Wood County reporter. [volume] (Grand Rapids [i.e. Wisconsin Rapids], Wis.) 1857-1923, 1906-09-06
HUNTING CHICKENS
WITH AUTOMOBILE

a party of hunters composed Of the
following prominent people of this
city, DR.. o. T. Hougen wife and son,
Alex M. Muir, the shoe man, and DR..
Ed. Hougen of Pittsville, left this city
last Saturday morning about five
O'Clock for Fourteen Mile Creek. The
day was delightful and the nimrods
found that hunting chickens in an
automobile was late fad Of more than
ordinary advantages and experiences.
While chickens were not very plenti
full couple OF nice birds were capt
ured, but the most attractive feature
was the fact that birds were easily
scared up, and no dog was needed.
Then too, there was the advantage of
making time, and this particular auto
mobile of DR.. o. T. Hougen's is now
famous for making time.
The party started on their journey
home about six O'Clock in the evening,
and the time was prOpitious for
beautiful trip. Light clouds had
sprinkled it's warm drops oyer the
earth and as a consequence the air
was balmy, However, the roads were
trifie slippery in places and the little
washings along the highway left few
holes. 1t was one of these holes that
gave the doctors handsome machine
the record it now holds for time in
this section Of the state. In fact the
machine on this particular trip act
ually done fourteen miles ia three
days, and it is claimed that this is the
record for Wisconsin.
Shortly after the machine struck
the hole in the road it began to rain.
Yes actually rain. And while the
doctor was busy with the medicine
chest, endeavOring to find stimulant
sufficiently powerful to restore the
spark" Of life, his companions were
thinking Of walking to the sheep
ranch, two miles away. Fortunately
Arthur Podawiltz and Henry DemitZ
II this city arrived on the scene, hav-
ing lost their way to the sheep ranch
where they expected to put up for the
night, and Mrs. Hougen and son were
taken to shelter. The hours wore on
and the party did not arrive. The
boys decided FINELY to see what the
trouble was. They had no more than
started however, when they met Mr..
Muir returning for team. A team
was secured and they started back
after the poor. lifeless machine. The
horses were hitched to it, and then
they refused to pull. They objected
very decidedly to assisting their rival
In its distress, and when DR.. Ed.
Hougen, began to insist that they
exert themselves, one of the horses up
with its hind feet and put out the
poor lifeless creatures lamps. Not
content with binding it's rival it let
it's heels drive at the throat of the
monster and disarranged its vocal
organ, and we understand that the
doctor has now ordered his handsome
auto into the hospital, and is search
ing for the best throat and eye spe-
cialist, for this particular kind of a
case.
After working for several more
hours the machine was dragged to the
road side by the men themselves, and
the livery rig of Messrs. Podawiltz
and Demitz, was used to convey the
party to this city, where they arrived
some little time before day break. A
team was sent the next day for the
machine, but for some reason or other
it did not return until Tuesday morn
| ing.
DR.. Hougen states that he has
searched his pathology for some indica-
tion Of the disease with which he was
compelled to wrestle all Saturday night
but as yet he has failed to find single
incident accompanied by similar
symptoms. His Materia Medica re-
yeals no stimulant stronger than those
used last Saturday night. and there
fore he feels that it would not be good
policy to expose the auto in the same
manner at another time.