River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1898-05-05

tournament in which every member of
the Chetwynde crowd was pitted against
some member of the Burgess frater-
nifty. Now, take my advice: Whenever
two parties of school friends camp out
near each other see that there is no
racing or trials of dexterity. At least
if yoH want quiet time.
There isn't a more peaceful spot in all
the state than the stretch of quiet wa
ter known as Still river. But from the
day Billy and Hal got to wrangling
ever who could make the best time
between the dam and the railroad
bridge the two tents full of fellows
were in continual squabble. Before
we were all having a jolly good time
and every fellow behaved himself.
But after the "mild-eyed angel of peace
folded its wings and fled''-well, as my
young brother Teddy remarked with
great freedom of speech, 1.-The Kilkenny
cats weren't in it,"
The race came off, and naturally the
greatest excitement was over the trial
between Billy and Hal. Both had the
hest canoes of the Iot-real Indian
hirch-barks made by Johnny Nose tor
Nosey Johnny, as we called him), a
haif-breed Indian who was quite a
character about Silver Glen. All we
could think or talk about were the
races, and fishing, ball-play and swim
ming were forgotten while we practiced
our strokes on the quiet waters of the
Still river.
Well, Billy was inclined to blow" on
all occasions and he had done an extra
amount of Dragging before the race,
so perhaps ii served him right to be
beaten But | hated to see Hal do it.
Hal was always so awfully topping
when he got the best of a fellow. Billy
had declared that he could make the
distance in less than 90 minutes, and
he was Just twenty-one minutes and
seven seconds in getting over the
course, according to Freddy Maxwell's
stop-watch. while Hal got in in a little
over 10 minutes.
We'll, the Burgess crowd was, OF
course, too unbearably fresh to live
with after thar. and when it was dis
covered that Ned Chetwynde. Billy's
cousin. had invited Halls brother Dave
around behind the tents and thrashed
him royally, we older fellows, who
should have frowned upon any such
proceeding, never took either of the
Youngsters 10 task.
So. these were the strained relation,
existing between the two camps on the
day the mill hands nj Silver Glen
struck We heard they were going to
81
HaTs fathers gardner, drove by on his
way TO Lousdale and told US about it.
Mr.. Burgess was one OF the chief own
ers of the mill and Nolan had been sent
to telegraph him TO come up from New
York and settle the trouble with the
men. All the old hands liked Mr. Bur
CESS and they would listen to him,
knowing he would give them fair treat
ment.
But the men who were stirring up ali
tba trouble at the mill did not want
Hars father as arbitrator and there
fore the message was 10 be sent him
from Lonsdale So that there would be
less liability of the strikers learning of
it. l thought myself that old Nolan
was pretty leaby sort Of fellow 70 be
let into the secret. for if he'd tell a
party Of sehoolboys like Us. why
wouldn't he tell other people?
Naturally we were all excited over
the prospect of a row and the day the
+ strike came off Hal and two or three
! of his crowd went over to Silver Glen
/ 10 see what was going on. Mr.. Burgess
/ wouldn't be a6Ie to get up till the even
ing train, which reached the Glen az
about seven. and the hands had whole
+ day to talk and get filed up on Sam
Pickles whisky. They'd be in fine
fighting humor by night.
Most of Us forgot the recent race and
q good many of our differences in the
strike excitement. But Billy Chef
.y.udr was as glco 1ly as an owl, and