The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1874-02-14
BUDGET OF FUN.
John Scranton's Hat.

iornian, who is keeping restaurant here
After listening to his stories OF the early days
Of San Francisco, l said:
"Mr Yeomans, do you ever remember OF
meeting q man named John X. Hackett in
San Francisco"
"John X Hackett?" repeated Mr. leomans,
Oh yes, | recollect Hackett, and ueorge
Barnard, and George Wilkes, ana George
Butler, and John Scranton OF New Haven,
and that whole crowd. They were mighty
lively fellows all of them. Lcm-me-see lin II
musing wav) Lcm-me-see? Why lIackctt
is JUDGE or something of that kind, in New
York now. seen a fellow about SIN months
ago that told me he made a first rate Judge
80 per cent. gold 40 per cent silver, and 10
Der cent copper lIackett was a wonderful
shot-WondeFtul! I've seen him drive tacks
in Il door,post at thirty feet, and never miss Il
TACK Ali the boys took off their hats to him
He could shoot the toes OF Of a fly. That was
a great crowd-that CROWD N California in
those days"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his shirt
sleeves, and mixed a cocktail for Major Cor
don and Capt, Dinwiddle, Of Camp Douglas
After the cocktails had disappeared, he con-
linued:
I'm those days, you see | used to keep
place Just outside of San Francisco, called the
Ocean House. | had a partner. His name
was Barnard-not the Judge. 1t was-lcm
me-See ut must have been, yes it was, in
1857. All the boys used to ride out and see
rs, and the thing first and last, PANIED out
good deal Of com 1t used to be great place
for the high toned sports to come out and
shoot pigeon.maches and eat these big Cali
!ornia shrimp, and play little draw, drink
wine, and such things"
Here Mr.. Yeomans showed up his shirt
l. mi
Wheeler and the Hon. Sam Merritt, eX.dclc
rate to congress from Idaho. After the cock
tails had disappeared he continued:
"Well, the OCEAN House used to be q great
place of resort for the boys They were al
ways playing practical jokes on each other
and having Il good time generally, rcmcm
Der one morning there was Cook and SChenCk,
The great marketmen, Ward Eaton, and Ira
Eaton in the saloon and having high old
,ime, laughing, drinking. and telling stories
Ira Eaton had one of these here fancy double
barrcllcd shot guns under his arm, and was
Dragging about the game he WAS going to
shoot before night, when who should come IN
but John Hackett and John Scranton. You
oughter have knowcd Scranton, for he was
one of the best fellows that ever scratched
Gravel"
Here Mr.. Iromans showed up his shirt
sleeves and mixed cocktails for the Hon.
Oscar G. Sawyer Mr. Sloan, the tive-wifed
editor Of the Salt Lake Herdld, and Major
Howell of Camp Douglas After the cock
tails had disappeared he continued:
Scranton had on bran new beaver hat.
1t was as glossy as ebony. He had just given
$50 for it, got himself shaved and his clothes
brushed and looked as neat as a mountain
quail, Hackett was rs handsome as game
rooster. The first thing | knew Ira Eaton
cl i'm, bn nd
out doors, saying that he would be back in
few minutes. After he was gone Schenck
looked at the gun and said, by George, it's
loaded So Iiacket ana the rest of them
thcy got around and looked at the gun, and
sure enough she was loaded. Then Ward
Eaton said, Let's put up Il cold deck on Ira
while he's gone We can draw the charges
from his gun, and then bet him basket of
wine that he can't hit John Scranton's hat at
forty yards The joke took immensely.
Schenck drew the charges out of the gun, and
they all stood around the bar chuckllng and
waiting for Ira to come buck"
Here MI Ycomans showed up his shirl
sleeves and mixed cocktail for George A..
Smith and Bishop Stenhouse. After the
cocktails had disappeared, he continued;
well you see, in about five minutes Ira he
came back. They all began talking and
Ira began Dragging about the game he was
going to shoot. Hackett stepped up TO the.
counter and picked up 1ra's gun. lie turned
her over and sighted her two or three times,
and then asked Ira what kind Of 8un she
was Ira said that she was g. r.etty GOOD
shooter, that he had used her half dozen
times, and that he didn't have any fault 10
find with her What dii you pay for her?
says Hackett, still tIGfling her over. Well
Ira said, she cost nc hundred and seventy.
An, Al, I, ,,1 ,,,l
began to ii,ticulc Ira, telling him that the
gun was,,' worth dose Of tansy and bitters,
and that man could buy Il cart load Of
such runs in New York for two bits. OF
course Ira was mighty indignant He told
Hackctt that he talked like IN internal fool,
and advised him to 20 to gun shop and
learn something about gun before making
IN ass Of himself
Here Mr.. Ycomans showed up his shirt
sleeves and mixed cocktail for Judge
Hemingway, OF Kansas, and Judge .jetGr
Clinton, Of Salt Lake. After the cocktail
had disappeared, he continued:
We'll just as Ira and Ilackctt gotto GuSsin'
one another, John Scranton he stepped up
and sculled himself into the row. Of course
he took Hackett's side, declared the gun to lie
nothing more than 4 pop gun, and wondered
that man OF lra's sporting reputation would
carry such Il gun. Ira was wlld. lie had no
suspit ,on but what the boys were in earnest.
There was II jolly row u lasted two or three
minutes Then John Scranton asked Ira II
The gun was loaded. Ira said it was. Then
said John, winking At the boys, IN bet You
basket of Wine that you cant hit my hat on
top OF chat barrel pointing 10 a barrel about
.Orty wards distant Atthis Ira heSitatcd. He
looked at Scranton ncw.beaver, and said thai
1t would be a CuSscd shame 10 ruin such hal
rs that If some one would put up an old hat
he'd take the bet. But John Scranton insisted
upon putting up his hat and accused Ira %
trying to crawl out of it because he knew
that there we're no old hats on the premises
That fred Ira up again. Put up your hat,
he said, I'll take Il pop at il for basket o.
wine"
Here Mr.. Ycomans showed up his shir
sleeves and mixed cocktails for Bishop Farr
ii Ogden, and Col. Woolley. of Cheyenne
They were large cocktails. After they haj