The Red Cloud chief., 1880-12-02
CONNOR MAGAN'S LUCK.

CONNOR MAGAN'S LUCK.
'.rM in luck, hurrahr' cried Common
Magyar, as he threw up his brimless hat
into the air-the ringing, jubilant shout
he sent after it could only spring from
the reservoir of glee in the heart of a
twelve year-old boy. Giving a push
to the skiff in which his father sat wait
ing for him, he jumped from the shore
to the boat, and struck out into the
Ohio River.
Tim Magyar, father, and Connor Ma
gan, son, were central figures in a very
strange picture.
Let US take in the situation.
II was a Western spring freshet. The
Ohio was on a rampage turbulent,
coffee-cOlored stream, it had risen far
beyond its usual boundaries, washed
out the familiar landmarks, and, still
insolent and greedy, was licking the
banks, as if preparatory to swallowing
up the whole country. Trees torn up
by the roots, their green branches
waving high above the flood. timbers
from cottages, and wrecks from
bridges. were floating down to the Gulf
of Mexico.
1t was curious to watch the various
things in the water as they sailed slowly
along. Demijohns bobbed about.
Empty store boxes mockingly labeled
dry goods elbowed bales of hay. Some
times a weak cock-a-doodle-doo from a
travelling chicken-coop announced the
whereabouts of a helpless though still
irrepressible rooster. Back yards had
been visited, and oyster-cans. ash-bar-
rels and unsightly kitchen debris brought
to light. 1t was a mighty revolution
where the dregs of society were no
longer suppressed, but sailed in state
on the top wave.
ut is an idle wind which blows no
one good" and amid the general de-
s%truction the driftwoOd was a GOd-send
to the poor people, and they caught
enough to supply them with fre-wood
for months. Logs. fences, boards and
the contents of steamboat wOod-yards
were swept into the current. On high
points of land near the shore were col
1ected piles bristfng with ragged
stumps and limbs of trees. The great
gnarled branches of forest trees ONE
times spread over half the river, while
timbers lodging among them formed a
sort of raft which kept out of tie water
the most wonderful things pieces of
furniture and kitchen utensils, which
shone in the sun like silver.
Cullom's Ripple is a few miles below
Cincinnati. Here the deep current sets
nlaoa 20 tho charn r,alnn N wild bind
of whirlpool or eddy that brings drift
wood almost to land; the ripping water
makes a sudden urn and scoops out a
little cove in the sand. 1t is a splendid
place for fishermen, but quite danger
Gus for boats.
Not far above Cullum's Ripple is situ-
ated the Magyar family mansion or
shanty. The river is on one side and
two parallel railroads are on the other.
On the top of the bank, and or a level
with the railroads, is a piece Of land
not much longer or wider than a rope
walk, and on this only available scrap
the railroad company have built a few
temporary houses for their workmen.
They are all alike. except that a morn
ing-glory grows over Magan's door.
The colony is called Twinrip. possibly
the short of Between Strip" Of the
name does not mean that, will some one
skilled in digging up language roots,
please tell me what il does meanP) The
atmosphere around these cabins is as
filled with bustling. whistling confusion
as a chimney with smoke.
Besides the water highway. on the
other side, just a few feet beyond the
iron roads, a horse-car track and a turn
pike offer additional facilities for
LOGON otion. Birds perched on the
numerous telegraph wires amid wrecks
of kites and dingy pennons-once kite
tails-nothing hurts them; and below
the children of Twinrip appear just as
free and safe, and seem to have as much
delight in mere living as the feathered
friends.
The Magans were a light hearted
Irish family, whose cheerfulness seemed
better than eucalyptus or sunflowers to
keep off the fever and ague, and who
made the most of the little bits of sun
shine that came to them. Tim, astrong-
armed laborer, was brakeman on the
Road. His wife, a hopeful little body,
a woman of expedients. was voted by
her neighbors the ''cheeriest, condol-
INCEST" woman in Twinrip.
Good luck. according to her, was
always coming to the Magans. 1t was
good luck brought them to America
BY good luck Tim became brakeman.
1t was good luck that the school for
Conner was free of expense and so con-
venient.
Her LOYALTY to her husband rather
modified the expression of her views,
yet she often expatiated to her eldest
on his advantages, beginning, There's
your father, COnnor-I hope you'll be
rs good a man! remember it wasn't the
fashion in the ould country to bother
over the little black letters-people
don't hare to read there-but you Just
mind your books, and some day you
may come to be a conductor, and snap
q punch of your own"
No doubt Conner made good resolu-
tions, but when he sat by the window
in the schoolroom and looked at the
dimpling, sparkling river, so suggestive
of fishing, or at the green trees filled
with birds, he was not as devoted to
rs q lICC-OOIu cApcCtdut
American citizen ought to be. The
teacher was somewhat strict. and it may
have been in some of her passes with
Conner, the "bubblingoverest' of all
her youngsters, that she earned the
name of a daisy hammer"
But the boy knew some things by
heart that could not be learned at
school. To his ear, the steam whistle
of each boat spoke its name as plainly
as If it could talk. He need.n o look to
tell whether a passing train was on the
o. & NJ. or on the L. G. e. L. He knew
the name of every fiery engine; and felt
an admiration-a real friendship for
the resistless creatures.
To climb a r e was as easy for him
as if he were . cat; there were rumors
that he had worked himself to the top
of the tall fag-staff-which was g
smooth Is . CREASED pole-but l VIII
not vouch for their truth de couio