Buchanan County bulletin. [volume] (Independence, Iowa) 1869-1891, 1873-08-22
Coville Counts His Shingles.

Coville Counts His Shingles.
There are men who dispute what
they do not understand. Mr.. Coville
is such.a man. When he heard q
carpenter say that there were so
many shingles on the roof of his
house because the roof contained so
many square feet, Coville doubted
the figures, and when the carpenter
went away he determined to test the
matter by going up on the roof and
counting them. He squeezed
through the scuttle-Coville weighs
23O-and then sat down on the roof,
and worked his way carefully and
deliberately toward the gutter.
When he got part way down, he
heard sound between him and the
shingles and became aware that
there was an Interference, some way,
| in his further locomotion. He tried
to turn over and crawl back, but the
obstruction held him. Then he
tried to move along little, in hopes
that the trouble would be but tenn
porary, but an increased sound con.
yinced him that either a nail or q
silver had hold of his cloth, and thai
if he would save any of it he must
use caution. His folks were in the
house, but he could not make them
hear, and, besides, he didn't want to
attract the attentionofthe neighbors
So he sat there until after dark and
thought. 1t would have been an ex
cellent opportunity to have counted
the shingles but he neglected to use
it. His mind appeared to run in
other channels. He sat there an
hour after dark, seeing no one he
could notify Of his position. Then
he saw two boys approach the gate
from the house, and, reaching there,
stop. 1t was light enough for him
to see that one of the two was his
son, and, although he objected to
having the other boy knowing of his
misfortune, yet he had grown tired
of holding ON to the roof, and con-
cluded he could bribe the strange
boy into silence. With this ar
rangement mapped out, he took his
knife and threw it so that it would
strike near the boys and attract
their attention. 1t struck nearer
than he anticipated. In fact it
struck so close as to hit the strange
boy on the head, and nearly Drained
him. AS soon as he recovered
his equilibrium he turned on Co.
ville's boy, who, he was confident
had attempted to kill him, and intro
duced some astonishment and
bruises'1 Ms face. Then he threw
him down and kicked him in the
side and banged him OH the head,
and threw him over into the gutter
and pounded his legs, and then haul
ed him back to the walk again and
knocked his head against the gate,
and all the while the elder Coville
sat on the roof and screamed for
| police but couldn't get away. And
then Mrs. Coville dashed out with
a broom, and contributed a few
novel features to the affair at the
gate, and one of the boarders dash
ed out with a double barreled gun
and hearing the cries from the roof
looked up and there espied figure
which was undoubtedly a burglar
drove a handful of shot into its legs
With howl of agony Coville made
a plunge to dodge the missiles
freed himself from the nail, lost his
hold to the roof and went sailing
down the shingles with awful velo
city, both legs spread out, his hail
on end, and his hands making des
perate but fruitless efforts to save
himself. He tried to swear, bu
was so frightened that he lost hi.
power of speach, and when he pass
ed over the edge of the roof, will
twenty feet of the gutter hitched t
him, the boarder gave him the con
tents of the other barrel, and ther
drove into the house to load W
again. The unfortunate Covill'
struck into a cherry tree, and thence
bounded to the ground, where h
was recognized, picked up by the as
sembled neighbors and carried int
the house. A new doctor is making
good day wages picking shot out o
his legs. The boarder has gone in
to the country to spend the summe
and the junior Coville, having Sc
quested a piece of brick in his hand
kcrchief, is laying low for the othe
boy. He says that before the cain
of another Sabbath rests on New
England there will be another DO,
boy in Danbury who can't wear |
cap.-Dan6,u.y Neacs.
A Gallant Act by the President.
"A New York dispatch of the stl
says: At Long Branch, on yester
day, a lady was rescued from dan
ger Of death by the GOODNESS, intre
pidity, and gallantry Of Presiden
Grant. Miss Martin, accompanied
by two gentlemen, her brother ant
a friend, in a phaton, were riding
on Cedar avenue, in the vicinity o
the grounds of Mr.. John Hoey. Th'
horse in some way became fright
ened and unmanagable, and dashed
off at turious speed. The nois'
attracted the attention of the Presi
dent, who had just made a call OF
Mr.. Hoey. Mr.. Hoey started across
lots, and the President pushed hi
horses at full speed by the road. HI
reached the scene Of disaster il
time to seize the horses and arres
them, with the assistance of Mr.
Hocy, and to rescue the lady from
the peril she was in, surrounded b!
the debris Of the demolished We
hicle, and excited andi unmanaga
ble horses. The President took tn,
lady in his arms and placed her il
his carriage, and conveyed her t.
the residence Of Mr.. Hoey, where
she was kindly cared for by the Ia
dy OF the house. The gentlemen
were thrown from the conveyance
and received more or less bruises
The lady having recovered from
her fright was conveyed to her res
ldence. This instance is only ont
of the many where the Presiden