Year: 1875

Rijah, n Reporter. and an Old Han


Each Tell q story.


AS the reporters sat around the
stove waiting, Bijah spoke up and
said.


There's half an hour to spare,
and I move that we all tell a story"


It was agreed, and biting off
another piece of liquorice, he
began:


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


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


''Well, some did, but we saved a
good many horses and cattle. 1t
was a 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 frostbitten 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, 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 sttentively to
the story, and after taking q long
breath he commenced:


''Gentlemen, you may observe
that l am an old man. My locks
are as white as the driven snow,
my limbs are weak, and it is evident
to any of you that I have not long
to stay in this world I speak of
this because it doser't seem likely
that l, SO near the grave. would tell
a lie for the sake of telling a story.
No, no; I shall speak nothing but
the solemn truth. I was going to
speak about snow. The winter I
lived in California was a poor
winter for snow. There was great
complaint that the crops would be
frozen out. and many farmers we're
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 ladder leading down.
Filled with curiosity, I descended.
l went down 267 feet by the tape
line, and then struck the tops of
trees One hundred and fifty feet
further down 1 came upon a village.
Sleighs.were dashing about, busi
ness going on, and everybody was
looking for thaw.'


His honor came in while the circle
were pondering over the story, and
the warrant being ready 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 hoof
it. down here on a cold morning
and open court on one prisoner"
demanded his honor.


Il am sorry, sir, and as soon as
1 can strike a job Ill pay all the
Costs replied the prisoner.


'sWell, if you want to go up I
suppose I'll have to send you, bat
you can't expect to have the cush-
ions put into the Black Maria.
Well, here you go, and here I go.
The boys will load you up


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


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


'Do IT, replied the man, s'why I
didn't strike the deepest spot; I
landed on hill! 1 suppose the
snow was one hundred feet deeper
in some of the Valleys


"Are you thinking of coming to
Detroit to live?' asked Bijah


"No."


Il am glad of that. This town
is only big enough to support one
great liar, and if you thought of
coming here Id nave to novel
Detroit Eroo Proeo