River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1902-08-28
A Letter.

An incident in the experience of
some of the River Falls folks while
picnicking at Cumberland, Wis,
few weeks since may be interesting,
and may be warning to others who
try to catch the preachers wife.
On a certain day it was agreed upon
between a certain pastor with his
family, and one other party who
happened to be at Cumberland on
business, that all should go up the
lake for the afternoon on a fishing
trip and take their lunch at the
head of the lake, and then return in
the evening. 1t was arranged that
the pastor and his boy and the 9TH
er party aforesaid should go in the
boat and that the pastors wife and
daughter should drive up the shore
and stop at certain place where
they were to hitch the horse and
await the arrival of the folks in the
boat, also that the ladies should take
the lunch along. All goes. we'll
that ends WE'LL" the saying is, and
this trip went we'll until the boat
men, having rowed about four
miles, pulled up to the shore and
R '(the other parity went to see
if the pastors wife and daughter
had stopped at the appointed place,
but he found instead that they had
driven right into the woods, follow
ing the rather obscure timber road,
but worst of all, they had taken all
the good things stored away in the
lunch basket, so he at once inform
ed the others at the boat and said
that as he was quite we'll acquainted
with timber roads, he would volun-
teer to follow up and try to overtake
the runaways; but little did he think
of what job he had before him.
The afternoon was hot and the road
up hill and down, but he kept push
ing on through the woods until he
came to a house where he was told
that the lady and her girl had pass
ed there just twenty minutes before
on their way back to Cumberland;
but still hoping TO Overtake that
"old horse" he pushed on, and af-
ter making about a mile further he
just caught sight of the top of the
buggy through the dust as it turned
a corner about three-fourths of a
mile ahead. By this time he was
on the other side of the lake from
where the pastor and his son were,
so he tried to hail them, but instead
saw them tying their boat to the
shore and then starting off into the
woods after him, as he afterward
found. SO he got another boatman
to take him across the lake, and in
the course of an hour he heard the
pastor say, "Why, here he is in the
boat" they having gone nearly as
far around the lake as he had and
then turned back. Now" said the
pastor, we will go back to Cumber-
land and get supper" So we took
up our weary stroke of the paddles,
until having pulled down the lake
about two miles, the pastor who
was sitting in the stern of the boat
suddenly shouted, Pull right across
the lake, boys, there they are" Sure
enough, upon looking over our
shoulders, there were the runaways
waiting for us to come and partake
Of the cakes, lemonade, bananas,
etc., which we were not slow to do.
Then all started for Cumberland,
where we arrived in due time with
"two small fishes and no loaveS."
MoRAL:-Never try to catch a
preachers wife and daughter when
they have the family horse, the
lunch basket, and twenty minutes
+In c+or+ Wy p