Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1873-10-16
Reynolds Misfortune.

a New York party named Reynolds.
Who have been spending the summer
here, was at the upper end of Deer Hill
avenue, strolling for his health, yesterday
morning, when he observed a boy trying
to pull kite from an apple tree, where it
had lodged. AS Mr.. Reynolds came up
the string broke, leaving the kite up there,
With the natural prompting of humane
heart, the gentleman gave his coat in
charge of the boy, and crawling over the
1ence, was soon up the tree. The boy
felt pretty bad about the accident to his
kite, but on taking a second look at the
| coat, which was almost new, he dried his
tears, and scampered off with it, upper
ceiyed by Mr.. Reynolds, who was trying
to take an obstinate twig from the back
of his neck. After considerable Difficult
ty he reached the kite, and was stretching
| forth his hand to take it, when the limb
he was on suddenly snapped in two, and
he tell some six feet splitting one of his
pantaloon legs half way up, and running
twlg into his nose with such violence
as to make that organ bleed Fortunate
ly he was saved from further mishaps by
| catching on a strong limb. He stopped
| then to feel Of his nose, and mediate on
the accident, when rough voice from
below demanded what he was doing
there, and looking down he saw "a shirt
sleeved, bald-headed man, with a pitch
fork in his hand and fire in his eve Mr..
Reynolds explained about the kite.
THAT won't do" said the man, "I've
had too many apples hooked from that
ere tree, and now that I've got the thief,
l intend to make him dance" And the
man looked terociouslv at Reynolds
facilities for dancing. The unhappy Rev
nolds referred him to the boy for an in
dorsement of his story. What boy?''
asked the owner Of the orchard II don't
see no boy. There amt no boy here
Reynolds looked out in the road, but
there was no boy in sight. He shouted
'Bub'' two or three times, but there was
no response. The color deserted his face,
and a look Of mingled establishment and
horror spread over his features. This is
very extraordinary" he said. Very"
conceded the farmer, with great drvness.
THAT boy has stolen my coat, and | must
pursue him and recover it,n said Rev
nolds, suddenly becoming frantic over
his loss and preparing to descend so,
come down and catch him. said the
farmer with biting sarcasm. chewing his
tongue to show how calm he was, and
placing his fork in such a way as to take
i'll the most valuable portions of Mr. Rey-
nolds' body. That gentleman saw the
preparations in time to stop. why, you
wouldn't run that fork into me, YOU old
IDIOT" "Who are you calling an old
idiot, you miserable whipper- ;"
shouted the old chap, as he insanely
danced around the foot of the tree, and
glared tiercely at hi, victim. Come here
and rob me, You william, will you, and
then stand in my own tree an blaspheme
me- Run the fork in you, will |: Yes,
I'd run il into two hundred of ye." Mr.
Reynolds was shocked. What do you
want me to do" he said, despairing of
reasoning with the owner Of the orchard
Il want you to pay me five dollars, and
get out Of this orchard as fast as your
rascally legs can lake YOU" Mr.. Rey
nolds hesitated. 1t was bad enough to
lose q coat, ruin his pants and split his
nose to help an evil boy out of trouble,
without being bombarded with epithets,
and charged five dollars for the perform
ance. He thought he would Jump down
on the old man and crush him, but he
looked at the fork and repented of the de-
sign. Then he drew out a five dollar bill
and dropped it to his enemy, and humil-
iatingly sled down the tree, reaching his
feet uSt in time to avoid kick the iratc
man aimed at him. He was helped out
the orchard With the fork handle, and i'm
mediately started for the hotel, which he
reached in a condition Of nervous pros
tration that at first threatened to result
seriously. An active search has been
made for the boy, but neither he nor the
coat has been iscovered.-D0n5uryN ears