Orange County observer. [volume] (Hillsborough, N.C.) 1880-1918, 1885-05-02
TOO MEAN FOR HANGING.
A NiggardIy Fellow TINT Rurdetfe Met on q
Railroad Train ont West.

The meanest man in all this land OF
United America went down from Lin
coin, Nebraska, into Kansas the other
lay. Mind you, he wasn't q Nebraskan;
he was an Interstate immigrant coming
from somewhere east of the Mississippi.
At Wymore there is a merchant who
carries his stock in a basket, n he is
famous all the land over for his popcorn.
He came on the car with his wares and
this mean man, who was travelling with
bis wife, little child Of perhaps 3 FEARS
and his fa~ther-in-law, asked the price OF
popcorn. Give cents a package" That
was too much. He didn't want any.
After the merchant left the car the mean
man said: II want some O. that ere
popcorn, but kin git it ~cheaper'n that"
Presently he went out on the platform
and said to the dealer in the fruit that
cheers but not ine-hic-briates: Say,
mister, I want some OF that popcorn
but | hain't got on'y three cents. Now,
il you kin lemme have a paper of it fur
shree cents, all right; but 1 KANT give
40 more fur it, because l hain't got on'y
hat much money" Well, after some
dickering the merchant finally let him
have a paper Of popcorn for three cents.
and the mean man came in the car, sat
down beside his wife and little child and
began m%unching his popcorn. Never a
crumb did he offer to anybody. He was
just enjoying it. he said: II ha9
enough money to buy his whole basket
full, but / knowed l could git some fur
Iess'n five cents AS he munched, his
father-in-law and wife seemed to under
stand that they were not in on that treat,
but the child began to reach up its little
dimpled hands and in the sweetest child
ish accents beg for some popcorn. Save
to hold the package up out of the reach
of the pleading little hands the mean
man paid not the slightest attention to
the baby, but kept on eating. Presently
the mother spoke to him and said the
child wanted some of the corn. "Well,"
replied her husband, "if the child is any
hungrier'n I am, an wants this popcorn
more'n | do, he ought to have it." But
he kept on eating it himself and never a
grain did the child get. Pretty 500 the
little fellow began to cry for the corn.
This may have annoyed the father, be-
cause he soon arose, put the popcorn up
~ 4ho yooly D-t &c thu oI;ll'o poo-1, o,l
went into another car. While he was
gone the child continued to cry and
reach after the banquet, and the mother
took the popcorn down and gave some to
the little one. While this was going on
the mean man came back. Furious ?
You never saw anything like it. he
snatched the popcorn away from the
child and poured a torrent of abuse upon
his wife for daring to touch his popcorn.
Then he put it back into the rack and al
intervals got up and ate some of it until
it was all gone.
Now, in a case of that kind-and the
above is a truthful narrative of an actual
occurrence-is not lynch law justifiable
Is not that kind of a man more valuable
and useful as a fertilizer than anything
else Isn't he a curse to society as long
as he lives And might he not prove
blessing to the medical student and bar
rem land when he dies? Then why no
kill him and make a blessing of him
The world has no use for q mean man
A drunkard, a liar, a swearer, a thief,
tramp, a swindler, a murderer may havt
good traits and have some sphere O
usefulness in this world, but a mean man
pure and simple-God wasted mud
when He made him.