The Eaton Democrat. (Eaton, Ohio) 1875-1903, 1878-04-18
A Close Man in a Trade.

He was a man with a sharp, pointed
chin, and lank look in the jaws. He
was going slowly along the lower side Of
Fifth-street, watching the signs closely,
and stopping frequently to spell them
out.
"I guess from the looks O. things this
is the place I've been s'archin' fur, but
it amt Jest where l expected to find it,
and / don't diskiver the picter of the
preachers family painted on the side of
the house toastin' their shins around a
steam callyoper, as Hank Goslin said
should, but / guess Pve struck the right
concern anyway. If Pm wantin' stove
this pears to be purity good neighbor-
hood to pick it up in" and so saying he
walked into the store.
"Good morning." said clerk with an
oily smile stepping forward, rubbing his
hands briskly and bowling like man
who got well paid for doing it. "What
might you be wanting to look at this
morning, sir?'
!. Wall, I spose I mought want to look
at a calf with two heads or grizzly that
could dance an chaw tobacker eff tn
was airy show in town thet he'd sech
things to be seen for nothin', or I mought
want to get square look at the chap
what stole my best hoss last winter, but
l don't s'pose / ever shall, an SO eff
you've no objections I'll take asquint at
some O. your cookin' stoves, which was
rally about what Idrapped in fur"
"What kind of stove would you like
to look at? We've got all kinds and all
prices.'
Wall, I'd like to see one tibet would
split the wood, build the fires its own
self, fetch up the pertaters from the eel
lar an set 'em to bilin', besides windin'
up the clock, doin' the chores, an oc-
casionally grindin' us out a little
pianner music thet would make corn
bread taste like company cake; I don't
s'pose I ever shall, though. Still, if /
could, I wouldn't mind leavin' ten
dollar bill behind for the sake of takin'
it home with me. 1t would make the ole
woman put on scollops over the neigh
bors-wall, should reether presume SO.
But then, what's the use? You hain't
got nary sech, s'pose. !" -
No; we never got up but one of that
kind, and it set the house on fire and ran
away with the hired girl. Butabout what
priced stove shall show your said the
clerk, getting fdgety.
Wall, now we're aidgin' around
lords business, an we kin both talk for
our bread and butter. If you've got airy
good baker, with silver-plated knobs,
warranted to draw in all kinds O
weather, thet'u carry a two-foot stick o.
timber, an has a sunk-in biler for hot
water, an a good showin' of winder
glass in front, thet you're eatchin to
part with for fifteen dollars, you might
let me take cheer an set down close to
it for little spell, speshly if chrome
ready framed an vanished is part of
the rig that goes with it. The ole woman
was mighty particular about the silver
plated knobs, though. Nothin' shorter
could make any kind O. stir in our set
tlement."
Here's stove that seems to be
about what you want" remarked the
clerk.
"It is, for fact" said the granger,
with admiration.
That's mighty purity piece of iron
work. What's It wuth ?'
Fifty dollars"
"Ifll have to keep on settin' right
where it is then. Show me the best you
kin do for fifteen, which is the heft of my
pile. Pm naturally extravagant, you
see, an knowin' my failin' thet's all
brought with me. An this is it, umph?
Seems to me stoves has riz sense the last
I bought, which was risin' twenty-five
year ago. Looks as though eight or ten
dellars would be strong temptation for
it, considerin' the price of other things,
now don't you think it would? The
silver knobs is missin', water will have
to be KEEP hot in the tea-kettle; there
amt no winders, an one of the leds
looks as if it might be cracked, but say
twelve, an we'll call it trade. Whatl
You won't7 Wall, then, We'll split the
difference an say thirteen, if you'll
throw in pair of tongs. No? You're
a tight 'un, you are, for caution. It's
squanderin' the hard airnin's of years to
make it fourteen, but my influence
around home amt slim, an good many
people allus trades where recommends,
so if you'll dump in copper cofee-biler
you may git ready to stow it into the
wagon. You don't bulge? Wall, now,
you must. You wouldn't want me to
ride home hungry, would you? You're
not a stingy-lookin' man, eff you are
tight in a trade. Thet stove amt no
great shakes in looks, but I s'pose it
could favor aat-jack as well as one
with shinin' knobs, an maybe it
wouldn't take any more cussin' to git
the pipe together. Put in an extra led
litter an make it fourteen an a half,
which leaves me jest fifty cents for my
dinner, an we'll call it dicker. It's
fourteen miles over mighty rough
road an / don't want to haul an empty
stomach back with me"
He rnt the stove