The Osceola times., 1882-05-13
That New lIdea.


We don't want to say a word to dis
courage those New York people from in.
PRODUCING the bow and arrow into their
fire department., nor do we want to throw
a doubt on the idea that ninety.nine men
out OF a hundred can catch hold of rope
and safely descend from q seventh story
window. All we propose to do is to call
attention to trial made on Lacrosse
street yesterday afternoon. A couple OF
citizens who had given the matter much
deep thought, decided TO experiment a
little. 1t was exactly o'clock to dot
when one appeared in a second story
window with look of mortal terror on
his face, and the other stood on the walk
below with bow and arrow in his grasp
and a smile of selfconfdence running
clear back to his hind collar button. At
tached to the arrow was stout fish-line,
and attached to that was an inch rope,
and six small boys grouped themselves
around to bet that it couldn't be done.
dow, as he looked down-"the idea is
that this building is on fire. lam Chi.
cago drummer. | am surrounded by
flames. Exit by the stairs is cut off.
Even cheek cannot save me. If / do
not have aid from below Pm goner."
"And the idea is to shoot you up this
line,' said the man with the bow. "You
receive it, haul up the rope, make it fast,
and down you come with never button
missing. Here she isp'
Ii was noble shot. Had bird been
roosting exactly six feet to the left of that
window he'd have been driven right
through the clap.boards. The man with
the bow muttered something about
rheumatism in the elbow and tried again.
The arrow struck about four feet to the
right this time. A third shot hit the
sash and bounded OIL, and the man up
staits called out
whats the matter down there? I'd
burn up three times over il there was a
fire here"
"I've got to practice a little," growled
the other; and after four or five more
shots he sent the arrow into the window.
Some one jumped up and down and swore
and howled, and then the man put his
head out and yelled: .
do you want to kill me or rescue me?
You've nearly destroyed my left eye with
that Internal arrow.'
Never mind your eye, but pull up the
rope"
The fsn-line ascended, and then the
rope climbed after it. The man up stairs
made moose, slipped it under the leg of
the bedstead, and was presently seen at
the window. 1t took him inst seven
minutes to back out clear of the sill and
get firm hold of the rope, and when his
feet swung clear, his hair stood on end
an his eyes bulged out like thirty.cent
plaques with white ground work.
"Come right DOWN. called the man
with the bow.
"How far is il ?"
"Not over fifteen feet"
The man intended TO come down in a
graceful manner and receive the plaud-
its of the multitude, but as soon as his
weight frightened the rope, the bedstead
made rush for the window. There was
a whoop and yell, and then something
struck the ground with thud. When
that something arose he called the man
with the bow many hard names before
stopping for breath, and two of the boys
who stood nearest were picked up and
shot out into the mud as if they had
been chips. 1t was only after crowd
had collected that the "Chicago drum
mer" limped away and the other man
pulled up the rope and lowered the win
dow. When a policeman cane rushing
up and wanted to know who had been
bitten by a dog, a boy called out:
"Nawbody They was a.shootin' a
rope up there, and there was an awful
fire and one fellow was cut off from his
exit, and he was comm down through
the winder, when all at once he lit right
there where the ground is torn up, and
they said they could lick each other in
less'n by thunder and blazes, and that's
all we know about ii %