Rensselaer Union, Volume 11, Number 49, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 21 August 1879 — The West Unequaled in Story-Telling. [ARTICLE]

The West Unequaled in Story-Telling.

It is no use for an Eastern man to try to tell a big story when there is a Western man about, Causeur has tried it and got beaten, beaten clean out of sight. He thought he could spin a yarn that would test any pne’s credulity, but he always found that a Western man could go him one better. “ When I was a joung man,” said Col. 8., “we lived in Illinois. The farm had been well wooded, and the stumps were pretty thick. But we put the corn in among them, and managed to raise a lair crop. The next season I did my share of the plowing. We had a ‘ sulky’ plow, and I sat in the seat and managed the horses, fttnr as handsome bays as ever a man drew rein over. One day I found a stump right in my way. 1 hated to back out, so I just said a word to the team, and, if you’ll believe it, they just walked that plow right through that stump as though it had been cheese.” Not a sou l , expressed surprise. But Major S.,

who had been a quiet listener, remarked. auietly, “ It’s curious, but I had a similar experience myself once. My mother always made our clothes in those days, as well as the cloth they were made of. The old lady was awful proud of her homespun —said it was the strongest cloth in the State. One day I hadjust plowed through a whiteoak stump in the way you speak of, Colonel. But it was a little too quick for me. It came together before I was out of -the tvay, .and nipped my trousers. 1 felt.mean, I can tell you, but I put the string on the ponies, and, if you’ll believe' it* they just snaked that stump out* roots and all* Something Trimscript. _ _ The ideal pionio for a small boy is one with plenty of lemonade and sandwiches mid no lectures.