Vilas County news. [volume] (Eagle River, Vilas County, Wis.) 1896-1927, 1899-08-28


upon a mass of holidayclad men and
women, to whom it was all as mem
DRY of home, Of the beloved home
across the seas; upon mothers ~kneel-
ing devoutIy with their little ones at
the shrine, and upon children bring
ing offerings to the saints glory. His
face smiled down benignly upon them
from the frame of gaudy colors with
the coat of arms of the Village-or
was it a hint at the legendary history
of the SANTA fox dragging a re-
luctant rooster by the tail. In his
own country the saint is held to be
mighty against fever, and the ague, of
which there is much there. The faith
which prompted a stricken mother to
hang the poor garments of her epilep
tic boy close to his hand, in the hope
that he might be healed, provoked no
smile in one latter-day spectator. The
sorrow and trust were too genuine for
that The fre-escapes of the tene-
ment had, with the aid of some cheap
muslin draperies, little tinsel, and
the strange artistic genius of this
pGODlG, UG6u IL duSIOIIuCu 1nCO OOouC1-
full balconies, upon which the tenants
of the front house had reserved seats.
In a corner of the yard over by the
hydrant, sheep, which was to be raf
fed off as the climax of the cele
bration, munched it's wisp of hay pa
tiently, while barelegged children
climbed it's back and pulled it's wool.
81 41N Cd fofx
ing house, which was a stable, a big
white horse stuck his head at intervals
out Of the window, and surveyed the
shrine and the people with an inter-
ested look.
The musicians, issuing forth victori-
GUS from a protracted struggle with a
fleet of schooners in the saloon, came
out, wiping their mustachios, and blew
Santa Lucia" on their horns. The
sweet1y seductive melody woke the
echoes of the block and it's slumber
ing memories. The old women rocked
in their seats, their faces buried in
their hands. The crowd from the
street increased, and the chief cele
brant, who turned out to be no less a
person than the saloon-keeper himself
reaped a liberal harvest of silver half
dollars. The villagers bowed and
crossed themselves before the saint
and put into the plate their share to-
ward the expense of the celebration.
It's guardian made a strong effort to
explain about the saint to Mr.. Roose-
velt
Gle is just-a-lik'-a young st. Pat
rick here" he said, and the president
of the Police Board nodded. He un-
derstood.
Between birthdays, the other added,
the saint was left in the loft of the
saloon, lest the priest get hold Of him
and get corner on him, as it were
Once he got him into his possession,
he would not let the people have him
except upon payment of fee that
would grow with the years. But the
saint belonged to the people, not to
the church. He was their home pa
tron, and they were not going to give
him up. In the saloon they had him
safe. Mr. Roosevelt delighted the
honest villagers by taking five shares
| Ill Tie sheep, dIUSfL Tie SuSS0SIlOu
that it might be won by him and
conducted in triumph by the band to
Police Headquarters gave him pause.
He trusted to luck, however, and took
chances.
And luck favored him. He did not
win the sheep. The names of all who
had taken chances were put into a bag
with that of the saint, and in the
evening drawn out one by one. When
the saints name appeared there arose
a great shout. The next would be the
winner. Every neck was craned to
read the lucky name as it came out.
"Philomeno Motso,' said the man
with the bag, and there was an an
swering shrek from the third-foor
fire escape behind the shrine. The
widow up there had won the prize.
Such luck was undreamed of. She
came down forthwith and Rugged the
sheep rapturously, while the cildren
kissed it and wept for joy. The last
of the candles went out and the shrine
was locked in the loft over the saloon
for another year.