Rensselaer Republican, Volume 23, Number 32, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 9 April 1891 — A Big Surprise at Saylerville. [ARTICLE]

A Big Surprise at Saylerville.

On Wednesday of last week, being 'the Ist day of April, the jovial people of the Say let neighborhood, a few miles west of town, had one of their characteristic neighborhood jollifications, only a little more so. The occasion was the twenty-fifth wedding anniversary of frank M. and Phebe Grant. The affair was gotten up by the neighbors and relatives of the much esteemed couple and to them it was a complete “April fool,” albeit of a very pleasant character; and the orginators and executors of the scheme take special pride in their success, in that Mr. Grant had often vainglorlously boasted that no such little schemes could ever catch him napping, and that he should always be able to get “onto the racket’ 1 in case of any attempted surprise on him. The guests present were 61 in number. By previous arrangement they met iu t«u parties in neighboring houses, one east and one west of the surprised couple, uud at 11 o’clock A. M., they joined forces and marched in and captured the stronghold , without a blow. Mr. Grant had gone into the grove to chops little firewood, and he was kept out of sight by the machinations of Shelby Grant and John Sayler, who “just happened” to wander along where he was at work, with their shot guns, and when those two engage a man in conversation there is no escape for him, as long as his ears hang on. The guests brought their with them and the aggregate amount of the contents thereof was declared by an experienced observer to be “the biggest pile of grub” he ever saw at one time, even in that locality of big neighborhood jamborees.

After dinner the most notable event of the occasion was a wrestling match bet ween, the genial host and Rev. E. Conner, the latter being the challenging party. Three falls were had, in which the elderly but agile Frank downed the hthe and lengthy preacher twice, and the other was a “dog fall.” The preacher came home a sadder but wiser man. A number of desirable presents were left with the worthy couple, as tangible testimonials of the guests’ good will. In the evening the young people had their innings and made merry until midnight.