The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1879-12-11

ped farms an were going to change il
the spring. 1T makes me putty mucl
down in the mouth ter think that I have
got ter end my days where can't watch
| the river month in and month out, veal
arter year. There is look that crosse:
its face but what know the meanin' OF
| and but what is dear ter me. 1 can tel
ye the situation of every stun an SAND
bar, from Wells River ter Windsor
Locks, I could pilot boat over every
| ripple er swift water the hull way.
knew all the river men, too, an l knew
all their fathers an granthers an who
they married an the hull pedigree OF
em clear through. / was born mere
The Lord put me here, an here's where
I belong. / can swim like a duck and
dive like a muskrat, an you could nj
drown me any more'n you could drown
a shad. The Lord knew what he was
about when he put Deborah folks ontel
the hill. Never one on 'em could swim
| no morn a clod er clay. The idee OF
my Joseph. jest ter please a partridge
woman, swappin' farms with Blue hill
Ter. an of the old yaller tavern stand
going out er the Halle name Tain't no
way, Mr.. Strong, fur anybody ter give
away their property while they are alive.
You can't trust nobody, even your own
flesh and blood; but Joe's wife is par
fridge, es I said before"
"WelI, Mr.. Strong, hope you will
have good luck" said old Capt. Halle at
daybreak the next morning, as he stood
near the landing watching the boats as
they got under way. "With this stiff
south wind you can trust more to linen
and less to white ash. Try and get back
here 80 as to dance at our Thanksgiving
ball. AS many of the men as can will
fix things SO as to tie up here that night.
1t happens lucky that New Hampshire
and Massachusetts are a week ahead of
US with their Thanksgivin', and that
your Connecticut one is week behind.
Vermont is alone this time, and Ruthy
and mean ter have our last Thanksgiv-
ing at the yaller tavern-sunthin' fur
folks ter look back to in years ter come. "
Those were busy days all along the
river. All the merchants, even for miles
back upon the hills, made point of
laying in stock of groceries and of New
England rum before the river froze over,
Every farmers wife upon the bank was
likely to be raidod upon at any time of
night or day for meal for from 1 to 20
hungry raftmen, swift-water men or
boatmen, and if every family did not
actually keep q boatmen's tavern, they
all kept open house and were not put
out at all by an unexpected guest.
The fall had been unusually mild and
Thanksgiving day proved to be one of
the pleasantest and balmiest of the In
dian summer days. The scene at Haile's
old yellow tavern was unique and ami
mated enough. A dozen boats at least
were ''snubbed" to the great elms all
along the banks of the wide Halle mea-
dows. The waiting saltwater de-
clared it to be impossible to take them
over until the weather changed, to which
joking assertion the boatmen made only
laughing remonstrance, and fixing up to
the best of their ability, proceeded to
enjoy themselves in wrestling, pitching
ouoits, telling stories and singing songs,
while half dozen OF their number tuned
and strung the violins they had brought
along in anticipation of the dancing.
In the great kitchen or dining room
was every girl for miles who had not a
beau to bring her to the ball. Ruthy
had good naturedly pressed them all
into service for the day that they might
be sure of being on hand for the evening.
They had come with their best dresses
neatly tied up in pocket handkerchiefs,
their hair in curl papers and their cosy
faces wreathed in smiles, for Ruthy had
told them that she was giving them each
and all chance to catch beau.
"Now / will tell you whatII would do
if was young. said Grandfather Halle
as he circulated around among the guests
with pleasant word for all. 81 would
go up to town to the meetin'; it begins
at half past 1even. 'Twould please the
old parson amazin'ly ter hev ye all march
in and jine in the singin' and attend to
the sarvice. 'Twouldn't do none on ye
no harm and 'twould give ye a chance to
ask the parson an his wife an the square
an his lady ter look in on US an have a
bite of our turkey tonight"
The idea was seized upon with avidity
by Ruthy, who always humored and
obeyed her grandfather, by the boatmen,
who all paid allegiance to the bright,
fair haired girl, and, of course, by ..all
the young maidens whose highest ambi-
ton was to be like their young hostess.
After the bounteous supply of stuffed
fowls, chicken pies and Indian puddings
were ready to go into the ovens, Ruthy
and Joseph, with all their ''help" and all
their guests, set off to walk up the wind
ing, woody road to the sandy plain
where the little village of Hailesdale
clustered about the one white church,
There had seldom been SO large con.
gregstion. There certainly had never
been heard such music within the
church's four walls. The vioiins and
double-bass which were to play "Money
Musk, primrose Hill' and 'sCherus
Gig" for the dancing were now leading
in Dundee" and ''0id Hundred.
The delighted parson gazed in rapi
surprise up at the afched roof as If he
expected momentarily to see it give way
| before the swelling nower of the music