The silver state. [volume] (Unionville, Nev.) 1870-1903, 1880-07-15
A Diseased EAT.
The Almost Fatal Consequence OF u
Practical Joke.

Probably the nieanest trek tnat was
ever played on a white man was played
last week in this city, and the fact that
there is no vigilance committee here is
the reason that the perpetrators of the
trick are alive. A business man had
just purchased new stiff bat, and
went into a saloon with half dozen
friends to fit the hat on his head. They
all took beer, and passed around the
hat so all could see it. One of the
meanest men who ever held county
office went to the bartender and had a
thin slice of lirnberger cheese cut off,
and when the party were looking at
the frescoed ceiling through their beer
glasses, this wicked man slipped the
cheese under the sweat. leather Of the
hut, end the man put it on and walked
out. The man who owned the hat is
one of your nervous people, who is
always complaining of being sick, and
feels rs though terrible disease was
going to take possession OF him and
carry him off. He went back to his
place OF business, took off his hat and
laid it on the table, and proceeded to
answer some letters. He thought he
detected smell, and when his partner
asked him if he didn't feel sick, he said
he thought he did. The clerk said it
was evident that somebody's feet need
ed washing. The man turned pale, and
said he guessed he would go home. He
met man on the sidewalk who said
the air was full of miasma, and IN the
etreet car man moved away to the
end of the car and asked him if he had
Just come from Chicago. The man with
the hat said he had not, and the strang-
or said they were having great deal
OF smallpox there, and he would get
out and walk, and he pulled the bell
and jumped Off The cold perspiration
broke out on the forehead of the man
with the new hat, and he took it of to
wipe his forehead, when the whole
piece of cheese seemed to roll over and
breathe, and he came near falnting
away. He finally got home. His wife
met him and asked him what was the
matter. He said he believed mortilica-
tion had set in. She took one Whit as
ne took off his hat, and said she should
think it had. ''Where did you get
into it!" she asked ''Get into it :"
said the man; Il have not got into
anything, but some deadly disease has
got hold of me, and shall not hve."
She told him that if any disease that
smelled like that had got hold OF him.
and was going to be chronic, she felt
as though he would be burthen to
himself if he lived very long. She got
his clothes off, soaked his feet in mus
tord water and he slept. The hat was
lying on the center-ta table. aud the chill
dren would come in and get smell Of
it, look at each other with reproachful
man dreamt that smallpo flag was
hung in front of his house. and he was
riding in a butcher cart to the pest
house.
The wife sent for doctor, and when
the man OF pills arrived she told HIM
all about the case. The doctor took up
the patients new hat, tried it on, and
got sniff He said the hat was picked
before it was ripe The doctor and the
wife held post mortem OF the hat, aud
found the slice of limberger cheese.
Few and short were the prayers they
said" They awoke the patient, and TO
prepare his mind for the revelation that
was about to be made, the doctor asked
him if his worldly affairs were i'll sat
isfactory condition. He gasped, and
said they were. The doctor asked him
if he had made his will. Hc said lie
had not, but wanted a lawyer sent for
at once. The doctor asked him ii he
felt as though he was prepared to shuf-
file of. The man said he had always
tried to lead an upright lie, but that
ha might have made "A misdeal in some
way, and he would like TO have a min
lister sent for to take an account of
stock. Then the doctor brought to the
bedside the hat opened up the sweat
leather and showed the dying man
what it was that smelt so, and told him
that he was as well as any man In the
city.
The patient pinched himself to see if
ha vas aliva and then INN ro1 out of