The Mankato free press. [volume] (Mankato, Blue Earth County, Minn.) 1879-1924, 1883-01-26
House-Huntlng.

He started out to hunt q house.
House-hunting is a very exciting and
entertaining pursuit. and he felt that
he was going to have day of pleasant
exhilaratiOn. He was not disappointed.
Ho told bis wife. before he set out,
that he was going to take his time and
get the incest little shack in the town
for his money. You wouldn't catch him
with any fresh bait. He was going to
nibble all over the whole blamed city
and oil round the dog-ond suburbs be-
fore he bit on. He was bound to see
every ramshackle shed and brick-stack
there was for rent inside the corporation
and then he could take his pick, you
know, intelligently.
He lit a cigar and sauntered forth
He had gone block and half when
he met his old chum SOlsberry.
"Hello" says Sol, '.you look as If you
were going somewhere"
"Yes. house-hunting. Sol. am 90
ing to walk round little and look ut a
few houses. till get one to suit"
why. I have nothing to do (Solsber-
~ always had rush OF that business),
and I'll 20 with you. But let's take
drink before we start"
They went in. and Solsberry treated;
remarking to the bar-keeper that they
were going to hunt house and he might
brace 'em up pretty stiff. 1t was warm
and the drink began to take hold
immediately. They repeated. on house.
hunters treat. Then Solsberry sug-
gcsted that it was too early to find any
body to show them the houses, and that
they could play game of billiards be-
fore business-hours. So they adjourn
cd to the billiard room. threw off their
coats, and went at it. They took two
or three punches apiece at the balls
and then took q punch from the bar
Two or three more punches. aud then
punch. Repeat. It was the usual old
game Of billiards.
House-hunter calls the bar-keeper
and inquiries il he has seen any houses
60 by that looked as II they were con-
venient inside and could be had at fair
rent. II want about seven rooms, two
stories, and an attic. Barkeeper. cast
your eye out Of the window now and
then. and you see house going along
the street that you think would suit,
stop it and call me out. Send in the
drinks"
The barkeeper kept careful watch.
out for houses as they came past along
the street, and the two friends hunted
for them In various parts of the billiard
room and occasionally in the back yard,
the whole day through. Especially in
the back yard did they hunt very dill
gently. But no house that was at all
suitable could be found anywhere about
the saloon. Barkeeper saw one or two
Of the various buildings going along the
street that he thought might answer.
but he couldn't stop 'em long enough to
call house-hunter out to inquire. So
they kept the hunt up till toward mid
night; and then they returned to their
original enterprise Of the morning, and
took the streets in pursuit of house.
They went searching for the house
where the house-hunter had left his wife
that morning. They couldn't find it
anywhere; but they found another house
pretty easily. and they found out in the
morning that it was the station-house.
When house-hunter's wife saw by the
morning papers what house he had
picked out, she went and paid the rent,
pranced him home by the ear. put him
TO bed. and went out on the hunt of a
house herself. - Cincinnati Saturday
NtOM.