The Jeffersonian. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1853-1911, 1875-03-11
A Mardi-Gras Incident.

A Mardi-GraS Incident.
From the Louisville Courier-J Journal
The Mardi-gras procession on Tuesduy
was witnessned by a large crowd, and the
ludicrous impersonations of character will
live long in the memories of the masses,
who laughed until their sides ached,--
Among the motley honest who perambulat-
ed the streets in the procession was a long,
cadaverous-looking fellow, representing a
Comanche Indian. His face was painted
red, his suit was well made up. Upon his
ponderous feet were pair of new moccasins,
hanging from the beaded girt that incircled
his body where half dozen ''hoss pistols"
and as many scalps. Inside this belt stuck
a checse-knife and a scyt!i--Dlade. His
long black hair was banded with a brass
/ noop, from which stuck about dozen of
turkey and geese feathers, and in his right
hand he held with an iron grasp a toma-
hawk, red with some victims blood Any
one who had read or heard Of the famous
Indian warrior, Bloody Nose, would have
said he had arisen from the dead and join
ed that procession. But it was not the
! blood thirsty rover of the forest 1t was
Skinner who personated him, and he did
it to perfection. His appearance was a
terror to women and children, while his
war-whoop, and the revolutions of that
bloody tomahawk were certain death to
''de culled population" Everybody saw
the wild Indian, but nobody knew it was
Skinner.
While the procession moved through
the various streets, Skinner would get dry,
and break ranks by dodging into the bar
rooms and taking in his usual dose of fire
water" BY the time Skinner had "war-
whooped' ten or fifteen blocks, and hid
about half keg of ''fire-water" about his
person, he was in fine trim" to play
Comanche, and began to think he was
"B!oody Nose sure enough, for he tried
to ''scalp' no less than dozen darkies that
fell into his hands.
The procession passed within square
or two of SINNERS house. Skinner has a
wife, and she is the mother Of five little
male and four female SINNERS. Skinner s
wife does her own work in fact, she's
boss Of SINNERS house, and instead of
her rushing off with string of little Skin
ncrs after her to see the procession, she
kept the little ones at home and stayed in
the kitchen attending to cleaning the pots,
kettles, and pans after dinner.
4 new idea struck Skinner He would
90 home and scare Mrs. Skinner and all
the little SINNERS. He cut loose from the
procession, took another dose of ''ire-
water" and by the time he reached his
front gate, he was the most reckless look
ing Comanche the world ever beheld.
Picking up new courage he rushed into
the front room where the little SINNERS
were playing circus" His appearance
was accompanied by wild yells and fancy
dancing, while he made that tonahawk fly
around the room over the chIdrcn's heads
as if he meant business, the little SINNERS
shouting, 20 Mr.. Injin, don't u mother
murder y fire ~ and there were such
screams as would have made any sure
enough" Indian run.
Skinner was just in the middle of his
fun, when the screams Of the children and
the war-whoop Of the Comanche brought
Mrs. Skinner to the scene, armed with an
iron skillet. She slipped up behind the
playful Indian" drew a bead on his nose,
and landed that skillet with the force of a
sedge-hammer and the rapidity of light
ming against it. The hand let 90 the toma-
hawk, the feathers flew, the belt bursted
and the scalps, pistols, and knives fell to
the floor. There was a flesh-and-bloo
spot in the middle of his face where that
nose was moment before the skillet
mashed it. 1t now looked like a bursted
tomato spread all over his face There
was groan, fall, a somersault or two and
all was quiet That Comanche had found
the 'happy hunting grounds"
Instead of Mrs. Skinner sending for the
doctor and bathing his face, she looked
down into his mutilated face, and, shak-
ing the skillet over him with her right
hand, exclaimed 'Tll war-whoop you
You thought you'd scare somebody, you
derned old fool but | know'd you, soon as
[ smelled your feet, and smelt your
breath"
p Skinner has an Indian masquerade
suit for sale cheap. He won't be able to
be out until he gets done breathing through
his ears. The doctor says his nose may
grow out again by the time the next Mardi-
Gras takes place. We advise Skinner to
get brass nose and "go West"