.
/ went down 267 feet by the tape
line, and then struck the tops OF
trees One hundred and fifty feet
further down / came upon village.
Sleighs were dashing about, busi
ness going on, and everybody was
looking for thaw''


His honor came in while the circle
were bordering over the story, and
the warrant being ready a poor,
lone chap was brought out. He
was the sole prisoner, and he had
called and asked to be sent up.


Sir, do you suppose | can hoo1
it down here on a cold morning
and open court on one prisoner
demanded his honor.


Il am sorry, sir, and as soon as
can. strike job I'll pay all the
costs, replied the prisoner.


We'll, if you want to go up
suppose Ill have to send you, but
you can't expect to have the cush-
ions put into the Black Maria
Well, here you go, and here / GO
The boys viii load you up


After the Maria had gone Bijal
went softly to the old man and
whispered:


Now, do you really mean to say
that the snow was as deep as that.


''Do l. replied the man, why /
didn't strike tie deepest spot; ]
landed on a hill, l suppose the
snow was one hundred feet deepe,
In some os the valleys


'.Are you thinking Of coming tc
Detroit to live9" asked Bijah.


mo"


Il am glad of that This towr
is only big enough to support one
great liar, and if you thought o.
coming here Id have to mover
Detroit Free Press.