The Goodhue volunteer. [volume] (Red Wing, Goodhue County, Minn.) 1861-1864, 1862-05-21

1+OUO1\1 l.. MI1N1Nn w I'll
DEACON rHRoPE's PIGEONS.
Several years ago, when the crops !
in some Of the Western States were
about to be destroyed by the large
number of wild pigeons that came
about, Deacon Thrope and several of
his friends were sitting outside Of the
log Westinghouse one Sunday morn
ing, waiting for the minister to arrive
and, as a matter of course, talking
about the prospect of having s'nothing
to feed on'' throughssthe coming win
ter: dir :. .sa..,...
otis orf,l p said one of the COM
pany. II never see the pigeons so
thick afore. My Bill and Ben went
down to the roost last night, and killed
a bagful with clubs. I think they'll
take all my corn.'' ..
"Oh, yes it's orfal r replied the 9th
ers. -s,-. 49, gsa<ss. <ss.s-S..sst.,.. s..sz.-
"That's nothing to what me and my
Felix Joshua did, day before yester-
day. said the deacon. ''You know
my bottom field there? Well, they
came in it so thick you couldn't see
the ground. I went down to scare 'em
out, and peradventure they riz up like
4 cloud, you couldn't see the sky for
'em. hollere1 and slapped my hands
and tore around till I was plum wor-
ried out, but it did no good. They
Just swarmed around over my head ;
and as fast as I went to ore side Of the
field they began to pour down ON 10th
er. Felix Joshua had just got up to
the crib with load of corn, for he
was a gatherin' the ridge field, and l
went to where he was and told him to
90 to the house and get his shotgun
and my shotgun and we goes down.
He slipt along on one side of the field
and I slipt along on tether, till we got
about middle ways, and then / gin a
hollar, and up they flew like whirla,
gust. I blazed away in the thickest
of 'cm, and Felix Joshua blazed away
in the thiekest of 'em, and what do
you think? -? They We're all gone in. a
second. Then me and Felix Joshua,
we elem over the fence, and says he
to me, 'Father this beats all creation!'
Says I to him, Go fetch the steers and
wagon and upon my word and honor,
we picked up ten bushels !''
The good brothers stared wildly
around them, and would probably have
accused their deacon Of lying had they
not been interrupted by the arrival OF
the preacher, and the announcement
that *mectin was a-goin to begin"
After the services were over, little
! groups Of the faithful might have been
seen here and there, engaged in earn
est conversation. Their subject was
al exciting one, as you might have in.
ferred from the length Of their faces
and the earnestncss of their gestures
If you had listened to their conversa
ton, you mi ght have heard something
abou, as follows:
t'Did you hear what Brother Thrope
said bout him and his Felix Joshua
KILN ten bushels Of pigeons at one
! shot ?"
eyes, it's orful, aint it 20
s1t's lie as sure rs shootin.'
don't know what got into Brother
Thrope?" ?"
"What'll be done about it? 1t muslin
60 so-it'll ruin the name Of tn,
church."
= WED better fetch it up next mcctir
aud make him take it back, or churcl
him."
And so it would go on. OF course
the good deacon heard whispers Of i
which gave him no little uncasiness.-
However, he had been into scvcra
scrapes before, and had come out clea
and he doubted not he shonld NEE
, with the same good luck on this occa
sion. Until the meeting day arrived
the entire settlement was in an uproar
Nothing was talked Of but Deaco,
, Thrope's ten bushels of fpigeons. The
good brothers SAID it was too bad t
have the church disgraced by deaco,
,, who told such unreasonable tales, whil
the sisters wiped their spectacles, sigh
, ed, and said, "It is hard telling tn,
power which the evil one exerteth."
At last the exciting day arrived
, The preacher stated that the churcl
+ was ready for the transaction of busi
ness, whereupon brother Fingle aros
and said: 49,.
. "Brother Deacon Thrope says hin
and his Felix Joshua killed ten bush
els Of pi gcons at one shot. The churcl
don't believe it, and would love to hea
what the brother has to say for him
=, self"
. With much solemnity the deaco,
!, arose and after casting serious lool
over the. congregation, and elevatin,
q his eyes to the rafters few times spok
:. as follows: ..>.-''s.. ~ -.
Brethren, there is sad mistak
out didn't say We killed ten bush
els at one shot, but .s ~ss =
"Whst did you say % Interrupte
one of the brothers, who was preser
when the deacon first told about ri
is pigeons. '"'Didn't you say you IN
n your Felix Joshua both blazed away
+ Eyes" x
Is aDidn't you say YOU both elem Owe