The Arkansaw traveler., 1888-06-16
DAN EVANS PEACH FARM
Texas siftings.


 small town in northern Texas and put up at the Dixey house, the principal if not the only hotel in the place. The landlord, Colonel Dunlap, who was an old Confederate veteran, took an almost faiherly interest in the guests at his hotel. He endeavored to make it as pleasant as possible for the Boston man. Alter the latter had been at the hotel a couple of days, Colonel Dunlap remarked one morn- ing after breakfast:
 "Well, MT. Endicott, what do you think of this town, anyhow"
 "It's very nice place, but, of course, it does not compare with New England village"
 No, s'pose not, but l hear you are going to buy farm here, all the same."
 "pm thinking of it."
 Well, let me give you little chunk of advice. I reckon, perhaps you think you don't need it, but Pll give it to you, anyhow, just for luck" ," What is it?" inquired the Yankee, with an amused expression on his face. Take care you don't get swindled." !" My dear sir, do you suppose there is anybody in this town that can get the better of Yankee, like myself, all the way from Boston?"
 "You don't know our folks, MT. Endicott. Some of them can beat any Yankee at 8 bargain. It don't do, Mir. Endicott, for & man to undervalue his fellow man When j'ined the Con- federate army I allowed could whip ten Yankees before breakfast, but some days it took me all day until sundown to whip my ten Yankees, and occasionally had to put it off until next day, and toward the end of the war got mighty tired of the business. You see, didn't size lem up right" "Yes, there were some Federal gen. erals who had the same experience, when they tried to bring the war to 8 close in ninety days. So you think P.n liable to be swindled in land tr lde by some of your folks?"
 That's about the size of it, strang- er."
 The conversation ended, and next day the Boston man did not appear at the hotel until late in the evening. His first greeting was:
 "Well, colonel, I've bought farm." "You have, eh? Well, how many acres?"
 "About 200"
 "How much did you pay"
 "Three thousand dollars"
 "Thunderin' big price for land in this neighborhood. Got fine house on it?"
 No, not particularly"
 "Got any running water on it?"
 "No."
 ''How many miles from town?"
 "About five"
 ''And you paid s3,ooO in cash?"
 "I did" x
 "Got gold mine on it?"
 No, but it has got something almost asgood."
 '.Struck ile on it?"
 No, but it is splendid farm for fruit. was looking for a fruit farm, you see. Iexpect to raise and ship north in the next few years enough peaches to pay for it."
 "Peaches?"
 '.Yes, peaches; the finest I ever saw"
 "Why, this is no country for peaches. The peaches here ain't bigger than walnuts, and they taste sorter bitter"
 "What do you say to these samples?" asked the Boston gentleman, opening a paper bag and displaying a number of splendid ripe peaches.
 "You don't mean to tell me these peaches grew here in this county?'
 II picked these peaches from under the trees on the frait farm which l have purchased within five miles of this house. I was also shown some rem rkably fine oranges, bananas and lemons that grow on the place" The colonel scratched his. head and looked dazed. Suddenly an idea struck him.
 "You haven't gone and bought Dan Evans place, have you?"
 "Yes, I have purchased MT. Evans' fruit farm"
 .Ha! ha ha '" roared the landlord, i, holding his sides. Every time he at tempted to explain the cause of his mirth to the Boston man he went of into . fresh convulsion. At last he became partially composed from sheer exhaustion, and even then his remark ks were interrupted by fresL convul- siOns.
 What is the cause of your hilarity, sir2" asked the Boston man, somewhat unified.