Rensselaer Republican, Volume 27, Number 27, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 12 March 1896 — An Irishman's Brilliant Idea. [ARTICLE]

An Irishman's Brilliant Idea.

Some Irishmen are naturally stupid, but their mistakes at times are so humorous aB to provoke a laugh, which makes one forget the more serious part of the error. Recently a son of Ireland went out rowing on the lake at a famous summer resort. A stiff northwest wind came up, and, not being skillful with the oars, in a Bhort time his boat shipped considerable water. A brilliant idea then seized him, and, taking the butt end of the oar, he battered away at the planks in the bottom* of the boat, finally knocking a hole in them. Fortunately for him a steam launch with a pleasure party aboard came along and rescued him as his boat sank. Upon being asked why on earth he drove a'hole through the boat he replied: “An* phwat else would yez do? Sure the boat was half full of water, an’ so I knocked a hole in the bottom to let it out; but, yez Bee, there was so much more water in the lake that the little bit of a stream in my boat had no chance to get out.” —Harper’s Round Table.