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History of Watertown, Wisconsin
Leap Year Ride
1864
Watertown Democrat, 02 04 1864
This being Leap
Year, the ladies have asserted their privilege and got up an old fashioned
sleigh ride and it is to come off tomorrow.
We have received and accepted an invitation and shall be ready when the
fair one appears to escort us to our seat.
Next week the excursion will be an ancient story, the fun enjoyed, and
nothing but pleasant memories of it remain.
As the ladies never fail and always carry out their enterprises, it is
just as well to tell what will take place as what has occurred.
Well then, about 3
o’clock on Friday afternoon we were gracefully handed into the sleigh, already
filled with a gay and lively party, and off we flew over the smooth and snowy
road, under the starry sky, to the musical sounds of the jingling bells, whose
tones rung like evening chimes through the clear atmosphere, female vivacity
and wit making the hours glide by cheerfully.
We went as far as Jefferson or some other village just as good, gathered
for a little while around the cheerful fire in the parlor of a public house,
chatted about the weather, fashions, and other days and things, returned back
safe, and under the lead of our polite attendant – having received every
possible attention that could contribute to our gratification – we were ushered
in to the ample reception rooms of the Robinson
House, with the greatest care and solicitude.
No sooner did we
find ourselves in the happiest frame of mind than a new surprise awaited
us. We were shown into the [Robinson
House] dining hall by our thoughtful entertainer and had the pleasure of
partaking, in her company, of such a supper as the intelligent and generous
proprietor of this well furnished and popular hotel never fails to spread
before his guests on such occasions as this – in fact he won the warmest
commendations of the ladies, who were justly proud of the festival. The affair ended by our being carried home –
the lady, however, by some mistake, reaching hers first, and we found another
editor playing the agreeable to our better half, which quickly opened our eyes
and we began to see “the whole in the trick,” coming to the conclusion that we
were shrewdly victimized after all.
Having been jilted once, we did not think Mrs. ____ would serve us so!
History of Watertown, Wisconsin