Grant County herald. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1850-1968, 1922-01-18
WILLOW VALLEY NOTES

(From The Richland DemOcraD
Idleness and ignorance are the
causes of more misery today than all
the other causes combined. All the
evils to which man is heir can be lis
ted under the head Of the two big Is.
Twin brothers are they and one
breeds the other Both are to blame
for all the unhappiness by which NOR
tails are cursed The old maxim,
Where ignorance is bliss, tbs folly
to be wise" should read, ignorance
is not bliss and ii is not folly to be
wise; and as to Idleness, that old adj
age is sure true, The devil always
finds something for idle hands to do"
The much talked of Jap, he who
was called forth from savagry and
barbarism by Commodore Perry sew
enty years ago and who is now max
ing it most interesting for the other
leading nations of the world. He has
grown from an infant in sWaddling
bands to a giant, who appears to be
feared by the very ones who released
him from bondage. In the language
of the poet they should have cleft
him alone i'll his glory"
Coasting, which sport is much in
writer's mind an incident which oc
CURED about fifty years ago We
were the youngest of a parry o. boys
who in a spirit of dare-devilitry pro-
posed following thrilling experience.
We pulled a long sled to a point on :
long descent where the cultivated
field bordered the woodland Snow
was at a depth of at least foot and
covered with a crust that would near
ly bear the weight Of horse. THAI
sled had runners which were fitted
with steel shoes and as sleek as glass
When we succeeded in getting the
sled to the top we turned it around in
preparation for the flight down hill.
All Of us were enthusiastic over the
coming JOY ride until we looked down
over the smooth surface and began to
think of the probable speed that the
sled would attain. Some of the crowd
began to get cold feet and we'll they
could for it was a distance OF at least
forty rods down that steep slope over
that shining surface of crystal white
and worse than all West Hollow creek
flowed along at the bottom of the
slope The older heads had figured
that the sled would go so fast that it
few of us who had our doubts as 10
their opinion and were not slow in
expressing it. Those who had offered
this opinion, phoo-phooed at our fear
and called us slssies and other pet
names until the doubtful ones re.
gained their courage and resolved to
island by their guns. At a given
signal we all vaulted on to the in
animate thing and instantly it was
shooting down that hill like a meteor
from the vault of heaven. We could
hardly catch our breath so great was
the speed and as we neared the creek
one boy lost his nerve and rolled off.
He was quickly followed by four
others The reader can form a men
tai picture of those who left the sled
Like bags of wool they went over and
over. end over end and in those en-
forced gyrations they skinned their
faces and hands and a few minutes
later they were as bloody as butchers.
Only one escaped injury and that was
the boy who stuck to the sled. Not
only did the sled clear the creek, but
it ran almost across the valley. 1t
was a sore and bruised lot that haul
ed that sled back to where we got it.
This happened when the writer was
only twelve years old and it taught
us wholesome lesson, for ever since
we have been a sticker for Captain
Lawrence's order. Don't give up the
Iship"