Los Angeles daily herald., 1875-02-09
A Law Needed for the Pr0tectirn of Old Men
From the Detroit Free Press. |


Yesterday noon man about sixty
five years of age came up stairs into
the local room of this paper and in
quired:
as this where the legislashur is ?'
"No, sir" replied the reporter;
''the Legislature is in session at Lam
sing"
"Way off there, eh? ?n continued
the man, as he sat down, laid his cane
across the table, and took off his nit
tens.
tYes; trains run twice day.
Pretty good crowd out there by this
time.n
don't care about the crowd,o said
the oldman; ~ want lava new
lawW
"Eh ?n
Yes, sir; I want new law-sum-
thin to purtect old men like me-"
"Whats the matter-how do yon
want to be protected ?''
"My names Horner," replied the
old man, as he slowly fumbled inside
his coat. "My names Horner, and
I'm an old fool! What DO you think
did three months ago? Went and
married girl nineteen years old, and
red-haired at that! Yes-went and
decided her farm, and gin her six
hundred dollars cash, and married
her ~
"And do you not live happy?u
"Happy! Young man just let me
show you sumthin' = here, look at
thatw
And he unrolled a piece of paper
and displayed a handful of gray
hairs, some of which were bloodstained.
"Pulled right out o. my scalp, only
three days agop' he went on; "And
see that leg %
He pulled up his pants and exhib-
tied black and blue spot just above
the shin.
"Struck me there with the flatironp
he exclaimed; f" Meant to hit me in
the chist and kill me to once, but 1
lodged. And see here.u
He opened his coat and vest and re-
vealed the fact that he had no shirt
on, and consequently nothing on
which to button collar.
"Tore it Off'n me two weeks agoW
he whispered, "And she burned up my
other one. Ive bin around this way
for fortnight, almost a-dyin' by
inches p
DWELL, she must be regular Wild
cat.n
"Young man, if war to sit here
and tell we how that woman conducted
herself, ye'd have to hold yer hair
downW exclaimed the old man, strik-
ing his leg. "No one knows how she's
heaved flat-irons at me, hit me with
clubs, throw'd water over me in bed,
pulled hair, jawed around and brought
my gray hairs in sorrow to the grave!
Why, what do you think she called me
this very m0rning?'
"a cundurango, perhaps"
"Wuss'n that, boy-far far worse;
she called me an ApoljOW
"Possible?n
'Yes, she did! Think of that, will
ye-think of man o. my age, who
has always paid his debts and
| been honest, bein' sat down with pi-
rates! t8#e
ats bad!n sighed the reporter, as II
long pause ensued.
'It's awful - the awfulest kind of
awfulp' replied Horner. "I've got to
stand it; but want u law to protect
other old men, Iwant law to forbid
any man over sixty from marryin' a
girl who isn't over twenty"
"'rhat might be wise law"
81 can't go to Lansin'," he went on,
but you kin help me. PUTT in the paper
git up an excitement aboutit. Will
you do this Look at me, boy; look
me all over! See how I've suffered.
See how hot my head isv'
''rll help you all | can.p
"Do! Write to him-write to him
five times day! Pm goin' hum
to meet her, and be pounded around
and sassed and jawed; but If | know
you're gettin' law through I'll go to
the grave feelin' goodF'
And he put on his mitteDs, took up
his cone and was gone.