Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1880-08-16
TIE LATEST FROM THE JOKING ca Us.

The members of the Practical y oklnS CluD
have been having another bout. a few days
ago Joe Kane, the sharpshooter, discovered
that certain attache of the State Printing
Office was the party who gave away the
story that appeared in the RECORD UNION
about Joe's wonderful horse and how far be
carried Captain Young one day, not that he
cared for himself, but the Captain has been
taking Kane and the real party who told it
severely to task for it, when Kane, at least,
was as innocent as an unborn babe. Now
revenge Is not a Christian sentiment never
theless among practical jollers getting
even" Is moral virtue. Joe dropped into
the Office the other day, and some question
arose about the weight an ordinary man
ought to lift. Kane asserted, in reply to a
boast of the attache, who is rather small
sized man and not given now to much robust
exercise, that he couldn't lift the weight the
ordinary Chinaman carries in his two bas-
kets as slung from bamboo stick, to wit,
$50 pounds. This the attache took as a per-
sonal atfront. and he shock his grsyish beard
and braced his two hands on the railing and
gave vent to his feelings: Cant lift it?
Do you think me skeleton? You just try
it bring on your bamboo and baskets, and if
can't lift 'em I'll be blessed if | don't order
my coffin
.Oh, what's the use of blowing you can't
do it l can't do it; there isn't man in the
room can do it,
Cant, Ell! I'll bet you the drinks for
the crowd"
How big me-"
why the whole gang present, and just as
many as you can bring. Why, you must
think Tn rutabaga top, and got no more
strength than cat. You talk ike "a"
"Well, I'll do it, it's co." =
You must furnish the traps"
sob, III get 'em, and We'll fix this after
noon at Third and J Streets"
"All right. I'll be there after office
hours"
And he came. Kane had already been to
a Chinese market and rented pole and two
baskets, and after taking them over to the
store of Holbrook, Merrill & Stetson, and
getting Horatio Hurd to act as Judge, sent
word to the litter, and he and his friends,
among them came the Superintendent Cap
tain Young. There sat the baskets, and there
lay numerous boxes of tin, which were
weighed and deposited in the paniers until,
it was alleged, that $50 pounds had been put
in, but i'll fact all the boxes were much short
of weight. Then the strong man of the
printing Office got under the pole and adjust
ed it to his shoulder. Meanwhile crowd of
friends had gathered about After some
bantering the attache got ready for the lift,
and then he paused and looked over at his
challenger, who sat on pitch kettle smoking
an abominably bad pipe.
Say, you got any money?
yes"
Enough to treat this crowd ~
"Yes Why"
"Cause Pm going to raise these things
now"
You can't do it."
"Bet you hundred dollars"
won't do it."
''You darsen't Now, I'm going to elevate
this tin or else I'll cut the country, by thun-
der"
Then he lifted, and the baskets didn't come
up. He tried it again. They wouldn't bulge.
The crowd urged him to renewed exertions
He shortened the ropes to get better pur-
chase. He put his shoulder to the pole, and
with the beaded perspiration standing out
upon his brow, he lifted till his joints fairly
cracked with the strain. He paused, rested, |
and made one more effort, setting his teeth |
into his lip with a vengeance, and strained
until he suddenly discovered that by alarm |
ing physical manifestations that he was ''a |
victim of misplaced confidence" and with |
sigh and an exclamation. I'm beaten /;
wouldn't have believed it - ne shot out of |
the door, while the crowd laughed and cried |
Meanwhile, the Captain saw that the credit |
of his force was at stake. He viewed the |
load, pulled little on the pole, and finally |
remarked that he could lift the baskets easy |
enough. just then the beaten attache re-
somewhat, but still pale |
from his exertion-and bet the Captain
he couldn't lift the baskets Here was
a chance TO make even on his wager,
and be urged it warmly until like
offer was accepted from him to that he
had taken from Kane The Captain got |
under the pole, lifted the baskets easily, and |
swung them about like plsythings. Beaten
again." cried the discounted bettor, and he
proceeded at once to pay his debts amidst
the merriment of the crowd and his own
deep chagrin. This notice will be the first |
he viii have of the truth-the fact
being that when he made his Gift" two stout
wires, descending from the bottoms of the
baskets through minute holes in the floor,
were securely fastened in the cellar beneath
BY a couple of uncomfortable confederates of
Kane, who unlocked them as soon as the
explosion of laughter notified them that the
est was over, leaving the task assumed by
he Captain one of easy accomplishment.