The Forest Republican. [volume] (Tionesta, Pa.) 1869-1952, 1895-07-03
faced, skinny little fellows-but

every face ashine with eagerness.
While Mr.. Hallett had been issuing
the invitations the giver of the pot
latch had been equally busy. He had
strobe hithez and thither, made pur.
chases and sent kilograms.
Presently oil was ready. Across
the ferry they we're bundled into the
cars, and a variety Of boxes of all
sizes were thrust into the express car
and away they went.
II was still early in the forenoon
when they reached their destination
q pretty green powered country vil-
lage that Mr.. Hallet had recon-
mended-and there was brass band
at the depot to meet them.
"Were here, fellersl" cried Mr..
Joplin to his boys. 'This is the
place. It's out in the open air, an
to-day's the Fourth of July. Yell all
you want to. The band will now
play !"
The musicians headed the process
sion Of whooping lads to q pleasant
grove just outside the town. The boys
who couldn't run, walked, and those
who couldn't walk rode in long
wagon on top of the boxes that had
come from the city.
In the coolest, shadiest spot in the
grove q long, long table was set, al
most staggering under its load of de.
licious eatables.
1.-The first thing" said Mr.. Joplin's
big voice, sis to eat. Some of us
didn't have as much breakfaft as we
wanted, an mebby somo of us didn't
have any at all. So, eat now, fellers,
an talk later on"
All those urchins fell upon that long
table almost like as many ravenous
wolves. And then in a moment Jimmy
whispered something to Knucks, and
Knucks hoped over to where Mr..
Hallett was and whispered to him:
"Mebby we oughtn't to eat too
much, sir. 1t costs lots of money an
perhaps Mr.. Joplin"
"Mr. Joplin is the owner of great
cattle ranch out in Colorado" an
swered Mr.. Hallett. "He can afford
this"
"We didn't know" said Kuucks.
ellis pepper an salt suit looks kinder
well, we've didn't know"
And, when Mr.. Hallett told the
man from Colorado what Knucks had
said, Mr.. Joplin laughed big, hearty
"Haw-haw !" and then he looked him
self over, and then he colored, and
then he laughed again.
When they had all eaten and were
filed, Mr.. Joplin stood up at the head
of the mighty breakfast table in his
seedy pepper and salt and said rather
awkwardly:
81 asked Mr.. Hallett to make you
q speech, but he says I've got to lott.
haven't much to say. This is the
Fourth of July. It's the proper thing
to read the Declaration of Independ-
ence on the Fourth Of July, but the
only Declaration of Independence
we're going to have here is that we're
going to do jest exactly as we please
oil day long. We're goin' to yell as
much an as loud as we please. There
are two big boxes of frecrackers over
there, an we're goin' to help ourselves
to all we want an shoot till they're
all gone. We're goin' to eat again at
l o'clock, an again at 6 o'clock, an
we've got to keep busy in the mean
time or we won't have good sppetites.
After dinner the ice cream freezers
will be opened, an every feller will
grab a spoon. There are four or five
barrels of red apples-the heads will
be knocked in pretty soon, an we'll
fill our pockets an hats. This is my
potlatch, understand, an everybody
takes all he wants an does what he
pleases with it. Fall into the brook
if you want to, or eat yourselves sick,
or break your arms; it's all right. A
doctor goes with the rest of the pot
latch if we need him. We"
"Oh, John, that is not the way to
talk to them," interrupted Mr.. Hal
lett.
"Pd like to know why it ain't?"
answered Mr.. Joplin. "A potlatch
that amt free pitch-in amt no
potlatch at all. Well. then, I'll make
this condition: No boy shall take ad-
vantage of any smaller boy-if he
does I'll thrash hin"
$50 will we" yelled the boys.
81 think 1 ought to add something
to what Mr.. Joplin has said," spoke
Mr.. Hallett. '1n the first place, 1
presume you are puzzled to know
what a potlatch really is. was my
self till Mr.. Joplin explained. Away
out West, among certain tribes of In
dians, when a savage aspires to stand
high among his fellows he saves up
blankets and all sorts OF desirable ar
ticles till he has as great a store of
them as possible. Then he invites his
tribe to a feast and gives away all the
accumulation. 1t makes him beggar
for long time, but he has won the
esteem of his tribe rs long as he lives.
Mr.. Joplin has given you a potlatch of
happiness, and l think he has won
more than the giver of any Indian
potlatch ever Won"
"Hurrahl Yes, sir el" whooped
the boys.
The day was one long day of unal-
loyed happiness. They ate, shot fire.
crackers and swung and raced and
chased, and the band played every
time it was requested.
During the afternoon Mr.. Joplin
arranged with various families in the
village to take care of such boys as
needed more than day of the coun
try air as long as they might require