Wessington Springs herald. (Wessington Springs, Aurora County, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1891, 1890-03-28
MIKE At HIS OWN WAKE.
Sailor Costlosc Surprises the Merry Monrm-
cys at Home.

c7s at H0,nc.
ga funny thing happened some years
ago." said a fisherman to a reporter,
"and if you have time to listen I'll spin
a yarn, which you a put down as gos.
pei truth.
1T was the second year after the
schooner Flying Eagle was built, and I
was one Of her crew. That was in the
latter part of the Cos. At that time all
the boats that supplied the Boston
market with fresh fish made their catch
near the shore, as we term it, that is
near the land.
Gas I said, I was one of the Eagles
crew, and n day we We're fishing on
the northern part Of the Middle Bank,
and n Of our dc1ies, containing Mike
Costlow and John Rafford, missed the
vessel during the heavy snow-storm
that set in while we were hauling
travis.
after searching for them all the
afternoon we gave it up and sailed for
Boston.
"Costlow belonged to this port and
the women folks kicked up q terrible
time when they heard the bad news,
and the only consolation we could offer
was that they might be picked up by a
passing vessel.
well! for three weeks the neighbors
and relatives waited a%nxiously for the
sea to give up it's dead or their friends
return, and as neither was the result of
their wait, they decided to have q first
class wake. Costlow's folks lived on
Battery street, and his best suit of
clothes was taken down from the peg in
the closet and stuffed with hay.
after all was ready the neighbors
came in to view the dummy that was
stretched on the table and bewail his
loss.
after the farce had been carried on
for some time a heavy step was heard
on the stairs and then a stumble.
We'll, said I, ''pon my word, who
ever he is, he's in luck, cause he's
tumbling upstairs
"The crying went on for some time,
then all Of a sudden there was a loud
knock at the door.
"'Arrah! who can this be that
knocking at a wake house door?' cried
an old lady, but before she could re-
ceiye an answer in walked Costlow as
large as life.
We'll, talk about a stampede, there
was one. Some climbed out of the
windows and dropped on the next shed.
Others rushed for the next room and
the remainder crawled under the table.
What's this" said Costlow. is it
me or my step-husband? and fetching
a kick at the dummy he destroyed the
whole outfit in short notice.
"'Give us a cup Of tea,' said he, sand
none of this fooling. It's no way to
welcome a man home after being away
three weeks on board a vessel where
there was nothing to eat but the masts.'
after awhile one person said: 1t is
Mike, I believe
"'Of course it u.s. said he, and if
thought ! would look anything like that
stuffed corpse in the corner the devil a
die I'd ever want to die on the EARTH
He then explained that he and his
chum were picked up by a German
bark, and during the heavy northwest
gale that came the next day they
We're driven to sea and their sails blown
away. After repairs We're made they
again headed toward Boston, but were
again blown off the coast; then thew
were favored by fair winds and arrived
in port in a dilapidated condition.
"After he landed he made his wav to
the house, and seeing Grape on the door
asked some people who was dead, and
being Informed that it was himself
proposed to quietly put in an appear
ance.
you know the rest. But I am sorry
to say that poor Mike was lost on
Georges a few years ago, when the
schooner Paul Revere went down with
all hands during a heavy winter gale"
Boston Globe.