HYPERBOLE

"Speakin' of fertile soil," said the Kansan, when the others had had

their say, "I never saw a place where melons growed like they used to

out in my part of the country. The first season I planted 'em I thought

my fortune was sure made. However, I didn't harvest one."



He waited for queries, but his friends knew him, and he was forced to

continue unurged:



"The vines growed so fast that they w re out the melons draggin' 'em

'round. However, the second year my two little boys made up their minds

to get a taste of one anyhow, so they took turns, carryin' one along

with the vine and--"



But his companions had already started toward the barroom door.





News comes from Southern Kansas that a boy climbed a cornstalk to see

how the sky and clouds looked and now the stalk is growing faster than

the boy can climb down. The boy is clear out of sight. Three men have

taken the contract for cutting down the stalk with axes to save the boy

a horrible death by starving, but the stalk grows so rapidly that they

can't hit twice in the same place. The boy is living on green corn alone

and has already thrown down over four bushels of cobs. Even if the corn

holds out there is still danger that the boy will reach a height where

he will be frozen to death. There is some talk of attempting his rescue

with a balloon.--_Topeka Capital_.