Wichita eagle. [volume] (Wichita, Kan.) 1886-1890, 1888-11-02
A DAY ON CO0NEY ISLAND.

The 18th day Of September was nenora-
BILE day il the annals Of Cooney Island-a
day On which the pulse Of that locality
ehrobbed with unwonted excitement, and the
traces OF tears were seen on many a rosy and
wrinkled cheek. The dramatic occurrence
which marked the autumn day elected the
sage reflection from Nike WEIGH: ''Besorra,
/ ye can't tell fwhat minute is goin' e be yer
mkt" This remark was understood by those
who heard it to imply g weighty phiiosophic
truisn as TO the uncertainty Of life; a sort Of
Sin the midst Of life etc. deduction. But
when the sun rose On that eventful day and
shot his glances Of light down into the little
valley there was nothing in the atmosphere
the pain brewing in the crucibls Of Fate.
( The leaves in Lindsey's Wood whispered as
,blithely, the chicken hawk circled On still
wing over Doolan's yard where the goslings
were, and the female portion Of Mrs. Firms
dairy nla-a-a-ed just as plaintively as she
had done on other and less eventful days
7 Indeed, the ordinary routine Of duties was
taken up In the habitual Finn manner At
o'clock Mr.. Finn slouched down the Old
Point road to his work in the Glory Hole Of
the cement quarry. At o'clock the break
fast dishes had been cleared away by Mrs
Finn.
At 7:30 little Mike stepped into the back
yard with long putty blower in his hand.
! The nanny goat was quietly feeding on a
cabbage stump near the door. Mickey
climbed over the fence into the adjoining lot,
and lay down in the long grass He had a
hunk OF fresh dough in his hand. Lying on
his back he carefully trained his putty blower
on hornets nest under the gable Of the
roof, and sent chunk of dough with IN
erring aim into the fragile nest A dozen
hornets, mad with rage, few out and carted
through the air in search of the aggressor
Then another round shot of dough cut like a
bullet through the nest. This awakened an
army of Infatuated horneta They darted in
erratic flight around the chimney, they flew,
these winged poison bearers, under the caves,
and even circied around the shanty. Then,
as though animated with a unanimous desire
to kill the nanny, they all few in swarm
down upon the helpless animal
Twenty insect backs were bumped and
twenty darts were driven home in her sleek
hide. Her short tail shot upward ike a jury
/ mast on adisgnantled ship. She jumped four
feet into the air and her loud cries of pain
awoke the echoes in the valley She began
turning suunsrsaults and running bEndly
against the fence.
''Arrah, musha, lux a. that nowi'' cried
Mrs, Finn, as she came TO the door with a
plate in her band FAX, I'm afeard tn
nanny's looney.n
While the goat was apparently striving to
stand on her head and to scrape the hornets
OF by contact with the fence, Mrs Finn
threw a bed quilt over her and carried the
struggling animal into the kitchen. mutter-
ing as she did so, "Oh, dear; oh, dear; her
milk'll be split intoirely."
With the help Of Mrs. O'Brieu, who had
been attracted by the dissurba the nanny
was swathed In baudages of red flannel and
poulticed with wet salt and wood ashes.
Meanwhile little Mike went grinnlng down
the road on his way to school.
During the afternoon Mickey drowned siI
flies IN tie Ink bottle, and cut three new
notches II bis desk, he was the last scholar
caught chewing gum, and was forced to
stand on the platform beside the teacher with
a clothespin on his nose and chew gum as
hard as he could chew for al hour And
while his jaws ached, and he was forced to
breathe through his mouth, he suffered the
humiliation Of being laughed at by the
school. But when he was dismissed little
Mike bounded away like colt in meadow
When he arrived at home he found the
nanny still swathed in bandages. She made
picturesque iect, relieved as she was in
her red flannel adjournment, against the green
grass Of the roadside. As soon as little Mike
appeared at the door bis mother saiueed him
with:
Mickey, 50 down tn road en- meet yer
father whin he's comm round til turn Tell
him t. 60 down c tn coInpanys store an git
wan quarter iv pound iv Crane and black
tea, mixed, half pound " brown sugar, an
baar iT yaller soep-wuu ~ thin weenJ
S clint bars. and mind re tel him to charge
It Are ye hungry, NE ladf Well, come
here til | give re q slice o bread an ulolas-
kes Win yere comm back I'll lave ye
scrape out th' nolssses pail, SO viii, bekase
there's ony that much Cao.asses IN tn pail
ash stick { Ia sides"
Encouraged by the promise Of so nuIniA-
cent reward, little Mike fastened CT IN
pursuit Of the billy goAs, which animal be
quickly harnessed to the bone cart. When
his mother had closed the door Of the shanty
he secured the nanny also and put Ter between
the shafts, 50 that be had his team hItcned
tandem Down the reed dashed shis unique
turnout, followed by q crowd Of adnirIng
children The windows along the route were
flied with iuquirInS faces as the goats went
By ct sallop, the billy making frequent de-
tours in pursuit Of dogs, and more than one
mother proposs.ed eventual harm TO that
dare divvil, Mickey Finn"
Just where the road turns down steep IN
cine leading 10 tie PoockhocAie chapei there
rises blue stone wall forty feet in height
topped with primitive railing. Nr. Finn
lad 20 pass this spot on his way home, and
here little Nuke put the goats out 70 pasture
on green knoll With bis usual reckless
rcss, be seated himself on the top OF tie wall
with ms fest dangling over the edge. While
Looking downward toe thought occurred 20
him that Il would De 6 great achievement 70
climb down the face Of the vail With
oct waiting to estimate tee danger of the
Undertaking, he threw his cap into tee
wagon, ESatecsd tie strap which he'd
CD his Trousers, crypt carefully over the edge
azi 6isa appeared from the view Of the goats
His action attracted toe billys attention,
and the osd gzybeard deliberately walked to
tie wall, draggiog the nanny and the wagon
after hin. and looked down a. h,s master,
who was cEnxirz ike leeea 70 sbs stocs
,oS slo-I- making his way 6cwzws-d Ths
goat snorsed h,s disguzcor the adventure ana
sedassiy we-a back TO his feeding. Scarcely
had Mickey begun his hazardous unde-eak-
ing, howevs<, when crowd began TO gather
il the road below, attracted by tie unusual
ard toes upon the tace Of forty foot vail
descent 100 persons bad gathered IN tbs road,
and stood. with upscrned. frightened faces.
watching the climber. One u.otheriy Irish