The pioneer express. [volume] (Pembina, Dakota [N.D.]) 1883-1928, 1886-01-29
Time to Quit 1t.


The old-fashioned custom of getting
up charivari party to raise bcdlam cv.
cry time a wedding occurs, can still be
heard of in some llalf-civilizcd portions
of the country. Newman has not
yet evolved from that relic of barbar-
ism, and such hcathenish rites are somc-
times celebrated in this village. The
daily papers report case of this kindin
Virginia, recently, in which one of the
hoodlums lost his life. The crowd Of
young heather grew SO bold on that &C.
casion as to fire their old muskets
through the window of the bridal cham
Der, frightening the young bride into
fits at a time when she was already
pretty badly scared, and the bridegroom
bounced out of bed and fired q double
barreled shotgun into the crowd, kill
ing ing one and wonnding several others.
The poor bridegroom spent the rest of
the night trying to bring his bride out
of her paroxysm of fright, and had
a duck fit or SO himself before he sue
cecded.
The editor remembers q narrow cs-
cape he had when y boy, at charivari
in which lie helped to play the fool, and,
although the whole crowd hadn't as
much sense as church festival oyster,
he believes now that he was the biggest
fool in the lot, though one of the small
est boys. He had great anxiety to
beat the big base drum on this occasion,
and the drum was on tho front porch of
the house We were going to charivari.
We all slipped noiselcssly into the yard
with a small cannon, a large circular
saw on pole carried by two boys, sew
cral rcvolvers and mulc-kicking mus
kets, plenty of lciSh-bells, cow-bclls.
tln-horns. and various other instruments
Of torture. The firing of the cannon was
the signal for the music" to open with
u grand orchestral crcsccndo diipason.
The embryo editor seized mallct and
proceeded TO bclabor the drum vigor-
oasly, little dreaming that ii was loaded.
The reader will remember that there is
an air-hole in the barrel of every drum,
and when the young editor struck that
drum-hcad about quart of water
squirtcd through the hole i'll the barrel
of the drum and glidcd down the back
of his neck, oh! so cold! But it didn't
have time to stay there, for II vigorous
kick was applied to the spot where the
water had settled, and it landed the
yo,ngstcr against the circular saw,
which bit him with every tooth it had.
If nc hadn't been Il bigger fool thar a
grccnbacker, that would have been
enough ''fun'' for. one night: but ii
wouldn't do for. him, for the fun was
just beginning. So he borrowed an old
Mexican cavalry carbinc, that burned
half pint of gunpow,lrr at ashot. from
81 boy who said he was tired of shooting
it. He loaded it to ''pop," just as any
boy will do on such occasions, and fired
it with all the courage of a veteran. He
heard terrific report. and as he lazy on
The grass looking up at the stars. lie
didn Z hear a sound, and he wondered if
all the rest of the boys were dead. FL
nally, he was able to walk. but lie had
the springhalt in his knees. lie found
another boy doubled up in !. fcnce-cor-
ncr with his collar-bonc broken and the
gun still kicking at it. In the meantime,
the other boys had all fallen in 81 pile,
with the circular saw on top. over Il rope
that had been stretched about six inches
from the ground. One fellow was shot
through the left arm. and the writer,
but for that arm, would have received
that bullet in his back. Ever since that
time he has avoided charivari partcs.-
NcWnan Indepenlcnt.