Kingsbury County independent. (DeSmet, Kingsbury County, S.D.) 1894-1929, 1906-06-29
CARRAWAY'S GRAND
GEYSER CASCADE
a Fourth of July Sto"y.
ErAm the Dhnn1nlnhia PrnSS

FUN the lHlauSlpnla PEeSS.
Uncle Major" said Jack as he and
Mollie helped the major to remove his
hat and coat, do you think there's
much danger in little boys having fire.
crackers and rockets and pinwheels? ?"
Or in little girls having torpeters? 2"
put in Mollie.
We'll, / don't know" the major an
swered warily. What does your papa
say about it?"
He thinks we ought TO wait until
We are older, but we don't said Jack.
~'Torpeters never sets nothing afire,"
said Mollie.
That's true" said the major kindly;
but, after all, our father is right.
Why, do you know what happened t.
me when l was a boy?"
Haven't an idea said Jack.
You burnt you thumb" said Mol
lie, ready to make a guess at it.
We'll, you get me a cigar, n I'll
tell you what happened to me when l
was a boy just because my father let
me ave all the fireworks l wanted,
then perhaps you will see how
wise your father is in not doing as you
wish him TO-"
Jack readily found the desired cigar,
while Mollie brought the major "a
match, after which he settled down
comfortably in the hammock and
swinging softly to and fro, told his
story.
My lear old father said he, was
the most indulgent man hat ever lived.
He'd give me anything in the world
that l wanted whether he could afford
it or not, only he had an original sys-
tenn of giving which kept him from
being ruined by indulgence Of his chill
dren. He gave me a Hudson river
steamboat once without costing him a
cent. | saw 1t, wanted Ii, was begin-
ing IN cry for II when ha Matted mo
on the head n told me l could a
1t, adding, however, that | must never
take it away from the river or try to
run it myself. That satisfied me.
"All / wanted was the happiness of
feeling that it was mine, and my dear
old daddy gave me permission to feel
that way. The same thing happened
with reference to the moon. He gave
1t to me freely and ungrudgingly. He
had received 1t from his father, he
said, and he thought he had owned 1t
long enough. Only, he added, as he
had about the steamboat, l must leave
1T where it was and let other people
look at it whenever they wanted to
and not interfere If l found any other
little boys or girls playing with it's
beams, which 1 promised and have
faithfully observed to this day.
O course from such a parent as
this, you may very easily see, every
thing was to be expected on such a
day as the Fourth of July. He used
to let me W my own way at all
times, and it is a wonder | wasn't
spoiled. l really can understand how
it is that l have become the man I am
considering how l was INDUCED when
/ was small.
However, like all boys, ! was very
fond Of celebrating the Fourth, and,
being a more or less ingenious boy, /
usually prepared my W fireworks
and many things happened which
might not otherwise have CONS to pass
IL / had been properly looked after, as
you are. The first thing that hap
pened on the Fourth of July that would
a great deal better not have happened
was when I was-er-how old are YOU,
Jack?"
Eight" said Jack, going on g."
That was exactly the age / was at
the time continued the major bland
ly-"just nine to a day."
Eight l said" said Jack.
Yes" nodded the major; Just eight,
but going or toward nine. My father
had given ME $40 TO spend on noises;
but, unlike most boys, / did not care so
much for noises as / did for novelties.
1T didn't give me any particular pleas
ure to hear a giant cracker go Off with
o bang. What / wanted to do most OF
all was 10 get up some KIND or an ex-
hib.tion that would please the people
and that could be seen in daytime in
stead OF at night. when everybody Is
tired and sleepy. So instead of spend
ing any money on frecrackers and tor
pcdoes and rockets / spent 50 of it on
powder and 81 on putty blowers.
What l wanted to do vas TO make
one grand effort and provide passersby
with q free exhibitions of what | was
going to call 'Carraway's Grand Gey-
ser Cascade To do this properly
sci my eye upon a fish pond not far
from the town hall. 1t was a very
deep pond and about a mile In circun-
ing nj ave for a cent. and powder was
cheap as sand. owing TO the fact that
the powder makers, expecting q war,
had made ii hundred times as much as
Was needed. and as their war didn't