Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1871-06-22
What Jimmy Got from the Top Of q
Tree.

What Jimmy Got from the Top Of a
Tree.
IT was at a watering place-a country
hotel, where there was spring of horri-
BILE water, which tasted like-well, | can't
think Of anything disagreeable enough to
compare it to-where all this happened
1t was at the end Of the season, and the
fall winds We're beginning to blow, and
most of the ladies and gentlemen, who
had been spending the summer enjoying
the pure air and making believe to enjoy
the horrible water, were expecting to de-
part in day or two. On the particular
afternoon of which am writing, large
portion of the company were out on a
lawn, and several of them had croquet
mallets in their hands. But they were
not playing. They were all gathered
around a tall pine tree, which stood in
one corner of the lawn. This tree had a
very long, slender trunk, with few
branches, almost at the very top. And on
one of these branches there hung a lady's
hat-a pretty little hat, trimmed with
flowers and lace, with a blue VEIL which
was now wrapped around and around the
branch. This hat had just been whirled
from the head Of the young lady who
owned it, by sudden gust of wind. This
lady was very much annoyed by the acct
dent
home to. morrow" and that is the only hat
/ have to travel in. And l can't wait
here until can send to the city for an
other"
Some one suggested bonnet to go
home in,
"No," said she. at don't want to travd
in bonnet, or straw flat, either. Can't
somebody get my hat downs"
"Look here, boys" cried one of the gen.
tlemen, to some of the walters who were
Just coming out of the house, "Pll give a
dollar to any one who will get that hat. "
The walters then came down to the
tree, and one Of them started to climb it.
But he found it hard job. The bark was
smooth, for a pine tree, and by the time
he had gone up fifteen or twenty feet he
was glad to slide down again. The gen
tleman now doubled his offer, and another
tried, and another, but neither climbed as
high as the first man. Then another gen
tleman added two dollars to the prize, and
more walters came, and also boys from the
hotel and the neighborhood, and they all
tried and all failed BY this time there
was quite lively crowd around the tree
and young man in red neck.tie said il
was real jolly-ever SO much better than
croquet Then three more gentlemen
added two dollars each to the prize,
and the excitement became intense Every
body who could climb at all tried the tree,
but no one got one-third of the way up.
Then, as il was necessary to keep up the
fun, and his money seemed very safe, the
young man in the red neck tie offered five
dollars more. And just at this moment
Jimmie Clark came running down to see
what was the matter. Jimmie was about
eleven years old, bright, smart fellow,
and as active as cat. His mother was a
widow, who lived on very little farm,
about half mile from the hotel. When
Jimmy saw what had happened, and that
fifteen dollars was offered for the recovery
Of the hat, his eyes sparkled He was a
reading boy, and he remembered what he
read, and it now flashed across his mind
that the savages in the Pacific islands
climbed higher and smoother trees than
that And what is more, he knew how
they did it,
Without saying word, he turned, and
ran for the woods as fast as his legs would
carry him. In very few minutes he re-
turned, carrying a piece OF grapevine
about half an inch thick, and five or six
feet long. With this in his hands he
bounded into the crowd at the foot Of the
tree.
as it fifteen dollars" he cried, O. for any
one who gets that hsty"
at was fifteen dollars" said an elderly
gentleman who stood near the tree, "but
now it has gone up to twenty. Can you
climb that tree, my bOy?"
II am going to try, sir" said Jimmy.
every well, them" said the gentleman /;
"the money is yours if you succeed"
Jimmy now stepped up to the tree, and
holding the grapevine horizontally before
him, placed the center Of it against the
trunk. He then wrapped the vine once
around the tree, and bringing the ends
back to him, took one in each hand lie
then Ioosened the vine little and pushed
it up the tree as far as he could reach.
Now, holding tightly TO the ends, he drew
himself up The vine firmly bound around
the tree by his weight, did not slip an inch.
This was the way he had read the savages
climbed tall trees When he had thus
drawn himself mp, he wound his legs
around the tree and held fast until he had
loosened the vine and pushed it up again.
And so, foot by foot, he went steadily up
that tall pine tree. 1t was terribly tire
sorme work, and he stopped to rest several
times, but at last he reached the branches.
Grasping the lower one he drew himself
up, dropped the grapevine, and,
seating himself on the branch, rest.
ed for several minutes. Then he
climbed up 70 the hat, Olsen
gagged it, and threw it down. AS the hat
with its beautiful blue veil, came floating
down, tremendous cheer arose from the
people on the ground; but, fortunately
Jimmy was not startled by it. After rest
ing sho IT time, he came down the tree
He coull slip gradually down, without any
grape vine. AS soon as he reached the
ground everybody clustered around him
and toe elderly gentleman, who had col
lecte d the money, handed him the twenty
dollars.
Nov, my lad" said he, II hope you
W i'll make good use of this"
"You may be sure Of that, sir" said the
! landlord of the hotel. II know Jimmy
and he'll give II to his mother"