The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1884-09-05
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Macon (0a.) Telegraph. During
the interval between tho letting out and
the taking in Of school the small boy
has been endsayouring tokill time with
the varied amusements incidental TO the
lie Of the youth.
The school.house had not fairly closed
their doors before the boys were bstting
and bslling ct the park and over the
back streets: Que could not leave the
maddening crowd ON the busy thorough
fares and step into the residence por-
ton of the city without running afoul
OF . game Of that national nuisance-
bass ball.
But the sun grew hot Is the summer
solstice came on, and the balls and bats
were laid away, and the boys took MP
kites. Every household ives robbed Of
its papers, laid carefully away to read
on Sunday, TO DO used up in the manu-
facture Of kites. But the small hoy of
the period needs something moro excit-
ing than standing like statue Keeling up
and Watching the wriggle Of . kite tail.
Consequently the kite season was Of
short duration.
Then the flremaniac fever struck them,
and everywhere knots Of boys could be
seen with miniature hose carts running
ct full tilt down the sidewalks. The
merchants were robbed Of their sprink-
ling hose and nozxles to supply the de-
msnd. This also had its run, and the
hose-cart went the way Of winter fuel.
Then came the walking match mania.
Go where you would you would find q
brace or 80 Of coatless boys, painting o.
they strobe around the blocks, whip
ping their bare calves with keen peach
tree switches, and hopping brows with
sponges stolen from the bath-tubs. In
additional to these walking matches they
had hurdle races by stretching cords at
intervals IN the alleyways and jumping
over them.
These crazes having been thoroughly
exhausted, the season is now on us when
the small boy is ripe for Satan, who is
said to be always ready to find some.
thing for idle hands to do. II is the
time when, tho legitimate amusements
being pegged out, the small boy must
tax his ingenuity to kill time. But day
draws its weary length along with them.
We mentioned yesterday how he trailed
stuffed snakes across the sidewalk at
night and frightened pedestrians out of
their wits. But the stuffed snake rack
ct has about subsidized, and they arc con-
juring up other bedevilment. We hear
from them in every direction. A gen.
tleman on Academy square missed his
favorite house cat the other day, and on
going into the back yard he discovered
his boys with the sprinkling hose.
They had fastened the cat in the henooop
and with the nozzle through the cracks
were giving pussy shower bath that
was not at all pleasant.
A College street father found his boys
IN stable. They had partitioned off a
small room, supplied it with counters
and shelves, and had a regular grocery
store, doing q thriving business. The
father discovered that all the preserves,
canned goods, sugar, pickles, and 10 on
had been taken from his pantry, and
were being bartered to the neighbor-
hood boys. A branded peach was
worth two glass agates, and top cord
would command match box full of
peach preserves.
And 10 it goes. We could fill col
umn with the depredstions upon the
family pantry and pocketbook by these
boys who are waiting for school to re-
sumo. As that time is nearly two
months of, the prospect is that the
town will not only be painted deep red,
but turned upside down.