The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1882-12-16
A White barbarian.

A gentleman from HALEY. Idaho,
came to the Comstock the other day.
Having recently sold his claim he had
plenty of money and went in for style
plug hat and blue silk handkerchief
with one corner sticking out of the
pocket of his new diagonal coat. He
walked into the International, and when
the gong rang for dinner he sauntered
into the dining-room with the rest OF
the fashionable throng. Everybody
looked ut him, but he didn't mind it,
and went on eating the branded peaches
while waiting for his soup. When that
came he bent so far over his plate to
suck it in with the sound like the gurgle
of bath-tub exhaust-pipe that his plug
hat fell off his head and rolled across the
table against the plate of an Eastern
lady tourist. With grin of apology
he half rose, reached over and recovered
it, and placed it on the well-oiled and
recently barbered head. He attacked
the trout with his fingers, and despised
the Use of any other napkin than his
mouth. Pending the arrival of the beef,
the gentleman from HALEY placed both
elbows on the table and surveyed the
company with great affability and self
possession as he converted his fork into
tooth-pck. Then he lifted his plug
hat an inch or two from his head and
scratched the same gently with his four.
pronged toothpick. When engaged on
the beef his hat fell off again and rolled
across to the eastern lady, who had
grown pale. Presently the gentleman
from Idaho had need of a handkerchief,
and made use of the only one which ma.
ture, and propably Haley, provides.
The plug hat fell on the floor this time,
and when he had recovered and replaced
it he sat alone at the table. He looked
with surprise at the guests jostling one
another to get out of the door.
"Fire?" he asked of q transtixcd
waiter.
mo-" gasped the man.
mo! What's the row thenP"
Had enough. suppose" replied the
waiter with whitening look.
Mighty small eaters, pears to me,
and cuSsed queer manners about gitten'
outen q room. Give lis another chunk
o beef-pooty fur from the horns, if
yer kim"
Presently Landlord Hanak appeared
with colorless face and bullying eyes.
He walked rapidly up and touched the
arrival from HALEY on the shoulder.
you seem to having pretty good
time" said the landlord, refraining
from crashing his teeth.
"Well that's so, boss. You sit down
here and whack up 4 bottle O wine at
my expense. Oh, I've got u pocketful
of rocks, and don't you forget it. Say,
do you happen to know any likely gals
that's on the marry? I'm here on that
lay and he grinned and once more
lifted his hat II little and scratched his
head with his fork.
The landlord groaned and sat down
with thud. Then he gazed determinedlv
at the Wood River fashionable and said
with set teeth:
ado you know, my friend, what it
costs to stop at this house?"
mo. an | don't keer. I've got the
tin. But whars yer figure, jist fur
luckp"
"One-hundred- dollars -a--day."
The jaw OF the gentleman from Idaho
dropped, and he fell back in his chair
and gazcd in fear and wonder at the
landlord who fixed him with his steady
eye. Then huskily, as he struggled to
an upright position on his chair, he ask
ed:
How much meal? This is my
fust."
Nothing for little lunch like this"
Hanak.
With q long sigh of returning life the
flush marrying man from HALEY got his
feet and made unsteadily for the door.
He sat the remainder of the day in the
waiting-room of the depot with his hand
behind him as if on q pistol. and fled
on the evening train Virginia Chroa-
icle.