Bradford opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1874-1881, 1877-01-06

81 suppose You found the hotels her
all full, when You reached the city, l in
quired, to change the subject, "mt
were unable to procure board else
where p
81 don't know anything about tn
hotels" said the farmer. "We didn'
go near any. l knew Gambler would fee
insulted if we came to town, and didn'
come directly here, so as soon rs W,
reached the city, l said: Mother, lot III
hunt up Gambler Besides, hotel boart
is so outrageously high, that l couldn'
afford to pay it,"
About this time, Mrs. Gandler an
nounccd that supper was ready, and W.
/ NIL prepared to enjoy the meal. 1t woul(
Shave done you good to have seen the way
those visitors put away buckwheat cakes
and sausage, but poor Gandler didn'
seem to enjoy the sight much. Every
time old Cummings would take fresl
buckwheat cake on his plate, he woult
say:
"By hockey! these are good" /"
Then Gandlor, who was sitting beside
me, would pinch me on the knee, and
whisper "The old pig Look at him =
But that hired man, Tom, beat then
all. Jerusalem! what an appetite!
hope I may grow bald headed if that
fellow didn't get away with thirty-sia
buckwheat cakes, and smeared both but
ter and molasses over every one of them.
Mrs. Gambler only put ten sausages or
the table, but these were gone in nc
time. In fact, we were not half done
our supper, when the supply Of buck
wheat cakes gave out, and we had to fall
back on bread and butter. Then the
guests appetites suddenly left them,
and they retired from the table unsatis-
fed.
After supper was over gave Gambler
the wink, and told him to invite his
friends out and have u look at the city
by night. Old Cummings said that
would suit him "to NOTCH" and told
his hired man to put on his hat and
come along. We walked to Tenth and
Girard avenues and got into Tenth
street car to come down to the city.
When the conductor came after his
fare, was minutely inspecting a time
table on the other side of the car, and
nudged Gambler to do the same.
"Fare, gentlemen" said the con-
ductor, looking at all four of us to see
who was going to take out his pocket
book.
Gambler and were as mute as rab-
bits. The two countrymen stuck their
hands deep in their pockets and put on n
broad grin.
"Come, gentlemen said the con-
ductor, at last, in determined tone
"you must either pay your fares Or leave
the car. have no time to stop and
chin to you
Old Cummings saw things were get
ting serious.
Gandler," said he, nudging my
friend, "he wants his fare"
"Well, why don't you pay ?' 7 ask
ed, speaking up for my friend.
"Pay it Bless your soul, am not
going to pay any fares, said the old
skinhint. "Come on, boys, let's get
out and walk. I'd as leave walk as ride.
We can save that money"
"Never mind" said I, rendering the
fare. "I'll pay this time, and you fel-
lows can treat to drinks when we get to
Chestnut street."
"When anybody gets any drinks out
of me, said the farmer, "there will be
gray hairs on tie top of his head"
I said nothing, determined to see how
far his meanness would 60, When we
reached Chestnut street, the first saloon
we came across was Steve Nash's.
"Bsys," said I, "let's go in and take
something. 1t will put us in better con-
dition to see the elephant"
81 scarcely ever drink said the
farmer, rubbing his chin.
"Well, make an exception this time
1t will do you no harm," I said, Coax
ingly.
"I'll go in with you," said the farm
er, "if you insist on it, but mind, I am
not going to spend any money on treats.
l can't afford it,"
I told him that nobody required that.
When I asked man to drink 1 expected
to do the treating myself, He said that
suited him exactly, and, throwing his
cud of tobacco into the street, he follow
ed us into the saloon.
Ex-Alderman Jimmy McColgan, Steve
Nash and Harry Josephs were standing
in front of the bar, conversing, when we
saw that they were laughing
slyly at my friends, but I gave them the
wink and said nothing. Harry Josephs,
however, rather overdid the thing.
"Jinks," said he, :" how is oats ?"
l told him to "cheese it y but he
take the hint, and continued to
talk about crops, hogs and cattle, while
McColgan and Nash laughed i'm
moderately. What made matters worse
was, Frank Moran entered at that mo-
nent, and, taking a supercilious look at
NY companions, gave a long, low whis-
lie, and begun examining the texture of
.he stuff in the farmers coat.
Afraid their jests would end in row,
n which case I would have to take the
'armers' part, as they came in with me,
md, perhaps, hurt Nash, or Moran, Or
some of the others, which had no de-
'ire to do, invited everybody up to
rink. They all took twenty cent
lrinks, confound them There was
lollar and sixty cents out of my pocket
It one whack. Jimmy McColgan set the
by calling for whisky punch,
md every mothers son of them took the
anne, myself included. I tried to shove
glass of ale on my country friends, as
hat was only ten cents, by telling them
Whisky punch would make them sick,