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Baron Munchausen In California

Baron Munchausen In California image
Parent Issue
Day
1
Month
December
Year
1871
Copyright
Public Domain
OCR Text

The following is a fair representation, eomewhat enlarged, of thu " big talk " about the agriculturalproductions of the Pacific coast whioh oiio hoars in tlioso parts : " Two weeks ago I started on a visit to the Yo Somite vullcy. I arrived at the wharf a moment too lato to get on board] and iiistead ot' waiting untü the next day I determinad to go to Stocktou on horsubaok. I acoordingly crossod the hay to Odkland, or, as it is better kuuwn, " Jjittlo Pedlington," procurod horse and rodo over to thu -Livonuoro valloy, wliere I st lycd all night witb a ranchor, who is kno wn in the valley as "Clampe." Thoy cali hiui thut bocause hegot rioh by holding on to his money with a dogree of fortitudo not univaraal in tlio countiy. As suppar tioia approached, " Clompa " askod me if I would like somo ogg, and how I preferred it, hard, solt, boiled, or fried. I told him it would suit mj bost to have thuui aofc. byilod. " lu a few moments therecanie "Clamps and his wifa rolling un egg the size.of a flour barrel, which they boiled in a short tilUC' in a larov r.nnldi-nn. Jin'l tlmn SAf. it up on eud by madam'g ohair at tbta tabla A holu was wade in the top of the shell, uuj the ogg was dipped out witli a longli iiuüüd ludlu. I was astoiiished at the sight of tho egg, and observad that his hens most bj en;)rmou3'y 1 irgj. ' By uo muans,' ho replied. ' You will not bj so mueb. surprisud whon I teil you that ono hen did not lay this egg alono ; it took soven or oight hens aliuo.it a week to lay it. It was a joint stouk production of tho chiokcns, but stiil it is better th;m the individual re3poiwibüity plun. " At breukfast tho next nioniiug we had more egg, and then I went on tho rond to StooktOB. I reached San Joaquín river in a uniquo-looking craft. - Whilo tho forryinan was tugging siluntly at his big oxr-, I inquired whuther his ferry was profitable. " D jesn't scaicely pay for raisin' tho boat,' he replied. " ' Rjising the boat ? ' I ropeated, ' what do yo mean by raising the boat ? ' " ' Mister,' said he, resting for a while on lus oars, 'you boa stranger in these parts, bean't you ? ' " I roplied thu,t I had not boon long in the country. " ' Then,' said he, pointing to tho shore, 'this ere boat gro wed in that pumpkin jateh over youder.' " ' Growed iu that pumpkin patch ! ' I xelaimed. " ' Growed in that pumpkin patch, on a )umpkin vino. Mistur, tuis is a pumpkin lell cut in two. That patch is whoro it jrowed.' " ' Where, over by that barn 't ' I inuired. " ' That ain't no barn.' ho answered, unless you chooso to cali it so. That's a mmpkin, too. Bat T made a hole in the ui on't and lot tho stock insids, and vhen tho vut gesson sits in, why you sec, I plug up the hole and let om winter in there. ïhoy co:ne out awful fat in tho spring. Tiiat green looking sijimsli over yondor I'iu hollerin' out to live in.' " Are these the growth of tho season? " I asked. " We don't havo nosuch iliffcrenco hero on tho San Joaquín as growin' soasons, and ih.-m üthers ; tilines koep on growin' 11 tïfi time till we mil 'cm or tln;y die." " As I was taking niy leave of the feryiii ui he gavu m e ;i pumpkin secd, with ie remark that T might astonish the 'olka in tho eaat with it, but before twenty fourhours elapsed I mine Beat having a calamity by reason of it myself. " It waa in this wiso : Aftor riding soveral boara in thr sm I was so overeóme by drowsiness asto findit itnpossible to keep in the s uldl", and dismounting, lay down on the groun.1, intending to take a short nap. I had the pumpkin seed in my vest pocket. During my slumbur.s, it feil u tin ; ground umi l rollcu on ït. AL y mat fatigue o insed ine to overaleep myelf, and I awoke in the moming by beig roughly hurried over the ground ii iy prostratc condi'ion, with what secmed ,o be a ropo aroond my body. I howled ustily tor halp, and my crits attractod .ho attentiun of two men who wc: e on ;hcii way to to tho horvest field. On bcing relieved froni my perilous poition the mystery boatno clar. Tlie varmth of my body oausod tho pumpkin iod to sprout imd begin growing, and ono of tho tondrils of tho ncvv vino had oilod itself around my body, drasiiig no along in " ts rupid growth :i dietanoe of more than half a mili; before I was iwakened. My dolivorors had a hard run :o keop puco with mo iu Üi ; olutcbos oï ;he pumpkin vine, and finally arrrestod uy progress by cutting it with thuir cytue bl.iilcs. I g;vvü them tho vine for their rewtt'rd, and wo connted on it no loss thiin thri'i! hundrod young pumjikins. Thoy ranged from the siz-j of a ílour barrul to a lien'a egg. " ïti'jrc is hut one more thing I will notice. Six yeara ago a gentleman rosidin; neat Stockton plantod a grape-vine iy bis house. In two years the building was ooiupletely enfolded io tli' branches ot t!ii vine, and tlie gentleman was surpriaed to see his dweUitig starting from its foundations. Th vino grew with wouderfnl vigor, and oarried tho house anhanaed up to the height of sixty feet in tho air, whore it remained. The geutleman now reaohes his front door by a winding gtaircase avound the trimk of the grapeviue, and anybody who will takc the trouule to go and see will tind it just as I have said."

Article

Subjects
Old News
Michigan Argus