Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1890-10-23
THE NAME WAS SPILLED.


THE NAME WAS SPILLED.
A Queer Calamity that Overlook Mis-
issippi Family.
l have met a great many uncOnsciouslv
amusing peOple-have seen whole famil-
les whose lives and whose simple affairs
seemed to have been desi gned for no pur-
pose but that of relieving by unattended
drollery the weary cares for other people
Some time ago | was walking a deeply
shaded road In Mississippi when suddenly,
upon rounding bend. | came noon an
odd group of humanity. Under large tree
there was small Children enough to stock
a school, and very small baby lay on
shawl. A tall, espondent-looking nan
stood leaning against sapling, looking
at woman who sat on a log.
"Hol on thar a mint, " said the woman,
getting up and approaching me: did
you see anything OF a clay bank boss an
gray nag with one ear gomez"
mo, | answered.
You seed pices of the wagon, | reck-
on?"
mo, have not
''Then you ain been on the road long?
Pap, she exclaimed, wheeling about and
swapping at the man who lodged as if a
stone had been thrown at him, why
don't you stir around? You put me in
mind of a sick kitten a-leanins agin
hot rock
whats the usen stirren' round when
it won't do no good?' he answered.
''What' the matter?'' | asked.
''W'y, ole Nick has broke loose an we
are ruined. " said the woman ken YOU
sympathize with a body?"
''Oh, yes; | am known among my
friends as a great sympathizer y"
"Wall, come over here an set down
on this log an I'll tell you all about it.
Two months ago our last baby was borned
thar he les-an' then we commenced to
stir around for name, know, an Pap
knows that the name has more to do with
a child's success in life than anythi .g
else, and we wa 1ted to fix this boy up a
name that would jess nachuly ketch folks
an hold 'em. We thought an thought,
but couldn't hit on nothin'. You see,"
sre continued, waving her hano at the
collection of children. that we have had
to fix up so many names in our time that
it ain t no light matter to skeer up new
one. Pap, ne amt no manner ac-
count"
Now, puss," the man broke in "whut
do you wanter come a-slammin' me
fur? The Lawd knows I've done the bes
| kin.
The Lawd knows you ain t done moth
in. she snapped. "Well, as | tell you,
we commenced to scratch around for a
name. We called in the reighbors to get
EN- to help US, an they help us al: they
could, | reckon, but thar was no outcome
a-tall My brother-in-law, that is the con-
stable down here about ten miles, recon-
nlzed the trouble we was in an put off his
work to come up an help US on for he
knows that it's the Jims an Bills that
have to work like dogs while the felers
with the fine names goes to the legisl atur'.
But be went back home without dom us
much good, but he make US promise that
we would hitch right up as soon as we set
tied on name an drive overfo his house;
an that was whar we was a.goin' when
the team tuck an ran away. We hit on a
name last night. Oh it was the pnttiest
name | ever hearn-j ust as sofC as a lambs
wool.
what is your name?" | asked.
Thar comes the trouble, mister. We
hltched up this mornin, as happy a
family as you ever seed, but now look
at Us. Flung down into the sink-hole
of despair. While VIC were drivin' along,
pap, thar, kept on tuchin' up the clay
bank boss"
mo, didn't muir. he protested
''Shet 70 mouth; | know you did. [
told him to let old Ciaybank alone, s she
continued, talking to ne; "hut no, he must
keep techln' him up an the fust thing we
know d the bosses run away and spilled us
all out
None of you were hurt, suppose, were
you?"
''Oh, none of US were hurt, but we lost
the name!"
Lost the name.'
Eyes, thought pap had it fixed in his
mind, but when | axed him fur it, why it
wern t thar Just as he hit the ground |
yelled, | did, pap, hold ON to that NAME,
but he turped it loose"
"How could | hold it, " the fellow plead
ed, when it was joited outen me? | amt
no box with lock on it.
''Oh, no, you hain't nuthin, an that's
the trouble. Ef | hadn ter thought he
was agoin to hold on to the name would
a done it, although | never did have no
but it is all dun past now an
here we air ruint, An ies look at our
ing UP g. roll of white butter that looked
dS UnOUgU III might DC DIS HdTu 6S d IOCh,
so great and petrifying had been the age
that bad passed over it. eve was goin
10 have regular feast over thar, but it is
dun past now fur than name is gone for
ever"
sit wa mt my fault, tell you" the man
shouted.
She turned and looked at him mo-
ment, and then, ''hauling off with the
,a of hrtter ctruck him between the
ewes and laid him out could not help
laughing. She seized another ball and
spoke the simple and impressive word,
'mosey," and ''mosied.'
TIVE Deaths ut DodEeville.
DoDGEvILLE, Wis, O;t. William
Hoskius. one of the oldest settlers in this
,ity, and highly esteemed, and Mrs. John
Evans, highly respected lady, both died
1erA LAST NIGHT