Surprise For The Old Man

One of thoae big, hardy men who got into the piue woods early, endurod tbs hardships of a pioneer, finally made a fortune and tben carne to Detroit aa one of the favored spots on earth in which to live, haa a young son who aspirea to athleüc hoiiors and has a big room in the barn equipped as a gymnasium, says the Detroit Frea Press. Th# old gentleman was a pow erful man in his day and had to deal with refractory woodsmen who yielded to nothing but muscular suasion. It is difficult for a person like him to realize that age draws on strengtb and activity. One afternoon last week the father went by special invitation to see the gymnasium. The first thing to attract his attention was a punching bag, one of those arrangements that comes back when you hit it, and comes back harder the harder you hit it. When lts usea were explained to the oid giant of the woods, he promptly announced that he'd either "bust the thing or knock it through the ceiling." Drawing back as if to teil an ox, the father let go, and there was a thud as though a trolley car had collided with an elephant. Before the air had ceased to quiver there was a quiek, but subdued biff. The bag had come back, driving the puncher's cigar half way down his throat, fllling his whlskers with hot ashes and starting the blood from his prominent nose. With such a whoop as used to waken the eoboes of the north woods the old gentleman went at the bag. And the bag stayed right with him. It was literally give and take, the maddened puncher tearing around as if he were fighting bees and throwing a ton into every punch. The coachman and the stable boy had to be called up to help part the old man and the punching bag. Then the son had to hide the shotgun, for the pufflng, used-up father vowed all kinds of vows that he would get even with that "autermatic slugger."