The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1880-03-20

ire, VIII he =
MY father will allow inc to go where you
and you daughter CO." said |.
VERY well, then, you can take stroll over
to the market thence to Penn street up rs far
as the st. Clair street bridge, thence down
Water street to my office Here ON this piece
OF paper is plan of this part of the city
you will not get lost"
son, no." said |, land if we do we have
tongues in our heads and can ask the good
people and they will dircc! US back here
agaiR."
"Well, 20 along then can trust you"
We went, and when We got to the market
crowds OF peoplc-mcn selling beef, mutton
ana strings of sausages, and Dutch women
selling potatoes cabbagcs, turnips, carrots,
chickens and eggs. But one fat Dutch woman
got fearfully angry rs she cried:
Fresh eggs, fresh eggs, just laid!" And
then a dandy-looking fellow, with foreign airs
took up an egg and sad
Does madam call desc eggs treshy Listen"
And the faint chirp of young chicken was
heard.
II tell ye, my eggs are fresh; they were LAID
only yesterday
The dandy man shook his head and laid the
egg back in the basket. But the FAINT chirp
ing of half dozen chickens was heard com
| ing from the basket. The woman was IN u
rage-the man looked grave. At length the
woman took an egg and broke It into saucer
it was as fresh as fresh could be,
"There, now, SAID she, III telled yc SOL" But
the chlrping still went on in the basket. Julia
cried out to the woman:
"Ile is fooling you, ma'am, he is Slgnor
| Blitz, the vcntriloquist.'
The dandy was gone IN moment but not
a moment too soon, as the contents of the sau-
Iror tlic kau fnl ~
He barely escaped, and the poor woman joined
in the general laugh. | drew Julia out of the
crowd, and asked her what in the world it all
meant.
"Why, my dear frienl," said she, pressing
my hand and laughing glceiully that man
was a venirloqulst he can initiate young
chicken, and throw his voice apparently inside
the egg and the basket; wasn't it iunny?' and
she burst INTO another fit of laughter.
Soon we gained Liberty street. l showed
julia my brother-in-law lumber yard Office,
and thence we pursued our way to Penn street
As we strolled along up the street | showed
her fine brick mansion
There" srid !, as where my uncle William
Hunt lives, very kind man, and oh, so very
Jolly"
Directly we came to fine brick house on
the west side of the street
"Thcre" said Julia, rs where my uncle
Benjamin Ward lives-a great doctor He has
a room full of bottles and stuff, and room
full of bones see lots of ghosts every time
90 there at night-you know you never see
ghosts in daylight
mo, believe not" said l. "l.ct us 90 out
upon st. Clair street bridge; would like to
look down into the great river"
She consented, and gathered upa handful
of pebbles We stood upon the bridge good
long while, and dropped the pebbles INTO the
river, and we marked the little circles they
made in the water, as the tiny waves broke ont
in gentle undulatlons. We marked the raft
of planks and logs as 1t came floating down,
and avoiding the piers drew to land or hoated
on down to Cincinnati or Louisville.
81 wish | was bOatihcn," SAID |.
"Why?"
son. IT seem such free, happy life"
But there is some danger. See, those men
will strike the pier if not more careful"
Sure enough, the helmsman had been care
less, or else was drunk, and IN moment more
the raft struck the pier and flew into ten
thousand pieces. We ran to the opposite side
Of the bridge to see il the men would be
drowned. There seemed to be but three men
on the raft, one Of whom had secured the yaNl |
and WAS busy rowing around To pick up his ,
mates We saw him pick up one man, and
then make fer the shore. The daily papers
tOIu me lcSt next morning.
DROWNED.-A pilot on an up river raft, |
having imblbed too freely of the contents of II
certain black bottle, guided his raft against |
one of the stone piers Of the St Clair street
bridge The raft OF splendid pine planks and
Studdlng was a total wreck. The captain and
cook were saved; but the stcCrsman never rose
a second time, and his body rests beneath the |
waters Whisky did it.
We lad had enough of raftmens life, and |
now made our way back to Liberty street at
the head of Wood.
"Do you see that number" said |.
yes 05"
II have friend there" said |; "let us stop
a moment We did SO. | saw "A large, hand |
some man sitting upon chair looking over
his morning paper.
please sir" | said, sis Bob O'Riley in?"
He glanced over the top of his paper YES,
young man; what can do for you and your
young Lady,
Not much" SAID l. II have no orders
only called to bid you good morning, and say
this Is my little friend Julia Ward, and may.
be she would like II handful of raisins."
and who the deuce are you that can make
such moderate demands so smillrgly"
Why Mr. O'RIley do you forget Locust
Valley, Gentle George and Frisky Barney, to
say nothing of peakcdf faced Ncdg"
mo by the tomb of st. Peter, have Meth
or forgotten George nor Barney, who threw Me
over ms head, nor peakcdaccd Nee, but you
took me by surprise, young man. Ned, how
are you? And this Is your little sweetheart
ell? You call her Julia-Julia Ward, the
lawyers daughter, is it?'
Yes sir, the lawyers daughtcr--a swee,
heart-but can't say she is mine yet, | hope
she may he some day"
The little Julia blushcd bccomingy, and
with "a toss of her head replied II am no.
body's sweetheart yet, but papa's-he is the
sweetest man know Of"
"Well done, little Miss" sad our old friend
Bob; now you shall have the raislns" And
he filled our pockets and Julia's apron with |
raisins and almonds and tilbcrs, and gave us !,