The Cambria freeman. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1867-1938, 1878-08-23
Whot az Illinois Boy Caught i3l
HIS Trap.

The New York Times has an editorial on
the wonderful resources of the Illinois boy
Master Sloane, of Clinton, Illinois, invent
ed trap OD the principle of those used in
Africa for trapping game-that is to say,
he constructed a slip moose of thongs, and
attached it to the top of stout sapling,
which he bent down by the aid of hoist
ing-tackle, and fastened ii TO the ground
And this was the result:
Master Sloane had a sister, a yOung lady
of great worth and of very decided character.
Other girls, envious of her good looks, said
she was an ill-tempered, red-haired thing,
but this was probably mere caiumny. At
all events so thought the young minister
who was settled over the Seventeenth Con
gregatiOual Church, and who was generally
believed to be Miss SloaDe's accepted lover
That he went to see Miss Sloane on the very
evening when the reckless hoy set his Cen
tral Africa trap was rot strange. for lie us
uaily spent three or four evenings every
week at the Sloane mansion, but it was a
coincidence that on that precise evening he
proposed a walk, and led Miss Sloane to-
ward the identical lane where the trap was
waiting for victims
How il happened that neither the young
minister nor Miss Sloane noticed the bent
sapliug or the rope, no one can understand.
unless they were so deeply engaged in the
discussion of theological questions that they
were Oblivious 10 all earthly things. Still
more difficult is it 10 comprehend how they
could both have stepped within the moose,
which was spread out in the form Of a CIRCLE
not more than a foot in diameter. 1t is
plain, however, that the lady was reading a
hymn-bOok and that her companion had ap-
preached extremely close to her to see if the
hymn was correctly printed. However this
may be, the fact remains that Miss Sloane's
left foot and the minister's right foot were
just inside the moose when the trap sprung,
and the elastic sapling suddenly lifted them
twenty feet in the air, where they remained
hanging ike two cherries on "a single stem,
and expressing in lively tone their suSp CiOu
that something unusual had happened.
Half an hour later the Clinton and Homes
vile stage passed that way, and the driver
and his passengers We're asJonished beyond
measure. For some time il was supposed
that some new and curiOusly complicated
animal, consisting chiefly of zebra and black
panther, was swinging from the top Of the
sapling but Just one of the passengers
was about to fire al It, the driver recognized
the minister, though he was not able To rec
cOguiZe his fellow -nriSOner. Tna latter 5
voice was somewhat mufiled, but she was
distinctly heard 20 r6vile ;he minister, and
to assert that she never would forgive him
no matter how he might try to excuse him
self. Six strong men finally bent down the
sapliHg, released the victims, aud with rare
delicacy assigned the duty of recognizing
Miss Sloane to the two ladies who were In
the stage. Fortunately, neither of Master
SlOane's victims was seriously injured, and
were 3Oln aDtS 10 Walk nome on opposite
sides of the street.
The results of this affair were numerous.
Miss Sloane left town the next day OIL .
visit 10 the East, aud bas not since returned.
The minister was tried for indiscreetly hang
ing from the tops of trees with young ladies
and thereby bringing reproach upou his pro
teSsiOn, bat was acquitted by gluse vote.
As for Master Sloane, it is believed AMI
hoped that his father has killed him. At
any rate, he has not been seen, and the
rumor that he has been sent TO the House of
Refuge in Chicago IS not generally believed.