Watertown republican. [volume] (Watertown, Wis.) 1860-1906, 1875-10-20
The Grand Speculation and the First 1,us


The Grand Speculation and the First Cus.
toner.
From GLOW 1t Went" st. Nicholas for octobor
One Saturday, the cousins were on
the square playing marbles, when thew
saw farm-Wagon passing with ever so
many baskets of strawberries.
chow do you sell your strawberr-
ries?" Wyatt called. The man did not
hear, but went rafting on.
"Ho, there!' shouted Snaps: sswbat's
the price of your berries?''
Both boys now ran after the farmer
calling for him to stop, which he did
after time.
"Iwenty cents the basket" replied
the farmer. lifting the grape-leaves from
one basket and another of the scarlet
beauties. 'Just picked this morning. !"
he added.
The boys climbed upon the wheels
and looked longingly at the fruit.
Let you have three baskests for
half a-dollar. -0-
"What'n you take for the lot?"
Wen, let's see," said the farmer:
but instead of seeing, he shut his ewes
up close, and bent his forehead on his
hand. ''They's thirty-five baskets. Tn
lei ye hev the hull Nv UNI fer four dol
lars, seem it's you; that's less'n shil-
In the basket. That's dreadful cheap.
an l wouldn't let ye hev um fer no SIGH
money eft ye wus men an women. But
beln' ye're boys, We kir take I'm. Ye
KIN easy git twenty two CENT TIC pas
ket. I'd CIT 41-<-S Of had time to wait
on the sales; but, We see, [ want tn git
back to hum
''Say we take EN-" said Wyatt.
Gall right, was Snaps answe-.
Then the subject of the baskets can,
up; SO the boys promised solemnlv
leave them, when emptied, at Mr.. Nod
ler's grocery, where the farmer would
call for them. Then Wyatt ran over 10
the savings bank to draw the money.
Well, the money was paid, ant, the
straw berries were delivered on the side
walk. After discussing matters, the
boys agreed, in the first place, to eat
each basket of the berries. Then
they decided to set up a stand on the
corner of the Square for the sale of the
remainder. Wyatt borrowed one chair
from his fathers Office, which was near
at hand, and another from his mothers
kitchen, which was quite removed.
The spectators borrowed a plank;
this, resting on the chairs, made stand
fo1 the baskets. Th60es1 ere speedily
put In artistic and tempting array.
Then the boys wiped their hands and
faces, combed their hair with their
fingers, touched up their neck-ties,
Strengthened themselves up, and made
ready for the rush of customers with
which they would be assailed. They
sauntered about the plank, shifting at
the berries, occasionally eating one,
looking meanwhile up and down the
street for customers. A half-hour went
slowly by.
/" Yonder comes Billy Barlow" said
Snaps. "I'l bet he'll want to trade his
old barlow-knife for some berries. He's
been tryin' for year to get somebody
to trade something or other for that old
prokssen-bladed, rickety knife"
Billy Barlow's name was William
Williams, but, as Snaps had said, he
had barlowknife. It was the only
thing In the world over which he had
undlsputed control. The one blade was
broken and the rivets were loose. But
Billy ever mad it on display, and was
ever irylng to trade it for any conceiya-
pie Doy-property. Hence his school
mates had given him the name of Billy
Barlow.
"Why, what sights of strawberries -
exclaimed B. b. " Are they your'n ?"
and he ran his hungry eye up and
down the double line of baskets.
OF course they're ours" replied
Snaps. with quiet superiority.
"Ioin' to sell :em g"
"Of course" said Snaps, in like SUI
perlorlty. eve didn't buy. them to
give away, he added, by way of for
:" How much are they p asked Billy
Barlow, with his hand in his ragged
pocket.
twenty-five cen is a basket" and
then Snaps winked at Wyatt, as much