The Bossier banner. [volume] (Bellevue, Bossier Parish, La.) 1859-1952, 1883-01-18
Jim Toland, % Vegas.

Last evening about seven o'clock a
man staggered into fashionable res
taurant on Sixth Street, and seating him
self at a table, shouted to d waiter:
''Gimme a steak and smother it with
onions. want to eat The man wore
road-brimmed white SLOUGH hat, a
red woolen shirt, brown canvas trousers
and q great woolen knit comforter around
his neck. He sat at. the table with his
hat on, and from his unsteady, swaying
figure it. was quite clear thatsthe gentle
man had made frequent halts on his way
from the Union Depot. Gimme a
steak; dye hear?" he Shouted to the re-
luctant waiter, 'and l don't want to
wait till its druv in on the hoof neither,
dye understand? And [ want them
onions brown, dye understand t. iH4
''Shall l take your hat, sir?'' asked
the waiter. e4 eag t.s# .i
''Naw, you needn't take my hat
Safest place for my. hatis on my head.
Gimme that steak quick, Mebbe yer
don't know who am I'm Jim Toland,
O. Vegas. and Jim Toland' allus heeled,
dye understands" F3 sass
g Here the waiter retired; but at a
sign from the proprietor went to. the
counter Then he again approached
Mr.. Toland 's O -Veeas.iha-
''Priee of a steak and onions is $3.50.
sir, in this hoise-the proprietor says"
added the waiter, ,ahesitatingly, S. -
81 don't care what it is,' said the
gentleman from New Mexico s.Gimme
it mighty quick. My name is Jim To-
land, O. Vegas, an if that grub amt
here soon there'H be music in. this She
bang. You hear me a talkinS to you.
Jim Toland's alters heeled--youmindP"
What's the matter here?'' asked the
stalwart proprietor, as he advanced
quietly toward the table. "What's all
this noise aboutp And if you want
meal in this house you must take off your
! hat. We don't allow people to sit. at
our tables with their hats ON
Mr.. Toland so Vegas seemed par
alyzed with astonishment at such de-
mand.s He glared at the proprietor and
then sneeringly asked: ''Who the deuce
are youP" sss se5a3@ @sigE4
''I'm the proprietor of this place, was
the reply, ''and I want you to behave
yourself or get out. Fact Is. Ilwanb You
toget out anyhow. You're not our kind
of customer. Never mind that order,
waiter. Here, you Ito the gentleman
from Las Vegas 1eave''@' '@Ss~@
At this point. Mr.. TOland lowered his
voice, and with the look of one who was
about to impart a dumbfounding secret
he leaned on the table and said: s'I say,
mister, you don't seem to know who
am. I'm Jim .Toland, o. Vegas, an
alters go heeled. I come up here with a
| carload o. steers, and I'm ON time
You mustn't fool with Jim Toland, mis-
ter, orr II cut yer ears off AM plaster EN-
agin the wall; d 'ye understand? Waiter,
gimme that steak. I'd like to see the
hash-slinger as IL give cheek to Jim
Toland. Here you, to the thoroughly
scared waiter s.gimme tthat -+s''gIn In
the flash OF an eye the chair came out
from under the gentleman and something
struck the floor with a udull thud.n It
was Mr. Toland. o. Vegas. The same
instant the stalwart proprietor had him
by the collar with, q yise-like grip, .OpeR
the door, he said to waiter, sswe' Il
dispose of this fellow mighty quick. y
The gentleman from Vegas tried to
struggle; but the steel grip and twist
choked him and nearly started his eve
balls. Once in the door the proprietor
lifted his right foot and with one mighty
effort he planted a No. 10 boot. with the
force of a pile-driver where it would do
the most good, and Mr. Toland came
down on. the sidewalk with a jar that
made the gas.lanips Jingle. while the
gentleman from Vegas was gathering
his scattered senses it seemed to his
dazed vision as if all the stars in the fir
mament had fconcentrated into one
mighty comet, and. that comet had in
the neighborhood of seventeen tails.
When Mr. Foland recovered lhlaseH- be
still proclaimed that he was ''heeled, y
but had forgotten about his beefsteak and
onionss--,St.. Louis sGIobe-D -Deasoc78t, = q
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