Washington standard. [volume] (Olympia, Wash. Territory) 1860-1921, 1876-07-08
JONES VS.. BROWN.
HOW JONES SAVED HIS CREDIT AT HoMl
BY MAKING GOOD USE OF SOMEBODY ELSE

HOW JONES SAVED HIS CREDIT AT HOME
BIZ MAKING GOOD USE OF SOMEBODY ELSE
FIGHTING ABILITY.
Mrs. Jones was standing in her back
yard feeding the chickens, when Stone
wall Jackson came running in, crying as
though his heart would break. and told
her that Bill Brown had slapped him
for nothing. Mrs. Jones never said a
word, but she grit her teeth hard, and
went into the house to cut cabbage, |
and CHOPPED it 50 fine, thinking it was
Bill Browns head, that you might have
sifted it through a cohweb. While
Jones sat eating his dinner !!at eTening,
Mrs. Jones told him Of the outrage that
had been committed, and asked him !
What he was going to DO about il =:
Jones pondercl. Bill Brown VAS i'll
twcnty-one years Id, L shining iiaht III
the fiie department, pitcher IL :. b..
hall ciah, and had the general rcpEta-
ton among experts Of being a good
man Alter considering these 'hin%S
carefully. Zones came to the conr'naion
that 'he best course 10 pursue 'v.:as 80
treat Brown With silent contempt and
50 he told his wife, adding. by way u
parcn;he%:S, Ny doar, aaca cattle ;..':
beneath oar notice.
"All right Air. Jones' said Mis-. J.,
- il you are not man enough TO protect
our family, thank God I've got a
BROTHER and she swept from the room
with look that Jones knew only too we'll
He had seen that same look on his wife IS
face once before, when he brought Il
friend home to dinner on washinS-c!ay,
and he knew it meant war There was
no help for it; it flashes upon Jones
with the swiftness of lightning; there
would be 10 peace in the Jones family
until the insult Of the morning had
been wiped out with blood.
That night the boys were sitting in
neighboring beer saloon, and its genial
proprietor was telling them what he
would do if lie got the nomination for
alderman. This gentleman, whom we
will call Mike, because that was not his
name, was an ex-prize-fighter, could
barely write his name, and was in many
other respects especially qualified for
an alderman. He kept good beer and
offered it with that lavish liberaIity and
recklessness of expenditure for which
Vicksburg candidates are famous.
Jones came in, took his pro rata of
beer, and sat himself down to mediate
upon the Brown affair. At last hap
Ply idea seem to strike him; he called
for another 'shoo-fy,' and rubbed his
knees in gleeful anticipations.
At last he said to Mike, with care
less air, "Mike, is Bill Brown one of
your supporters?"
"You can bet your munkv-much on
that" says Mike, ''tliere's boy | do
stand solid with
That's strange said Jones.
g. What's st1ange?' said Nike, with
that uneasy, suspicious air 50 common
among candidates.
"Oh, nothing" sad Junss. mysicri-
ously; g l don't think l ought 20 tell"
jones' said Mike so.elnnly,. " if
you're friend of mine; you'll tell. -
Well, I WILL" said Jones, "but
you must keep it confidential
CAN right; so ahead said Mike
anxiously.
"Well," said Jones, CT just came
from the Centennial bar room, and
heard Brown say that you didn't know
your head from shotgun; that he
caught you one day reading a newspa-
per upside down; that he'd sooner vote
for the lowest down niger in O. ward
than vote for you, and that if you were
elected, city scrip would so down to
five cents on dollar, and taxes go up
SO high yon couldn't reach them with
balloon,
Mike put on his hat and coat and
made bee line for the Centennial bar:
room.
Jones went home and sat down on
the front gallery, smoking his cigar with
that peace of mind which only one can
know whose bosom is distended with the
proud consciousness of having done a
good action. -
About half an hour afterward he
said to his wife, who was sitting inside:
Mrs. j., don't think Bill Brown
will hit our boy any more"
"Why?"
Mrs. Jones stepped to the window
and looked cut. They were bringing
Brown home on shutter, with both of
his eyes bunged up, and his nose drip
ping blood at every pore.
Mrs. jones turned to her husband
and said:
Darling, can you forgive me %
Jones drew himself up haughtilv.
with whitening sarcasm:
Mrs. Jones, 1 don't think 1 am
able to protect this family. You had
better send for your brother"
Mrs. j., was crushed.