River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1886-08-26
WILLIE'S TRAP.

Brave and courageous deeds are be-
ing done about Us daily, which the world
outside seldom hears Of. One of these
deeds has lately come under my obser-
walton. and | am going to tell the boys
who ike TO hear true stories. what an
other boy has done.
On a small homestead farm. in
one of our Western States, lives Uncle
Joe Sampson. Ii is about five miles
away from village. and is a rather
lonely place in the woods, with no
neighbOrs nearer than two miles.
Last fall nephew of Uncle JOe's came
from the city TO visit him. Willie
/ Dane was about fourteen, quick-wit-
/ ted. courageous fellow, who had never
been IN the woods until that season.
{ He brought gun with him. and Uncle
/ Joe, who Is q great hunter and trapper,
took great pleasure in showing his
nephew how TO hunt deer and such
other game as abOunds in the locality
i'm which he lives. When the corn
began 10 mature. Uncle Joe discovered
signs" of bear.
..IIl have TO get the old trap out
and clean it ups he said TO Willie.
When the corn gets ripe | think we
shall be able Il catch bear or two.
/ They'll come to the corn field for
something 10 eat, for the beechnuts
and acOrns viii be gone by that time,
because there ism { many this year.
So the old trap was brought down
+ from the shed-lOft, and Uncle Joe oiled
/ its stout spring ana made such
repairs on il as were necessary, and
pronounced himself ready for Bruin
whenever he was driven by hunger
+ 20 seek food in the cOrntield.
= think it must be a pretty hard
I Job 10 set the trap. said Willie, rs ne
Z looked IL over. Il don't see how YOU
I 20 10 work 10 crowd the spring down. :
i II show YOU about that some dav.
! answered Uncle Joe. Its easy
enough when YOU know how.
\ Uncle Joe owed about fifty dollars
on a span OF horse lie had bought in
the spring He had been cutting wood
at odd spells during the summer. which
which was 10 be sold 10 the railroad
running through the village. lie could
earn enough la this way to finish paw
in- FOR MS horses
One dav he was notified hy the agent
Of the railroad company to maui the
wood to town. When it was there he
could have the money for IL. Accord
ingly he set To work 81 once. and at
the end of the week the wood was all
piled up at the depot, and he came
back from town with enough money in
his pocket to make the last payment on
his team.
Il don I care to carry II about with
me. - lac SaII To his wife that evening
III put 1t in this box. tn be safe
enough here. guess, till l get n
chance To send il TO Brown. So Tn
Gle Joe put the money in box that
stood on a little shelf in one corner Of
the living room. and supposed that no
one but himself. his wife and Willie.
knew an thing about it. But rs he
found out afterward. a tramp saw him
put the money away. Tramps were
+ numerous in that part Of the country
and were often discovered providing
about the house after dark. but he new
. er once thought of such a thing Is be-
ing seen by one when he put the money
in the box. The next afternoon Uncle
/ Joe came in from the cOrn-field and
said that bear had been at work in
the corn.
/ well set the trap tonight. he
said III show you how its done
now. if you'll 20 and bring 1t in
I Willie went TO the shed. took the trap
down from the nail upon which Uncle
Joe had hung it after oiling it. and
brought it into the kitchen.
/ Bring one of the hand-spikeS that ;
out by the wOOd-pile. said Uncle Joe,
I AMI Willie did so. Then his uncle put
one end Of the lever in a crack between
/ the logs of which the house was built,
I close to the floor. and placed the stiff
spring under it. BY bearing down on
I the lever the spring was shut together.
allowing the jaws of the trap to fall
open. Ii was then an easy matter 10
fasten them open by turning a piece of
iron over one of them and fitting the
end of il in notch ~ the side of the
pan. If anything touched his ''pan"
the pressure on Il released the iron
from the notch. and the great spring
would fly up and Hing the jaws togeth-
er like a flash. and whatever happened
TO be between them when they closed.
was sure to stay there until some one
saw III to liberate it.
Il see how IL Is done now. said Viii
lie. Il wouldn't ike 10 get my foot in
there" he added. looking at the Jaws
of the trap. which had sharp teeth
something ike those of a saw. along
each inner edge. just then a knock
Was heard - the door, and Mrs. Samp-
son admitted boy who was greatly eX-
cited. He ina come for help. Their
nearest neigh Dor had been severely in
iured by falling tree. His wife was
afraid he would die. and she wanted.
ncle Joe and his wife 10 come atonce
was beginning TO grow dusky when
hey went.
Il don't know when we u be back,
said Uncle Joe. Not sill late, any
way. and probably not tOaight. But
Won aren't afraid 20 stay alOnNs | sup
Dose?'
'.Of course not. answered Willie.
and SO he was left 10 take care of the
house. while they went to help their
neighbor in his need. He attended 10
the chores about the house and barn.
When this was done it was quite dark.
Then he ate his supper in the kitchen,
and after that he took down his gu1.
MAlEA AlN nAfA srtNlA Aa-4tl- INIT NAtANs asAAa
cleaned IL carefully. thus using I'D az
hour of tho rather lonesome evening.
lie had Just put the gun away when he
heard the sound Of steps on the path
aiding from the road. Uncle Joe
must be coming back. he thought.
But Le was mistaken here The door
opened. and a rather suspicious look
inc stranger came IN.
..How 4 I've do?" was his gruff salu-
iatian "Keepin' house alone. ain
yes
Yes. for little while" answered
Willie.
i see the old man an woman when
they went away. said the visitor. SO
I tho't I'd call round an take a look
into This ere box" When he said this
! he went Ia the shelf in the corner. took
down the box in which Uncle Joe had
put his fifty dollars, ana drew out the
money aud put it into his pocket
Put that backI' cried Willie, il