Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1882-06-21
Twenty Sons.

Twenty Sons.
In 1927 there came into old Mr. Gallaoher's
nat store man who asked to look at a can. He
was shown number Of caps, and. selecting one
that suited, he stated that he would take four
OF them. The halter was somewhat astonished
to hear the man ask for four caps at once, es-
pecially as he said he wanted them all the same
siZe
slave you four sons of one size?" asked Mr..
Gallagher
"fes. sir, have and I've got sixteen others
besides" answered the man.
Where are they?" inquired the halter, who
was now all torn up by curiosity at the strange
statement.
They're down here at the market" was the
reply.
Bring them here" said the halter. land I'll
make them all a present of a cap each"
The man went out and shortly returned, chas-
ing into the store drove Of boys that looked
something like the famous staircase band you
might see in the theater, If you ever visited
such place.
"Hyer they be, mister. These be my boys,
they be-"
We'll, well, well never! Doesn't that beat
all, calculated the old halter as he gazed in
wonder at the group of gambling young fellows
as they stood there in all sorts Of awkward atti-
tubes, some staring about in an absent sort of
way, others giggling like schoolgirls, and the
rest getting all tangled up with each other in
endeaVorlng To keep from tramplng on the
boxes and o:l-cloth or mating on the floor
Come in, boys; come in and make yourselves
at hone, shouted Nh. Gallagher, as the string
blocked up the doorway. And he was soon busy
hitting their pates with caps.
"This 'ere's Thomas Dittimus," said the happy
father, dragging forth the oldest of the gang.
" He's the first born, and mighty good boy be is
too. He's about thirty-five years old"
He was speedily suited with cap and told to
stand aside.
''This hyer ene," said the stock raiser, sis the
next oldest. His name is Christopher Holmes"
AND the father grabbed another of the drove as
though he were big sheep. ''Ef youth notice,
stranger, you'll see that the first boy has got
Diack eyes like mine, and this one has blue eyes
like his mother" 1t was but the work ola second
to slap cap on the blonde head, and he was
pushed over by the side of his older brother with
the injunction not to get mixed up with the
Others until every fellow had got his new cap
step out here. Peter Dialander," commanded
the owner OF the bunch of boys. At this third
young man ambled out in front of the delighted
natter, who enjoyed the experience beyond de-
scription. Flyers another black-eyed boy" re.
marked the boy builder. "You see every other
one is blue-eyed, and the rest is black-eyed so
far and this helps to keep the run of them il you
understand the system but when you come to
get through the whole string you'd get mixed
after the flrst ten, as III explain to you further
making dash in among the mob daddy brought
ont fourth son and almost held him up by the
back of the neck. A cap was passed down over
his head and he was assigned a position among
his seniors.
Number five was fshed ont of the regiment
and introduced as Eecy Icy. He got his can
and went to join the others that was already
ntted out. Then came Osy Neeshy followed
next by George Wainpum, then Shawno Cato
81 kind o sort o try to keep 'em divided into
nv DIV fhoy oco
different nature, yet something alike; for in
stance. Injun names all come together. But
right about hyer l always get mixed when try
10 pick the lads out according to their ages,
cause, you see, the eyes begin to Change along
about the tenth baby that comes. Commencing
with the first, who, as you saw had black eyes,
the change of color keeps on black, then blue
| until it gets down to the tenth or eleventh,
when there is a Change right around the other
way For instance, the tenth being blue the
eleventh ought to be black but one of his ewes is
blue and one is black then the others start out
Just opposite to the way they first began
mat Is, you will notice, how strange that-let
M see, unused the father. trying to single out
the proper one Yes. the twelfth, who should
nave blue eyes II the change had not taken
place. Is black. Then the next is blue, the next
black, and so on to the end. On account of this
change the first and last are black, whereas if
the attenuation had been kept up as it started,
they would have been opposite in color. In the
same way the next to the first. and the next to
| the last are both blue and so on"
The introductions kept on, and the boys were
| all lifted with cap each, free of cost, by the
gOod-natured halter The father stated that
there were no twins in the party and that they
were all the offspring of one wife. There was
| about years difference in their respective
ages. the youngest being about twelve Rela-
tive TO Keeping the run of the family the old
man stated that his wife, the mother of the
boys, knew them better than he did a greal deal
that Is, she could call Off their names and ages
| without having to stop to think, like he did, at
| times.
''What do you propose to do with your boys?"
| inquired the halter.
make farmers of EN-. We're just travelling
through hyer now on our way to settle some
whar but we don't exactly know wharf,
| After thanking the halter very heartily, and
| promising to name the expected No. 81 after
Mr. Gallagher, the father marched the twenty
| sons out of the store, without losing any OF
them, SO Tar as heard trom.-Zanesciue co., Let
/ ta- to Cincinnati Euo,,;,o, y