The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1889-05-18

in these parts this week, lie mas peeh
quite poorly Of late.
Mr.. and Miss Shaw, Of Ottawa, and
friends from Pa, visited Mrs. Joseph Boyd
on Thursday of this week.
Jack Fogle desires the assistance OF one
hundred hands in eradioatiEg the weeds
from his corn on the lower forty.
John Ostrander has a fine field OF corn on
the creek bottom.
Sandy Shields Of Chicago visited friends
here this week.
|. II. Parshall was in Chicago not long
since buying goods for the store
Hornick is putting a new awning on the
front Of his store.
Insurance agents we're numerous in this
burg this week. The Ellsworth accident
will add large number OF names to the
policy list of the Michigan Mutual,
Sanders Bros, of Ottawa, lately put in
some fine counters at Dearth u Pashall'
store
Maggie Boyd spends the coming Sunday
at home in Livingston Co.
DR.. Hester is quite busy this spring on
account of the large amount Of sickness.
The young ladies' Of the Presbyterian
church will give a strawberry and ice cream
festival on Thursday evening. Everybody
is kindly invited to at end,
Allie Poundstone met with quite an acct
dent the first Of the week. While running
down hill in company with other girls, she
made misstep and fell headlong, injuring
herself inwar1ly. She is now under the
care Of the doctor, but today (friday) 10
some better.
Calvin French returned from school last
Saturday evening.
Eli Hodgson is repairing his house this
week,
Mark Trude has been improving since be.
ing brought home.
Mrs. Joseph Boyd was in Ottawa Tues
day of this week, visiting at MIR, Shaw's:
Quarterly meetinz was held at the Old
Methodist church last Sunday.
sam and James Redmond have purchased
new threshiug machine.
Bird Finley was in Ottawa last Friday.
Mrs. j, G.. Porter has some choice towers
In bloom.
On account Of the rain last Sunday eye'
ming the attendance at church was very
slim.
The depredations Of foxes being quite in
furious to some of our farmers, couple OF
our noted huntsmen, viz Stumph and kyon,
took unto themselves the task of extlrpatlng
the wary animal Everything in readiness,
they started one bright moonlight night for
the rendezvous, viz, the old house on the
Poundstone farm. As 1t happened, they did
not have gun suitable for the occasion,
and borrowed one of neighbor (Rockwood),
which was depicted as fine frearm, and
one of known qualities. As the rendezvous
WAS some distance from their homes, the
conversation on the way over was on differ
ent subjects. Mike chuckled to himself on
his qualifications as hunter of ye olden
times, and the many wild animals which fell
victim to his deadly aim, and the proba'
bility Of having the satisfaction Of a fine red
fox to show Jack Fog!e or Tom McDermot
the next time he saw them, etc. Stumph
unused over his soldier days in the 900 S."
and thought he deserved the use of the gun,
as many a "Johnny" had "skedadled' in
front Of his deadly aim" As luck would
have it for the fox, Stumph was handed the
gun, and Ryan was to go on picket, as 1t
were. After an hour of impatient watching,
Stumph thought the noise made by Ryan's
heavy walking and earnest talk on the horse
trade of the present month kept the fox
away, and he persuaded Ryon to stay on
picket in the road, short distance from the
house. In due time thereafter, the cunning
fox did make its appearance in the meadow
adjacent to the house, and RyOn, who is
never found mapping, when on duty, gave
the alarm and then Stumph was all excite
mt and nervousness and Ryon had the laugh
"Don't know what makes me so shaky it
must be have been smoking too much Of
late" THAT red fur in the distance don't
look much like Johnny, but that right
arm of mine is rathur nervous for such an
occasion as this, by Jove. | wish Ryon had
the gun"
The gun is cooked, and everything is in
readiness (; the fox is leisurly making bee
line for the waiting missile. "Takc good
aim" yells Ryon, from the road The
critical moment has come; All, me, bang
goes the old gun, prematurely discharged
by nervous touch of the finger, and the
fox shakes its bushy tail in defiance of the
angry hunters, as it spins away over the
meadow toward the timber.
The thoughts Of the two huntsmen on
their return journey we do not attempt to
describe Suffice it to say they are quite
mum on the fox question. Dew DROP