Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1872-10-17
A Moving Story.

BY "GRIS,
HOUSES are very scarce in Columbus
We don't mean to inslnuate that there are
not rood many houses there. We only
want to say it is difficult to find vacant
house if you wish to rent one. 1t was
no. always thus in Columbus. Time was
when vacant houses could be met any
day, running round the streets with tears
in their attiss, trying to prevail upon peo-
pie to occupy them. But Columbus is
looking up. Several families have emf
grated there recently, and caused a ire
mendous tlutteI in the house market And
q report that two or three other families
are preparing to move in has had the eff
feet to still further advance prices Land.
lords hold on to their houses like
drowning purp to a floating dog. kennel
in a freshct. They wait for bigger
rent.
House.hunting is the prevailing indus
try in Columbus at present, 4 great
many stories are told about it, even when
it is only one.story house. The mere
suspicion of an intention to move, sub
jeCts a man to unnumbered annOyances,
The bell is kept ringing from morning
until night by fools who want to know if
the house is rented and after the family,
worn out with responding, close the house
and retire to rest men come and encamp
in the front yard so as to be on hand as
soon as anybody is stirring.
II is no unusual thing TO see violent
struggle going on in the hallway between
one family doing its best t. move out and
another family strenuously endeayoring to
move in. An outgoing ottoman plunges
violently into an incoming sideboard and
a length Of stoye-plpe jabs yicously into
a piano. 4 comfortable (she couldn't
come Immediately herself, but she center
table, has II hand-to hand fight with a
washing machine, and a kitchen,stove
disputes the entrance of the family pho
tographs.
There was a public meeting in Column
bus recently. 4 man arose and said
Mr. President | move
"When :" shrieked fifty voices at once,
and then the meeting broke up in the
greatest confusion, all crowding around
the man who was going to move, anxious
to secure the vacant house.
No man dies in Columbus now if he
can help It. He can't depart in any kind
OF peace, because so many are providing
around the premises to rent the place. II
is no unusual thing to see furniture
showed in at the back windows while the
coffin is being carried out OF the front
door
A friend of ours recently moved to
Columbus. He has searched unavailably
for house ever since he has been there.
He has spent so much time and grown so
disConsolate in looking up a house, he
fears he viii never be able t. look up
again, He keeps all his friends search
ing, toe He met the police Judge, one
day, a friend of his
Did YOU lind a house," he asks
Yes" says the Judge; ~ fined a
house this morning for being disOrderly-
$50 and costs.
Our friend got on the track of CON
sumptiye man who hadn't long to tarrv,
Every day did he walk past the sick man.
house, and day by day he remarked, with
little inward chuckle, that the doomed
man looked thinner. 1t was evident that
he would get thinned completely out.
Der friend entertained no amnesty to-
wards the man, but, as we said before, he
wanted house. At length the man died.
Our friend, who was lurking around a
neiGhboring corner, saw the procession
winding slowly away towards the ceme-
terry. He is not without heart He
would not obtrude upon a sacred grief
that IS not immediateIy--he would wait
until the stricken widow returned from
her scrrowful tourney He did. As she
0iighted from her carriage at her door,
buried in grief that refused to be com.
forted, he edged along side Of her and
whispered in her ear-"Anybody engaged
the house"
She turned her streaming eyes upon
l. buJ C J = ay.ft
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