The Manitowoc pilot. [volume] (Manitowoc, Wis.) 1859-1932, 1881-02-24

excuse me, I have little business with
each of you.
swell, we'll excuse you. What's the
little business?"
"Well, then, it's just this. I'm il sore
need of few more dollars to finish the
little house on the hill, and I'd be obliged
to each one of you if you'd put what You
think you can spare into my hat there on
the counter, as holiday contribution to
the good cause"
''See yer, boys, the padre wants to
flush his h'istin' works. Let's all chip.
There's mine," and the miner threw his
half dollars into the hat.
The example was contagious, and the
silver was piled into the hat. Father
Ryan stood beaming on the boys as they
contributed to his holy store.
"Haseverybody anteed? Seeyer, Nate, !"
to big boned, American built man, who
sat ea the-eHd of a beard bench in the
corner, ''come up and pool.
"Not if 1 know myself" said Nate,
sulkily.
"Go for him, padre-speak piece to
him."
The men turned about and faced the
dissenting Nate, ieering and gliding at
him.
ooh, now, gentlemen, be easy" said
his reverence, with light wave of the
hand. every man has a right to give
or refuse, as his feelings prompt him;
and I'm thinking it's not for regard of
the money that the gentleman refuses to
contribute. If might L would ask him
if he does not think some kind of relig-
ion is good thing?"
"You can ask me anything you please;
but I'm not buildin' meeting houses"
s'Do you not think they ought to be
builtl" asked the father, softly.
81 don't care whether they are built OF
not; I'm not in the business.
"Wouldn't you give toward a charity2''
ii q Io
"Ill tell you what I'll do" said the
priest, 'sif you'll add so to the amount
in my hat, I'll agree to shcw you before
next New Years Day, if you are alive,
that it is charity, or will on that day
pay you back the money, and per cent
month interest; or, if you die before
that day, the money shall be paid toward
your funeral expenses. Come, now, what
do you say2"
81 don't say nothin' to that. But II
| tell you what I'll do"
"What2" asked his reverence.
81 put up $40 against any mans $40
that can throw ory man IN the mouse
best two falls out of three, and if | lose
the money goes in the hat
"O-a-ah!'' growled some one, ''yel
don't want to challenge priest, do YEP
"Whist! Wait moment" said Fathe
Ryan, interrupting the speaker. Thel
turning te the challenger, who still sat il
his corner: "When and where do yol
propose to wrestler
''Right now, and right here, in th
back yard, on the stone floor"
tWhat hold?"
"Collar and elbow"
"Gentlemen, said Father Ryan, bland
lv, as be turned to the crowd, eff on
among you will be kind enough to put u
the money, with the help of God I'll tr
my best to win it.
Heres your money! said the ba
keeper. spanking the heavy gold twent
on the board,
"And here's the mate to it, said Nat,
rising from his place in the corner an
striking second twenty on top of til
first
: Now all was excitement. The egg nc
t was forgotten, while betting became tt
order of the hour.
D "Twenty dollars even that the pad
e wins! 1 bet my last dollar on religic
/ every pop2'
Two to one on Nate Smith-from s.
to S1OO."
f The preliminaries being all settled, ii
a impromptu athletes stepped to the ce
= ter, shook hands, and then, standil
V front to front, took each other by Il
}. elbow of each with each other hand, al
r the muscular bout began.
+ The collar and elbow wrestle betwe
d skilled contestants is really, SO to spea
!. fist fight with the feet. One wou
It think, in viewing the kicks of the mail
a feet, that shins would be broken Ii
d pipe stems, but it is not often one wre
10 ler is permitted to get square toed ki
!" upon the shins of the other, where the
a is science on both sides.
to But to really describe the trippir
as kicking, Tending, foiling, and muscu
s. writhing of the contestants on this n
O. Years Day in the stone amphithea
- behind the log saloon, is not in the pc
ut er of this pen, nor in any power SLOW
,ff than Muybridge's lightning photogral
as er, but the result was that, after poisi
n on the brink OF alternate success O
defeat, Nate Smith went down, solid,
n. the fiat of his back, taking care, howey
of to stiffen the neck against sounding
of his conscious cabesa on the hard flo
a s'Score one for the church," shoute
sr, knowing one in the crowd.
u ''Hurrah for the padre-he's Ii
y bull with the clay on his horns!"
Once again the strugglers came to
'h- center, and now again the contest
N, waged with all the vigor of the hun
animal, supplemented by that esse
he of Immortality known as the intellec
This second bout was even more WEI
th- ly worked through than the first-e
ass man having already tested the skill OF