Daily Davenport gazette. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1854-1855, 1855-06-19
TIA ylieat Of John Whit.


(says the Stockton Argus) and advertise.
ment made last week, that Mr.. John White
would ay from The 81. Charles Hotel, on
Saturday last at four O'Clock 10 the after.
noon, at the firing Of the cannon. About
3 O'Clock P. NJ crowd commenced gath
ering on Eldorado street bridge, opposite
the ST, Charles, and at four o'clock an inn
msnse concourse OF people had assembled
composed of men, women and children
Expectation was on tiptoe, and eyes that
counted BY the thousand kept sharp look
out Tor the top of the Hotel. watching an
xiously lest they should miss seeing Mr.
John Whle's fight. About quarter past
3o'elock. a man made his appearance on the
roof of the building, when loud shouts were
sent up BY the crowd, which could be heard
in almost every rart of the city. Men who
heard the noise commenced running lest
they should be too late, and soon the streets
near tie st. Charles were blocked up with
tizens. The appearance of the ger tlenan
ON the tip of the house from which the
fight WIS to take place, was such as to excite
the attention of the lockers sn. He was
covered with sheet, which, as it was fill
ed with wind and waved to and fro, remind
I'd W of the aPpe. e of Ml.erit, dress
ed in his fscension robe, ready to 90 up at a
moments warning. He walked leisurely
backwards and forwards for several minutes
bowling occasions " 10 the multitude be-
meath him at different corners ofthe curcla.
At each bow loud shouts were sent up to
him which must have sounded way up there
like the dashing of heavy waves against
rocky coast. At every adjustment Of his
garment, the crowd would surge backw ards
and forwards, 80 anxious had they become
to get sight Of the man who was to fly
like the birds in the air.
Al last he wac seen to stoop down as il
to adjust his wings, and after remaining in
this position some two or three m nutes,
which appeared half an hour to the anxious
bystanders, he wasseen to rise; sgain cheers
were sen, up, exp .cting that ho would a.
cend the air with rapid fight. But few
moments ofsuspense cnsued, when he wa,
observed to make surging. swinging mo-
ton Of his body when the fight took place
Blu. oh, what fight. Mr.. John White
turned out to be no more or less than
white goose. which the man on the hotel
threw from the house;op, and which flew
with rather quick. frightened flaps Of tn.
wings, in the midst of the crowd. For
minute every one was silent; not a word,
not whisper could be heard from that vast
crowd. They were evidently taken BY
surprise. The man on the hose top disap.
peared through the scuttle, dragging his
shee,y envelope along with him, and the
goose which happened to be tame, safely
landed and slowly made its W ~ through the
legs ofthe witnesses of its fight, his ing,
evidently displeased with its own perform
anees. Suddenly the crowd burst forth
with loud peals Of laughter, and neighbor
turned to neighbor, shouting, with broken
utterance, aSod !. folt
A feeling Of not know-what.t to do stole
over them, and at this crisis some hombre
shouted, Let's put him in the sionghn'-
This was the signal for general move.
and man in the bar-room ofthe St Charles
hotel was immediately seized uron. and a.
mid the cries of "Duck him. was pushed
into the slough several times, until he was
relieved from bis Prosecutors by the Sher-
iii and some OF his friends. But this was
"se III upon "sell," for the unfortunate
individual DUE ked was not the man who dew
the goose. The man with the asce neion
robes had quietly disappeared and he wns
probably felicitating himself upon his es-
cape at the same time the crowd was duck
ing what he probably considered to be his
eahgy