The Kenosha telegraph. [volume] (Kenosha, Wis.) 1860-1888, 1884-09-05
TWO BRAVE BOYS.


To find examples Of courage one does
not need to go back into history. Near
~ every day we read in the papers of
brave deeds which people are doing,
and it very often happens that they are
done by boys and girls.
William and Frank Hardina are the
sons of a Bohemian cigar-maker in
West Farm, just above New York
City. Frank, who is twelve years old,
gtill COS to school, but William, being
two years older, helps his father at
home. In the family they speak the
Bohemian tongue, but to the gentleman
who interviewed them for this article
their language was pure American.
Most street boys in New York have
dialect of their own-a sort of English
as she is spoke" which improves upon
the ordinary tongue by turning til into
d, and using great many words which
neither Mr.. Webster nor Mr.. Worcester
ever heard of. From these faults the
speech of the Hardina boys is quite
free; neither is it marked by any for
eign accent.
Before coming to New York they
lived in Springfield, Mass, and Detroit,
Mich, and it was in the latter place
that they learned to swim.
They'd chuck us into the wafer"
said the elder, by way of explanation,
''and we'd either have to swim or sink.
So by practice in the art the boys be-
came as much at home in the water
as out of it. They were told, too, by
their father that if they ever saw any
one drowning they must not hesitate to
jump in. 'sDon't wait to take your
clothes off, said the father; even if you
do get them wet sha'n't punish you"
So instructed, they knew what they
were to do when the time came. ]
don't suppose they ever imagined it
would come, but all the same they.
were prepared; and being ready to use
ones knowledge is quite as necessary
as to have the knowledge Gtself. I
don't suppose, either, that Annie Over
packer and Mamie Carol ever mag
ined that they would owe their lives to
the circumstance OF the Bohemian BOYS
being tossed into the Detroit River.
But our lives hang together by very
queer threads, and this is what actually
happened.
Annie and Mamie, who live in Ire
mont, a short distance from West
Farms, had gone on picnic one after
noon in July. with Annie's aunt and
some other friends. The picnic was
held in q grove on the banks of the
Bronx River, and near by Sunday
school picnic was also being held. Any
one who has travelled on the Harlem
& New Haven Railroad will recollect
the winding little stream that follows
the course of the road, as one nears
New York, with as many twists and
turns as if it were q serpent. Near the
shore the river is shallow enough, and
in parts of its course it drifts Iazily
along, and clearly shows the pebbly
bottom. But here and there are
treacherous holes where the water is at
least thirty feet deep. and where one
might drown as easily as if the little
brook were Long Island Sound or the
Atlantic Ocean. With care, however,
bathing is not unsafe, but whether it
was or not, the girls had promised
themselves this sport as a part of the
picnic. So, having put on their bath
ing-dresses, they Waded out into the
water, and stood there for q time
watching the motions OF Annie's broth
er, who had swum out beyond them,
and was yainly urging them to 'come
ahead
By-and-by the brother got tired, and
struck out down the stream. The girls
then turned their attention to them
selves, and playfully tried to see which
could ''duck' the other. Moving back
ward step by step, they were getting
out into the river, and, without know
ing it, one of the great holes was yawn-
ing behind them. Now they are on the
brink of it. Suddenly one steps over,
and with loud cry, striving to recover
herself, grasps the other and drags her
into the watery depths. Before those
who are watching from the shore can
realize what has taken place, the chill
dren have disappeared, and only the
widening ripples show where they have
sunk. Wild shrieks go up from the
shore, and one woman, who is Annie'
aunt, becomes frantic with terror, and is
about to leap in after them. Two
mounted policemen gaze stupidity on
the scene, unable to do anything, for
neither can swim.
No one had noticed two barefooted
boys who were fishing on the bank not
far away. All at once there is cry:
"We'll save themr' followed by a
splash, and two heads are seen swim
ming in the water. The two boys are
the Hardinas, and they have remem-
bered their fathers advice.
Quick as they were, however, the
girls had already risen and sunk twice.
Only one more chance remained, and as
one of the girls came up for the third
and last time to the surface, William
grasped for her, and holding her tight,
made for the shore It was Mamie Car
roll, the smaller of the two, leaving the
older and heavier girl to the twelve
year-old boy. Frank, however, was not
unequal TO the task, and as Annie's
head came to the surface he clutched
at the long hair. But it slipped through
his wet fingers and the girl went down,
clutching at his foot and dragging him
along with her. Kicking away her hold,
he dived after her, and caught her once
more. Then, throwing one arm around
her neck, and holding her securely in
that position, he rose to the surface.
managed to place her on his back, and
soon found himself in place where he
could walk to land.
When he could put down his burden
not light one for boy Of his age
the people who f'ocked around found
her insensible. Indeed, it took over an
hour to revive her. Meanwhile the
boys wrung out their wet clothes, and
received the congratulations of the
crowd and somewhat embarrassing en-
braces Of the girls friends. No one
thought of offering any reward but the
policeman, and he contributed fifty
cents.
The cop,'' says William, in telling
the story, s.eave me half dollar; but [
lost my fishing line, and the red on
my suspenders all came off on my shirt
from the wet. =
Beyond this, oweyer. their garments
were not damaged; and I have no doubt
that Mr.. Hardina kept his word, and
that the boys were praised at home for
their COURAGE as much as thew deserved.