Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1882-08-24
That ExcurSiOn.

Might VI Us uGtIQeu " 81, Do-
came reckless and invested half a dol
lar in chicken. My wife steamed and
baked that bird. had his tail quirled a
little by way Of ornament. Thinking
that we might eat more than on ordi-
nary occasions, [ suggested that we
provide against emergency, that we
might be lost away, and referred to the
hungry sufferers Of the "Jeunette.
My other half, being a methodist,
filled that long basket as though we
were going to camp meeting, but we
we're only going to the Dells.
The arrangement was to take a
team at A O. clock a. m, for the station
then by train to Kilbourn city. 1t is
not necessary to say that team went
by about II o clock and [ jumped out
of bed, before | got my eyes open,
and shouted: Wife, the team is here,
hustle out and get into them buds Of
yours in two minutes or we are left.
AS soon as | was presentable or in a
suitable condition to meet ladies, |
went to the door, then to the clock
and then back to bed, too mad to
sleep, until it was time to get up.
In the course of human events we
reached the station, just in time for
the train. Every station was repre-
sented and swelled the number to
about six hundred.
But what | propose to tell you
about is that basket. Besides the
chicken, cake, bread and butter, a jar
of pickles, bottle of cold tea, cups,
saucers, plates, and the thickest
plates in the market, too, table cloth,
towels etc. | mention this to give
you a faint idea of the weight OF that
basket.
We took the steamboat and landed
at cold-water canyon, took up line
of march through that raVine or
gulch or cave or cavern or whatever
you call it, but [ saw no safe place to
set down that inevitable basket. They
said it was a "cool, nice place" in
there where the wet rocks hung over
our heads, and the sun never shone
but | was carrying that basket in one
hand, and with the other wiping a
brow that indicated plainly how [ got
my living.
II tbo oourco ~ t1D,o mo bod din
ner, the cloth was spread and SO was
the victuals, among which was pan
of baked beans. 10 my horror the
whole party filled up with them beans.
bread and butter and cold tongue, and
when we started off my basket seemed
heavier than ever, the only cheering
or encouraging feature in view was
that we would have that for supper,
(meaning our load BY this time |
began to take in the situation. Ny
ostensible business was to geologic,
behold and view the beauties of nat
ure, which by the way were chiefly
overhead, but the basket was too
heavy for me to look up. just then,
what | conceived to be bright idea,
presented itself, which was to leave
that basket on the boat, and wondered
had not thought of it before Act
ing upon that bright idea, [ took it to
the boat and left it in charge Of what
supposed to be the proper officer.
We had nearly finished our wander
ing about, but [ felt relieved Just the
same, when we returned at night
we got the baskets. but the fellow who
sold the lemonade, with whom we had
left them, was gone, and so was the
chicken, cake and all, in fact every
eatable If | had been Spoopendyke
| should have called him a dod gasted
measley pup, but there was no one to
say it to. To wind up the excursion,
We staid over night on the way home,
because it was too dark to drive When
| got up in the morning, [ asked my
wife if the mosquitoes troubled her
any. Mosquitoes You take that
shirt off and shake it; So [ turned
wrong side out and shook. She seemed
to be opposed to mixing the native
and imported breeds
MoRAL.--When you go on an ex
cursion don't take ten days rations t.
foel away one day, and don't forget tC
shake. A. WITNESS.