River Falls journal. [volume] (River Falls, Pierce County, Wis.) 1872-2019, 1905-02-23
A VISIT TO
UNCLE ED

an official of the government who re
turned recently from his deferred yaca-
ton. I'VE are all liable to run into
things that amaze us when we break
away from our own fresides and get
out OF our own little ruts, but
"WeI, anyway, | went ont to Wis
consin to visit my little Old mother
few weeks ago, and on the day when
I was scheduled to start back this way
she got me into corner and told me
about one Of her brothers whom she
wanted me to visit on my way back TO
Washington.
81 had never seen this uncle Of mine.
nor had | even heard very much OF
him, except that he was rather a wild
and reckless lot when he was growing
up, and that he had departed from be-
meath the Intel Of the family wickieup
under bit Of a cloud, owing to some
boyish deviItry, several years before he
had attained his majority.
ED never was d bad boy was the
way my good mother put it to me, and
he was always so fond Of me, 900. I'd
be very glad if you'd stop off and see
him, just for my sake. He's in a roll
ing mill or something, in Pennsyl-
vania. Homestead is the name of the
place | suppose the poor boy has
tOiled his life away al these years.
You needn't spend more than half
day with him and his family, but |
wish you would do that, so that you
can write me all about him when you
arrive in Washington. You can put up
with poor Ed and his family for half
a days visit for my sake, can't yOu%
"Wel, Homestead. Pa.-thats the
place where they had the great strike
and the riots and all that, about Is
years ago, youll recail--Wasn't very
much off my route on my return trip,
and so | promised my mother that I'd
fall off there and have peek at Uncle
Ed and his layout
Il arrived in Homestead about nine
o'clock on a Thursday morning, cOu-
pie of weeks ago. l didn't suppose
there'd be any use in asking anybody
where Ed Jorkins-thc latter part Of
which isn't exactly his name-liYed,
and so | hunted UP a Homestead di-
rectory.
"The only Ed Jorl1ins in the direct
DRY had his name registered in the
book in big, heavy faced type; and so,
naturally enough. | thought there must
be some mistake.
But no. 1t read, Edward JorlIins,
superintendent So-and-IO's rolling
mills, residence Such-and-Such terrace,
and, not little puzzled over that big
type, [ started for the residence on
the terrace
''Say, when ] found it it wasn't
house at ail--it was a chateau, with
cornices and gables and minarets and
spires and dinky furbelows all over it,
and it had three or four acres of sp!1n-
did grounds around it.
Said | to myself: This Uncle Ed
OF mine can't be living here. Probably
he's eking ont his lay as rolling mill
hand by doing the gardening, or some
thing OF that sort, for the proprietor of
this mansion. But | traipsed up the
gravel walk leading to the swell main
entrance to the chateau to find out.
"A ane-looking man OF 50 or some
thing like that, with clear-cut cOun-
tenance and grayish side whiskers, was
standing on the porch smoking a cigar
ard footing with thoroughbred collie
dos.
lis there any man around here
ASKED him by the name OF Ed Jorkins"
well said he, smiling, I believe
I'm the only man in this section who
pacGs that name around
gr-,. n loTF sc rpfbipu 70
wha5 felt just at that moment | con-
triged to introduce myself to my uncle,
however. and-he gave me a cordial greet
ing-the greeting OF a welI-bred man
and began TO ask me all about every
body especially about my mother, his
fayorite sister, as he was quick to say.
He'd never had time, he told me, TO
go back and dig up the old folks, but he
Vas Derpetually yowing to do it, all the
same. Ac ADDED
Then his three daughters, as pretty
a trio OF cousins as any fellow would
want to claim, made their appearance,
and tor general finish and cleyerness,
lei alone their goou looks, they certain
l. were summers, Their mother APP
peared too. after a bit, and furnished
al interesting study Of a refined woman
Ot middle age
To me it was all a trance, for a fact.
They wouldn't believe me when l told
tdem that Id had breakfast downtown,
but they carried me Oft to the breakfast
room. il you please, and had placed be-
tore me some specimens OF breakfast
cookery that only increased the in
teasitE OF my daze. Positively, they
rn1de so much Of me. and were all so
genuinely fine and lavish in their spirit
OF hospitality, that I barely knew what
TO DO with my mands and feet.
Along toward noon my Uncle Ned,
whom I had expected to find AT a rolling
m,t,. With a red flannel shirt on his
back. short clay pipe il his mouth and
Dig dinner bucket constantly under
ais eye. apo,ogized and said he'd have 10
run GOWN TO the works for bit. He was
dressed like the president OF national
bank when he started and he was only
gone about three hours
When he returned he said that he
was through for the day While he was
gone my girl cousins took me over the
house. It was a swell house. and no
mistake-25 rooms in it, olive room,
white and gold room. and all that sort
OF thing; swimming pool, swell library,
billiard room, gymnasium, smoking
room-the whole thing.
The girls played and sang for me in