Wisconsin herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1846-1849, 1848-04-15
MISCELLANEOUS.
An April Fool Joke.

BANvARD tells the following good joke of
foolng a Mississippi steamboat: lie was
laying-to, wind bound, with small trading
boat, at the head of the 'chute' of Prophets
Island, and it being the first of April, his
! hands were determined to have lark of
some kind. During the day, they had OBJ
served a sdlryer close in shore; about half
mile ahove where the 'fat' lay. This
Su,cyer mad been constantly bobbing Its head
up and down, all day long; from this, taxi
ing the hint. they procured some of their
old clothes, and stuffed them with the Spau-
ish moss, which they drew from neigh
boring tree; then making paper face, and
surmounting the whole with a palmetto
hat, they made quite respectable looking
backwo0dsman. After shutdown, near dark
they took this imitation Of humanity up the
river to where this industrious sawyer was
working. CAS- PROBABLY many Of orr rea-
ders do not exactly understand what Mis-
sisSippi sawyer is, we viii say for their in
formation, that IL is merely loose saag,
which is kept il motion, swinging up and
down, by the force of the current, MT un-
like person sawing) When opposite the
sawyer, they drove two upright stakes into
the earth, and drew the pantaloonS of the
figure over them, SO as to make II stand
perpendicular; then tying an unlighted torch
in IFS hand, and placing couple of empty
boxes and a key near, 10 give The appear
ance Of 'plunder,' they had quite a re4pecta-
bic passenger. All things prepared, they
sat down to wait for steamer. II was not
long before they heard one sScraping' round
the point, and coming into the 'chute.'-
They then hastily kindled fire near by, lit
the torch IN the figure. hlnl, conveyed
small cord from the hand that held it, over
light limb, ont n the snlg or sawyer, and
made ii fast. The motion Of the snlg kept
the torch in the fgure's hand waving up
and down, exactly Ike person haling
steamer. The waegish boatmen then jump
cd into the skiif, aud pulled off into the
shade of an adjacent cove, to watch the re-
suit.
Soon the steamer came in Sight. The
captain, seeing the light, supposed of course
I it was hail, Gas the projectors intended
he should ut once commenced ringing his
bell to answer, and gave orders to Gay over
towards where Mr.. Stuffy, as the boatmen
I had named him, was busy shaking his torch.
Stop herb shouted the captain. Ding-a-
ling, went the bell, and the engines ceased
their motion. Open the fire-doorsl shout
ed the engineer, and away streaked the
light from the fiery furnaces, lighting up
the surrounding gloom, and hiss went the
escape steam, reverberating through the ey-
erlasting cottonwood forests; and there was
as much hustle and noise on board of the
Clipper" for that proved to be her name,
as if she was going to take on twenty cabin
passengers. Stand by the yawl, there 2
the captain ordered Soon the yawl was
off, with two deck hands pulling, and, the
mate: as is usual, standing up in the stern.
steering, making for MIR. Stufy. Stop
shaking your light-don't YOU think we see
you:' shouted the mate. from the yawl.-
Get your splunder' down under the hank
there. If Won want to come aboard sung
out the captain, from the deck of the steam
er, 'or we will put off again, and leave
you'
But Stuffy heard not There he stood
waving up and down the fire-hrand he held
/ in his hand The fellows cross said the
captain He's fool muttered the mate,
Z with an oath, between his teeth. NO he
amt said one of the hands; 'but he is drunk
see. he has tunlbled down the bank there
Just at this moment the yawl was run IN
near the shore, and, passing between the
snag under the line attached 70 the figure,
the line caught under the mates chin,
throwing him back in the boat, at the same
time jerking Mr.. Stufy over the bank, and
I he rolled into the river. s.dan overtoardP
was then the cry, and the passengers rushed
from the cabin TO the deck to behold the
sad catastrophe. 'Catch aim, quick shou-
ted several voices az once, 'or he WI
drovnr 4 few hurried strokes brought
the vawl to the drowning man. he mate
seized him. drew him aboard the fawl, aus
then pulled for the steamer. When raising
The drorniag man on board, he sPtltin tt7o,