The Topeka state journal., 1897-11-09
SHOT THE CHUTES.
Bethany Girls Have a Hilarious
Time at Martins Hill.

Boarding school maids are given to
pranks and the Bethany girls are the
same as others, so they surprised the
farmers around Martins Hill Saturday
afternoon with a novelty that was all
their own.
Quite a large party of sweet Bethany
girls decided that they would take a
ride into the country and have pic
mic. 1t was not an ordinary picnic,
and it had a novel feature. At least
an old farmer who lived near the hill
thought it was novel.
The trip to the hill was accomplished
in a large express wagon. The hill
was reached and the paraphernaIia at
tending such an outing was unloaded.
The young ladies enjoyed themselves
for While in the usual manner and
decided that the mOnOtOnOus routine
of a common picnic was not all fin de
seicle and decided then and there that
they would do something that would
startle the natives. They did.
Lets shoot the chutes,' cried one
Where are the chutes?" asked an
other miss who thought that shooting
the chutes without q strong arm for
protection was dangerous.
See those hay aEacks?' asked the
first speaker .'WeH, those will do for
the chutes."
What will we do for sleds?" asked
another young lady probably from
in shovels and without shovels was un-
heard of.
We don't need any" said the pro-
moter of the scheme I'VE will shoot
without any. We will climb to the
top and slide down to the bottom.
Won't that be great?''
I don't know said a demure young
miss who had been brought up on
Kansas farm and still had a recollection
of barefoot days, sand burrs and
cookie burrs. Another gave a timid
awful
"Of course it would said the leader
with an air of disdain as much as to
say that was just what was wanted.
The party chatted like blackbirds,
started at once for the hay stacks
with girlish peaIs of laughter. There
was barbed wire fence to cross.
Some of the young ladies from the
cities had to be instructed in the art
of getting through without tearing any
clothes, but the feat was accomplished
and the party soon found themselves
at the foot of the hay stacks. After
several unsuccessful attempts and
some boosting they managed to gain
the top and with many high ''c''
screams they each and every one took
a shoot" to the ground. Some fin
ished the descent feet first, some did
not.
A second trial was made but alas this
was the disastrous attempt Let's
all go at once was the cry. They
did and sad to say, 50 did the top of the
n
ed first and the top of the stack landed
on them. There were smOthered cries
of dismay and shTieks of fright. One
by one they crawled out and the first
ones grabbed at those underneath and
helped to pull them out. Dresses were
torn, there was hay down their backs
and back hair was down.
Now we have done it, said the timid
young miss
Yes. we have. said the leader. Lets
go home" They went home to the
college as fast as they could but of
course they did not tell everyone about
it. oh no.
The farmer who owned the hay saw
the escapade. The rain came and
soaked the hay through and through
It was nearly all spoiled and so was the
farmers temper. He came to town
yesterday and consulted with a lawyer
and with the force in the county attor-
ney's Office. He says he will bring
suit for the ruined hay and have the
guilty girls arrested for tresspasing
But if he does. he is no gentleman. 1t
isn't every farmer who could have such
a bevy of beauty on his farm. What
he ought to have done was to have
gone over to the hay stack and slid
down with the girls.