The Saline County journal. [volume] (Salina, Kan.) 1871-1893, 1888-08-30
HE MEANEsT MAN.

Bob Burdette Discovers Him ON n West
rrn Hallway Train.
The meanest man in all this land Of
United America. went down from Lin
coin, Neb into Kansas. the other day.
Mind you, he wasn't a Nebraskan; he
was an Interstate immigrant coming
from somewhere east Of the Mississippi
AT Wymore there is a merchant who
carries his stock in n basket. and he Is
famous all that land over for his pop
corn. give cents a package" That
was too much He didn't want any.
After the merchant left the car. the
mean man said 81 want some o. that
ere popcorn. but l kin git il cheap
er 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. 1
want some Of that popcorn. but
j hain't got o'ny three cents. Now.
if you kin lemme have paper Of it
for three cents all right; but KANT
give no more fur it, because / hain't
got O'ny that much money" Well.
after some dickcring the merchant
finally let him have paper Of pop
corn for three cents. and the mean
man came in the car, sat down beside
his wife and little child. and began
munching his popcorn. Never a crumh
did he offer 10 anyboly lie was Just
enjoying it. He said: Il have enough
money 10 buy his whole baskctful. but
! knOwed | could git some fur less'n
five cents" As he munched his faith
er-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 aud in the
sweetest childish accents beg for some
popcorn. Save TO hold the package
up out of reach Of the pleading
little hands the mean man paid not
the slightest attention to the ba-
by, but kept on eating. Present.
~ the mother spoke to him and
said the child wanted some Of the
corn. Well" replied the husband.
eff the child is any hungrier'n l am
an wants this popcorn more'n do.
he'd ought 10 have it," But he kept
on eating il himself and never a grain
did the child get Pretty soon the
little fellow began to cry for the
corn. This may have annoyed the
father, because he soon arose. put
the popcorn up in the rack out Of the
child's reach. and went into another
car. While he was gone the child
continued 10 cry and reach after the
banquet, and the mother took the
popcorn down and gave some 10 the
little one. While this was going on
the mean man came back. Furious?
You never saw any thing like It.
He snatehed the popcorn away from
the child and poured a torrent of
abuse upon his wife for daring 10
touch his popcorn. Then he put II
back into the rack and at intervals got /
up and ate some Of it until it was all
gone.
Now, in n case Of that kind-and the |
above is a truthful narrative Of an act !
ual occurrences not lynch law justi-
fable? Is not that kind of a man more |
valuable and useful as a fertilizer than
any thing else. Isn't he a curse 20 So
ciety so long as he lives? And might /
he not prove a blessing to the medi-
cal student and barren land when he
dies Then why not kill him and
make a blessing Of himP The world
has no use for a mean man. A drunk
ard, liar. a swearer. a thief. a tramp.
a swindler. a murderer. may have
good traits and have some sphere Of
usefulness in this world. but a mean
man. pure and simPle-God wasted
mud when He made him bob Bur.
defte. ia Chicago Journal