River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1879-02-27


Sometimes my friends viii come in;
Very soon | shall begin
| Asking them duty to come.
Here | mean to ''receive;"
Q, you may laugh, but believe!
For this is my home in my home!
A Mississippi River incident of the
Old Days.
| The inexperienced traveller in a quiet
| home, who has never been tempted to
wander from Its peaceful precincts, has
| but faint idea of the emigrants trout
les; and many may fail to deeply symp
athize with Michael O'Reily, the subject
| of our sketch: but there are those who
mingled in the perilous tide, and can
knowingly speak Of the dangers.
"Maybe," Michael would say, "its
mesllf that has had full peck measure
of thin, barrin' what | injaneously is
| capped
Michael's brother, Patrick, had in
duced him to quit the little cottage and
pratie patch on the green sod Tor home
where "gooldn flowed up the rivers. AT
the time we encountered him he had
reached the spot where ga great man en-
tirelyn had prophesied this shiney metal
would flow TO; and he but waited TO
reach Patricks home on the Missouri
River to set net in the stream and catch
his share. AS he and Mrs. OR. (who was
well, but, naturally enough, 'wakely'O
were seated on the boat, considering how
thew could get farther up the stream,
steamboat-runner came to then AID, ana
forthwith made every necessary arrange
ment for taking them safe. Michaels
mind being at ease about that matter, he
ventured TO indulge in Whit OF the
pipe, when he was accested by another OF
the off-in twenty minutes agents.
passage up the Missouri, sir2" inquiries
the runner.
"Yis, I'm goin' wild yes" says
Michael "Sure wan Nv your boys en-
qaqed me minnit ago"
The runner, perceiving in moment
that rival had encountered Michael, re-
solved to do the aforesaid rival out of his
passenger, and accordingly hurried him
off to his own boat by telling him that
steam aoas up!
The "done" runner, on running and
finding his passenger off, suspected that
the rival boat had secured him, and ven
tured upon the 'terror experiment" to
bring him back.
Michael instantly recognized his first
friend, and saluted him with:
I'm here, We see!"
Yes, but you've got yourself into
kingdomcome snarl, if you only know'd
it, without tryin'.T
Twist the snayI which way Michael
would it sounded unpleasantly, and he
ventured to inquire:
"It's what did We say kind OF smart |
was in?'
II only just want to open your peppers
to the fact of having been trapped on
board an old boat, fully 5nSrued, with
desperate shakey 'scapepipe, and en-
gagged to blow'd up this trip; so good-by,
old fellow you're ticketed."
Gosh if she's fully insured, all's righr,
saws Michael whispering safety to his
heart; 'and the boy that | came "id
SAYS she can run up tree ii there
dhrap of wather on IT."
off she don't run mp a tree" was the
| reply, "she'll be SURE to run agjn a shaggy
one; and then, | predicate, some of her
passengers'u be blow'd tree high; so you
are in for il, old boss. GOod-by. | say,
| if YOU should see nv old uncle do,on thar
| (pointing at the same time significantly
! to the rushing riverl-the one, | mean,
who didn't leave me a'y money, tell HIM
| for me, as he's gone 70 the d, to
shake himself-vill you?" And after
delivering himself Of the soottlnq equest,
he vanished, leaving Michael fancying
himself astFide of a 'scape- pipe, riding
over tree-tops, rocket fashion.
/ ha lou 7 iuar mt for
among SIGH haythinsp' soliloquized
Michael ITO talk of a mans bein'
blown to smttheyeens. as if it were but a
pintle rap wild shillelahi Faith, it's
| out Nv this I'll be immigratin' quicker
than you could peel pratie Aud
| forthwith he proceeded to move, with all
possible haste, his stock af worldly ef
| fects; observing which, the runner, who
had awoke his fears, shouted out as quick
ener. "Don't forget uncle; for he would
think it dreadful mean, if | didn't send
word by somebody knew was goin d.
rect"
leave that luggage ale mel" savagely
shouted the mate ''You can't leave the
boat-you're engaged.
sThruc for yes" says Michael, in q
doleful tone. ''Be dad, was omadhaum
enough TO do that same; and yes can
blow me up WHENEVER you're mind 10"
1--WE won't blow her up, says the
mate, ''until the downward trip. unless
some gent. eman's requested it in his bar
gain. If you've got flying ticket, we
are bound to accommodate YOU"
And Just at that moment whiz went a
steamcOck.
"Be aisy, for the Lords sakeln shouted
Michael. "Blow her up for the gintle-
man comm down. As I'm not used to it,
might fall awkwardly into some man S
apple orchard and desthroy a peach tree.
Dye mindi'
: Having been assured that all was safe,
and that. by express desire, the blowing
up was deferred, he took It's seat at the
stern. As the shades of evening gather
ed around the boat and over the waters,
the steamer pushed from her mornings.
When we last saw Michael he was hold
ling in one hand small string of beads
; with rosary attached, while the Other
grasped the ''painter" of the iolly-boa
towing astern; and bis eye, with doubt
full expression. was firmly fixed on the
, !