The herald., 1895-12-01
DRIVING GEESE FOUR IN HAND

Jack Harper was an old man. He came
to Ohio Falls from Newcastle, England,
and was employed by the j., NJ. & +.
Railroad company in its shops, which
were at that time located in this city
good mechanic and fond OF fun. 1t was
i'll the summer of 1870, and there was to
be grand Fourth OF July celebration at
old Camp Holt. in which not only the
shop men but hundreds OF others were
to take part. The managers of the affair
were very anxious to make it a grand
success, and for that purpose racKed their
brains for novelties, but when Jack
Harper proposed to tame team of geese
and attach them to a washJub, IN which
he proposed to sail down over the rapids
of the Ohio and land just below the pic
| hic grounds, they were paralyzed, espe-
cially when he insisted that it could cas-
lily be done, and to prove his assertion
began forthwith to train his proposed
: team of four geese.
one way or another in the picnic are still
alive, and some of them reside at Indian
apolis. These will remember that Harp
| er began to train his odd team on the
quiet waters of the Ohio river above the
falls. He put queer three-cornered yokes
upon the necks Of the birds, and by
means of these attached them to mis- frai
craft. He guided them by means of reins
attached to their bills and long, straight
switch. 1t took nearly three months
and much patience before he had his
birds IN trim, but the geese showed them
selves much more intelligent and teach
able than they get credit for, and the
people of Jeffersonville had the satisfac-
ton OF knowing that III their city was
the only four-goose team in the world.
Long before the Fourth OF July tbs
queer outfit was the talk OF the three falls
cities, and when the great day arrived
there was uoncourse of thousands at
the picnic grounds. waiting to see the
novel I.ohengrin descend the river. Ii
was near noon when he launched his un-
wiedy bark from the Indiana shore at
the government dam and began his de-
scent the geese swimming proudly ahead
and drawing the teetery vessel in which
Harper was balancing himself. The falls
of the Ohio are not safe for good, we'll
manned boat, unless the crew understand
the currents and know tho rocks, so it
can better be imagined than told what
risk Harper ran in mis- washtub. But
he bravsly went on, keeping mis- geese,
who swerved occasionally from the chan
mel, in the way they should go by means
of his switch. He managed his team ad-
mirably, in spite of his uncomfortable
and delicate position in the tub, and the
crowd cheered him as he safely passed
one danger point after the other, but as
he swung around the bend to the deep
ana swift waters Oh tne DIG euuV the "inu
rose to almost a gale and water began to
dash over him and into his tub, and to
make matters worse the geese became
unruly and would not obey his guidance.
lie must have been cool-headed man
! not to hav, lost his head. but he did not,
and with a great effort and much coaxing
and whipping. he managed to turn his
refractory team inshore, and reached land
safely amid the huZZahs OF the crowd.
lie was com pletaly drenched and worn
out. Since then no one has attempted
to descend the falls Of the Ohio in tub
drawn by team uf gecse.-Indianapolis
News.