The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1876-02-24
WHO'S thayrc 2" cried McDugan.
arising to sitting posture.
"Frindsw r. was the answer.

"Open yer dure enu let us in, Mis-
thur Michigan
"Divil a bit of it till ] know who We
air and what ye want! A quare time
fur friends to call, ana it blowin' great
guns an the shnow a-flyin' till yer
bloind wild il! Who are ye, ony-
how"
"We are surprise par,y!" said
those outside.
i 20, ye air, air ye! A surprise par
J ty! An we've come here fur surprise
1 suppose" 11a aou .fi..
! 'It's fearful cowld ont here, Misther
Michigan: will ye let us in?~ arya
$50 yer a surprise pa-arty. Ye just
! wait till l get me breechen on, if theirs
goin' to be ony surprise" and Nc
Dugan got up, took a pull at the bottle
gathered UP his pantaloons, and began
trying to haul them on over his boots,
a very difficult task for him. As he
tugged away, he paused and again
addressed those at the door by saying,
$50 yer surprise pa-arty ?"ia syf,ei.
ave air, Misther McDugan. Dove
want us to schtarve with the cowld 2,
"lt's surprise ye air afther Jist
ye wait till I git me breeches ell and
ye'll be surprised partyI' E..s+a
But the "breecEes% did not 30 on
very readily, and by the time that
Michigan had got one leg hauled on
over his huge boot the party at the
door were laundering away as though
about to break il down. This evident
ly discomfitted and enraged Michigan
as he paused in his effort to haul O !,
the other leg OF his pantaloons, took
another long pull at his bottle, and
then cried "The divil fly away wild
yes; Are We afther breakin' down the,
dure? Ill make ye surprise party p
With this Michigan took a look at
his black bottle, seemed to consider a
moment, then, gathering the loose leg
of his pantaloons in his hand, started
Tor the door, muttering as he went
80 I've got surprise pa-arty,-a
pa'arty come for surprise.''
The policeman shifted his position
to the corner OF the house aud there
saw the surprise party formed in front |
of McDugal's door. The head man |
of the procession was little man in |
a tall stOvepipc hat: behind this leader
was tall woman with protusion of /
artificial flowers in her hat, and after /
her came others, singly and in pairs,
all holding aloft their lanterns aud
gazing upon the door.
Suddenly, and with slam that
nearly tore it from its hinges, the door
was thrown wide open and in it ap-
peared the irate, bristling, and semi
breeehed Michigan.
"Perdition to yer sowIs!" cried he
'ye want to be surprise pa -arty, do
1e 2" and with that he took the little
nan in the stovepipe hat lick in the
Iug" that sent him ''to grass" and
'cnt his lantern rolling and jingling
lown the hill.
Blinded with whisky, rage and the
light of the lanterns, all were now
enemies who came within reach of
1cDngan's fist. Elated with his sue
ess in the case of the little man with
he stovepipe, he uttered wild whoop
nd went for the rest of the line. Th g ,
'ext was the tall woman with the hat I
nd feathers. Crying, ""Ye want i
ye blackguard !" he snatched liz
me lantern from her hand and dealt I
er blow with it over the head that |
mashed its glass aod frame, and t
trewed feathers and flowers in all di- &
ections. ta t a II
The victorious McDugan, who, in
lis blindness knew nothing of the sex |
f his enemies, was striding over the I
rostrate form of the tall woman to |
make dash in the direction of the i
ther lanterns that were bobbing c
bout, when the leveled female was i
eized with the war spirit. +
"McDugan, We divil! Is that yer t
anne r and laying hold of McDugan's I
sgs she brought them down about his 9
eet and stretched him upon the ground s
7hen both rolled down the hill and q
nmbled into a pit that had once been q
cellar. A cry of 'Mnrder!' arising a
rom this pit, the broken procession f
allied and rushed to the rescue, roll /
az and tumbling down the hill with t
great clatter OF lanterns. /
There was wild din and commo- S
ion down in the pit tor while, out t
f which presently appeared McDugan '
lmost as naked as the day he was e
orn, and limping made for the light g
f the door, muttering as he toiled up |
ne steep: $50 this is one of these a
Observation-Disclosures pa-artys! Divil Il
awast me if don't think I've cured II
hat lot of sich vanities I" c
AS the others collected the wreck of
snterns and attire they were heard to
wear it would be long time before /
hey would have anything more to do
wld that crazy, drunken ovid divil q
f u McDugan." f
Another peep at the window showed +
ne bare-lcgged and bloody-nosed Nc +
)ugan seated on his bedside with the l.
lack bottle at his mouth. AS he re- Il
laced the bottle he toek up his candle P
'em the table. held it alott, aud. gaz- $
~ towards the door said so it 4
Gems ovid Michigan has had sur "
rise party."
CHANG, the Chinese giant, is said to !,
e residing with his wife at Shanghai, &
here he was lately received into the n
aptist communion. 1t may be known h
lat Chang's height is seven feet eight n