Ottumwa weekly courier. (Ottumwa, Wapello County, Iowa) 1872-1899, 1876-08-16

Mr., Spiggs, fat man of Summer
street, owed Mr.. Shrimp, the grocer
and provision dealer, a bill which the
latter gentleman was anxious to col
lect, but for some trivial reason the
fat man declared he would settle
when he got ready, and not a minute
before. This saucy impudence on
the part of Spiggs. irritated the gro
GERS nature to such an extent that, f.
nally, he made the bold statement to
his bookkeeper that If he didn't NOR
tify Spiggs into paying that bill
within thirty days, he would sell out
his business to him for SO cents on the
dollar.
i The next afternoon Spiggs was
passing the store on the opposite side
Of the street. when Shrimp ran to the
door and yelled:
"Come in and pay that bill Of yours,
and don't 60 sneaking down the street
with your head hung down like a
Sheep"
! Spiggs took no notice of this de-
mand, which seemed only to heighten
the creditors indignation.
| The next day he saw Spiggs down
town in company with friend, when
he approached him and said:
"You're a pretty man to be v car
ing a beaver hat, and here you are
owing me for the victuals you and
your family stuffed yourselves with
last Thanksgiving"
4 Returning home he encountered
one of Spiggs' daughters on her way
with an associate, to take a music
lesson, when he said:
II should think, young lady, that
you would rather go without know
ing how to play and sing, until your
father gets so that he can pay for
what you eat"
A day Or two later, he saw, through
the window, one of Spiggs' sons get.
ting measured at the tailors for suit
OF clothes, when he opened the door
and said:
"Don't you trust him day for those
clothes, his father has owed me $S6.4O
for sirloin steak and such things for
over six months, and can't get one
dollar of it."
Soon after this he saw Mrs. Spiggs
and her daughter chatting with some
ladies in the horse-car station, when
he entered and said:
i "This woman's husband owes me
for the soap that was used in washing
that collar she's got on her neck, and
want my pay for it."
/ About a week later, he saw Spiggs
riding out with a clergyman, when,
after reckoning him to stop, he said !:
i "Y0u ought to be ashamed Of your
self! Here you are, passing yourself
OIL to this minister Of the gospel as an
honest man, when you are owing me
for the starch used in doing up your
shirt BOSOM"
The next evening Shrimp called at
the house of Spiggs to see if he was
ready to settle his bill, but Spiggs was
not ut home. Mrs. Spiggs was at
nome, however, entertaining some of
her lady friends at the tea-table.-
Shrimp pushed his way into the din
ing room and said:
'Iadies, the family whose hospital
ity you are now enjoying, owes me
for the -four that those hot biscuits
there on the center of the table are
made of, and I should like to get my
money for 1t most confOundedly
WELL"
Passing out Of tho gate, he met Mr..
Spiggs' oldest daughter In company
with young man whom he suspect
ed was her afiianced, when he said:
"That girls cheek wouldn't look so
plump and fat if it hadn't been for me.
have been letting her have all the
fresh doughnuts and bologna sausage
she wanted for the past six months,
and the bill hasn't been paid vet"
The young man looked as though
he felt ashamed to be found in such
company, and was commencing to
move down the street, when the young
lady gave shrek and fell senseless
to the sidewalk. He came back and
assisted her into the house, and that
night Spiggs came in and paid his bill
in full, with liberal interest thereto.