The weekly register. [volume] (Point Pleasant, Va. [W. Va.]) 1862-1909, 1896-02-19
DRIVING, GEES fooa-IN:aANo.


Jack Harpers TrlumphaI Voyage Down the
Ohio River In u Tub.
Jack Harper was an odd man. He
came to Ohio Falls from Newcastle,
England, and was employed by tho
j., NJ. &. 1. r. r. Co. in its shops,
which were at that time located in
this oity-a good mechanic and fond
of fun. 1t was in tho summer of
1870, and there was to be grand
Fourth of July celebration at Old
Camp 10 Holt, in which not only the
shopmen, but hundreds of othors,
were to take part. Tho managers of
tho affair were very anxious to mako
it grand success, and for that pur
pose racked their brains for novel
ties, but when Jack Harper proposed
to tame II team of geese and attach
thom to washtub, in which ho
proposed to sail down over tho rap.
ids of tho Ohio and land just below
tho picnic ground, they were para
lyZed, especially when no insisted
that it could easily be dono, and to
provo his assertion began forthwith
to train his proposed team of four
geese.
Many of tho persons who took an
interest ono way or another i'll tho
picnic arc still alive, and some of
them reside at indianapolis. These
will remomber that Harper began to
train his odd team on tho quiet wa
ters of the Ohio above the falls. Ho
put qucer three cornered yokes upon
the necl1s of tho birds, and by means
of these attached them to his frail
craft. Ho guided them by means of
reins attached to their bills and q
long, straight switch. 1t took nearly
three months and much patience be-
fore he had his birds in trim, but
the geese showed themselves much
more Intelligent and toachable than
they get credit for, and the people of
JcffcrsonYillo had tho satisfaction of
knowing that in their city was tho
only four goose team in tho world.
Long before tho Fourth of July
the queer outfit was tho talk of the
three falls cities, and when tho great
day arrived there was conCOurse
of thousands at tho picnic grounds
waiting to SEQ tho novel Lohengrin
descend tho river. 1t was near noon
from tho Indiana shore at tho gov
ernment dam and began his descent,
tho geese swimming proudly ahead
and drawing tho teetory vessel in
which Harper was balancing him
self. The falls of tho Ohio arc not
safo for good, we'll managed boat
unless the crew understands tho our
rents and knows the rocks, so it can
better be imagined than told what q
risk Harper ran in his washtub.
But he bravely went on, keeping his
geese, who swerved occasionally
from tho channel, in the way they
should go by means of his switch.
He managed his team admirably in
spite of his uncomfortable and del
icato position in tho tub, and tho
crowd choered him as he safely
passed ono danger point after anoth-
er, but as he swung around tho bond
to tho deep and swift waters of the
big eddy tho wind rose to almost n
gale, and water began to dash over
him and into his tub. and to mako
matters worse tho geese became un-
ruly and would not obey his guild
nnco.
Ho must have been cool headed
man not to have lost his hoad, but
no did not, and with great effort
and much coaxing and whipping he
managed to turn his refractory team
inshoro and reached land safely
amid tho huzzas of the crowd. He
was completely drenohod and worn
out. Since then no ono has attempt
ed to descend tho falls of the Ohio
in tub drawn by a team of geese.
indianapolis News.