The Rock Island Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1877-1885, 1877-07-13
Misfortunes of Four Rock Island
Xouths in Geneseo.

Youths in Geneseo.
The Geneseo Ne10s has the following ac.
count of the misfortunes which befel a
party of four of our well known young
men. They will no doubt receive the
sympathy Of large number of our kind
hearted citizens. Here is the article.
! A better male quartette than Messrs.
Cooke, SWiler, ByrDs and Wheaton, of Rock
Island, cannot be flushed by the closest
hunter in the state of illinois. When they
Ible, the birds OF the air hang their
harps upon the willows, and the average
country village choir goes right off aud
commits suicide. Efforts have been made
to traduce their good names by punning
on them. Cooke Woods till it Burns,
then order Swi lager" is too thin pun to
make an impression on such gentlemen as
compose this male quartette from Rock
Island. A calm, serene organization is the
Rock Island quartette.
| They are acquainted with the guileless
Ike Burnett, OF this city, and few even
ings ago they came up to make him call.
] Ike is childlike and bland. He can look
as innocent and placid and solemn as the
| back side OF . tombstone when be wishes
to. He is as cunning as Q serpent ald
| harmless as a dove. He extended the
right hand of fellowship to the quartette.
and took them iG.
The Quartette wished to sing. They
| felt tnnetul. They wanted to know if, in
that calm evening hour, it would be advis-
able to 60 forth and serena9e some rich
old denizen of the Maple City, who you'd
be rejoiced to hearken to their melody. land
come forth and invite them Ia and set be-
fore them the wines of the hillsides aud
the viands of the valley.
Mr.. Isaac Burnett knew of just such a
man. He would lead and direct them
thither forthwith. The man of wealth and
taste resided in the northern part of the
city. He loved music like his own brother.
He was transported into the skies By its
rapturous strains. His cellars were filed
With the wines of the hillside, and bis
lardef groaled yith the viands of the valley.
They went forth. Frank Burnett was
the guide, and the guileless Isaac brought
up the rear. Frank pointed ont to the
Rock Island Quartette aslarge, stylish do
miclle,-that was empty. Nobody lived
there; but the quartette knew it not, and
Isaac forgot to tell them.
The Quartette laid itself out in soul in-
spiriting strains. They vent through a
half dozen of the most popular pieces of
the times. Isaac stood out in the street
trying to hold his sides from falling apart.
while the quartette stood in the yard be-
meath q window.
The Quartette concluded that the veal
thy and liberal citizen didn't relish the late
music of the times. but rs it was so near
the Fourth of July, would probably respond
sooner to patriotic airs. So they went
through with the Star Spangled Banner, .
America" and My Country IT'S of
Thee. Still the man of musical longings,
did not appear. Low nQtterings of wrath
came floating 70 the ears of the suffocating
Isaac. Then it was suggested that the
venerable possessor of the wines of the
be seadte geRtlemanlof the old school,
who could be more easily entranced by the
songs of long ago. Accordingly the quar-
of Scotland. y" Home, Sweet Home" and
Jennie. the Pride of Kildare" By the
time they got through with these ancient
melodies, they had just strength enough
left to climb over thesience and rejoice the
guileless Isaac, who was full of indignation
at TIE way the old citizen had behaved to-
ward the quartet, H was too full Of in
dignation for utteranee.
After proceeding few rods Mr.. Cooke
pulled off his coat and exclaimed that he
believed be could thrash the old curmud-
geop who dwelt in that house. But Isaac
pacifed him, au9 the quartette returned
to Rock Island, disguised With Gene
seO's lack of approximation of harmony.