Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1879-08-06
Was He Very Mad

''Were you ever at McGregor, Iowa -
asked the commercial traveller
'.No, we said, 1--WE have never been
there"
! swell" the citizen of the world replied,
turning the seat in front of us that we
might pile our feet upon it, ''you want to
go there just to meet one of the famous
hotel keepers of Iowa Old Flanders. All
the boys know him; everybody stops with
him. Most particular man about caring
for his guests you ever saw. Give him an
order and you can go TO sleep without q
I tremor; he'll attend to it. Never had u
man at his house miss boat or a train.
Attends to all this calls himself. Well, one
day last summer thera was young fellow
travelling out of Chicago for a notions house
stopped with the old man and told him
that he wanted to go up the river that
night on the boat. All right, says Flan-
ders, III call you
The young chap went to bed and Flan-
ders, careful as usual, sat up 10 wait for
the boat and help his guest off. About half
past one O'Clock the whistle blew. The old
man waltzed up to the room and knocked
Turn out, says he, ''boat's Just whis-
tied Dress yourself and come down"
Well, the fellow sung out that he wasn't
going.
''Yes you are, said Flanders, you told
me you We're"
"Yes, | know" says the traveller, ''but
I've changed my mind, and won't go up
till morning.
''By thunder" roared the old man,
'.you'll go up now
'.NO, tell you, said the young chappy,
''l'm going to wait till morning, and go up
on the train"
by heavens, yelled the excited land
lord, '.you are going up tonight by boat
Eve sat up half the night to call YOU, and
send you of, and off you go. You climb
out of this room now before l kick the
door in on yOu,'
Well, there was no help for it, The
young fellow grumbled and dressed and
wondered what manner of man the land
lord was. Got his traps together and came
out and they hustled down to the landing
just as the boat was about ready TO back
out. Sure as fate, if she wasn't going down
instead of up. The young fellow opened
his mouth to protest, but before he could
say q NOiu, INT OiN hlaH uau nm " INC
collar.
'.Not word, " he roared; You said you
wanted to 60 on the boat and, by thunder,
on the boat you go"
And he waltzed him up the plank,
chucked his bag and duster after him
and down the river he went. But he's the
best DID man in the world, added the tour
ist, meditatively.
The cigars smoked on in sileRce
moment or two, and the traveller broke out
again.
sold man always wears silk hat, he
said. THAT is he always keeps il stand
ing on the office counter until he hears
boat whistle, then he grabs il up, claps il
on his head, and shoots out of the office
like mad. Well, one day he bought new
hat. Glossy as light itself, stylish shape,
white satin lining, just the tone. He set if
down on the counter as usual, and some Of
the hoys nailed it right down TO the counter,
tight as wax. Pretty soon, whoO-oo-ooi
boat whistled up the river, the old man
grabbed his hat, yanked it off at the top
and sailed away with the fringed edges of
the lining fluttering out of the top of his
tile, and he never knew a thing about il
until he came back to the office and his
eyes fell on the top of his new hat, nailed
down to the counter with fourteen penny
nails
The traveller paused here and looked out
of the window, we asked:
'Was he very mad ~
The traveller looked at us.
''Young man, he said, I'm tell you
bo g.
promise solemnly to put it in your paper.
But we had some misgivings, and
wouldn't promise, the traveller was obsti-
nate, and 30 we never heard and don't
know what remarks the old man felt called
upon to make. We can only guess at their
general nature, and we are never very good
al guessing
EsI,a