The Iowa plain dealer. [volume] (New Oregon, Howard County, Iowa) 1867-1895, 1884-03-27
IL W ~ Loaded.

A patriarchal fariner stepped frorl
the terry-hoa.c II the foot oi Liberty
street. New York, with Il grips;cl5 in
his hand aat', stopping II lie midst of
the mud and the profanity of the dray-
men, oaz.d open-moutEed ut the long
procession of slowly-moying carts and
wagons Of every description. lie was
not lost in wonder long. before short.
stout, neatly dressed man with another
gripsack colliIcd with him, and burt
ed out:
Hello, Burt, old man!.,- How are
your"
..M-my n-a-name isn't Burt; it's
H-a-a-rry Ma-a-son, and Live in Mid
d-lctown," stammcrea the farmer.
An apology and the short man disap-
pearcd. The FIJI mer continued his
way; suffered Il; the baggage boys at
the corners; lcerei longin-ly at the
whisky stores, and was about entering
an cating-housc when up rushed tall,
fine-loeking man with long. black
mustache, and grasping the farmer by
the hand, exclaimed:
.'Why, my dear Mr.. Mason, when
did YOU get in from Miidle;owne"
"O-o--who are y-ou?' demanded the
surprised farmer.
And then the fine looking man ey.
planned that he was an intimate friend
Of Mr.. Robert on. the Vice President "a
a bank al Red Bank, end how H. had met
Mr.. Mason IT his friends Office last
summcr-hc thought last AUGUST. The
farmer didn't exactly remember meet.
inr the gentleman. nut he knew Mr..
Robertson wed, AMI tacn CONVERSE
ton followed, in which the farmer was
astonished with the familiarity of his
new acquaintance with the towns along
the New Jersey Southern. After din
ner, which confirmed the growing in
timacy, the farmer was asked if ht
did not wish to buy some good Ken
! lucky stock. That he had friend liv
| inc in Thirty-secoad street who wa:
| the agent of one of tho largest stock
| raising farms there, and that he coult
get q heavy discount on any purcha
scs. The farmer bctlought him tina
he had come into town for that purpose
and acquiesced with considerable ear
nestncss TO his new friends suggestion
i
| farmc: was ushered into 4 neatly fur
nished office, whose walls were elabo
ra,ely decorated with chromos Of we'll
known horses. The Young man 1T til,
desk welcomed the farmers compan
ion rs Joe, Old man." and IN cxhaus
tive conversation ensued in relation L
| horses. Letters and So Oh were show
| ed to the farmer, and Il visit was mad
to u stable in an adjoining street TO Sc
some of the stock. The farmer SAY
and coveted and asked the young ma,
what he wanted for pair of heavy
limbed Normandy horses. The answe
was 800 down, and the rest when h
got the horses. A return to the neat
furnished office. and the terms seemin
satisfactory, Mr.. Mason drew out hi
wallet and laid down ten $40 bills;
receipt was given and he turned to e
out, when he saw the young man win
airectionately at Joe
The farmers suspicious We're in
stantly aroused and, turning on hi
heel graspei the money, which Wa
still lying on the desk. and drew
heavy Colts revolver. Clutchin
joe by the collar, he placed lii
muzzlo against his check and stuttel
ed:
Il w-want you TO s-sl-how me de-
ow-down stairs. This th-thing is l-l-t
loaded"
Joe" said nothing, but followed b
the cooked revolver led the way dow
stairs. Mr.. Mason went to polio
heaiorarlers and told his story. Il
was told that "Joc' was known NOR
widely under the sobrIquet OF "dungr
Joe. '-N.,U I1rt: Tribune.