Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1888-01-27
STORY OF A LAWN-MOWER
ny Deacon Sharpley Has to Hire a Man
to Cut His Grass.


d tell you what" said a suburban
friend of the Listener, as the street-car
conductor came around, bearing par
ticularly big and imposing bell-punch,
'there's deacon in our church that
ought to be made to carry one of those
things when he makes his collections,
if ever any body ought to be made to
wear one"
"WhyP What has the deacon donep"
| "Ill tell you the whole story, and
when I've done I want to know
whether, if it had occurred to you. it
wouldn't have decreased your conf
dence in somebody. You see, l live
next door to Deacon Sharplcy.
and my yard is separated from
his just by a light picket fence, was
hacking away at the grass on my little
lawn the other night with a grass-hook;
was just finishing the job, and won
derin whether should ever be rich
enough to swell out with lawn
mower. when the deacon came out and
leaned over the fence. See here
said he. you're getting quite a lawn
here, and so am |. We don't either of
us have quite enough business for a
lawn-mower, but together we might
have. Say we go snucks on onep' l
told him l Thought it was good idea,
and would go in with him on ma
chine. He said he would manage the
purchase, and would tell me how much
half the cost was. SO l let him 90 on
! and buy the lawn-mower, and he
brought IA receipted bill for $3.50 in
his own name. gave him the 1926.
and left the machine and the receipt
in his hands.
about two weeks after that-Td
seen the deacon showing the lawn
mower around in his yard in great
style in the meantime-I thought my
grass had got up enough to warrant
cutting, and Iwent over to the deacon 5
to get the machine. The deacon was
out they said, but the lawn mower wa
down at Mr.. Smiths. thought it was
little queer that the deacon had lent
our machine, but l went down to
Smiths and got it. l thought they
looked a little cross when | took it, but
| took it just the same. and moved my
lawn. Next night the deacon came
and got it again, and moved away
| a while in his back yard. A few DAYS
after that l thought it was about time
to NOW once more. and went over to
the deacon's after the machine. Nc
| machine anywhere around. / asked al
the back door:
Where's the lawn mower?'
"'Mr. Smith came and got it little
while ago., said the deacon daughter.
"Mr. Smith! What business had he
with our machinep" l didn't ask, but
l trotted down to Smiths. l found
Smith very complacently oiling the
lawn mower, and apparently getting ii
ready for action.
"'Well, said l, 4 came over after
that lawn mower; but as you seem to
be getting ready to use it, l suppose
can wait
Hum, said he; Il guess the deacon
and keep it pretty busy
$50 it seems. says l, kind of sarca s.
tically.
"'Well, we have got to get our
moneys worth out of it, you know,
says he.
That struck me as mighty queer
remark, and | couldn't help saying. i
should think you'd want to own one
| yourself
We'll, says he, looking up little
| SI1rpI.iCa6 oup hale af The n,a
"'You-you own half of Mts?' says |,
astonished.
why, certainly says he; Deacon
Sharpley and bought this lawn mower
together
81 tell you, that took me completely
down. The deacon had deliberately
played us off, one against the other,
and had got me to pay for one-half the
machine, and Smith the other, calculat
ing to get the use of it to NOW all his
own grass for nothing! If he had been
as cautious as he was sharp and kept
the machine in his own barn, or else
insis ed on going after it himself, l sup.
pose he might have kept going that
way. But since we've found it out
Smith and l getalong hrst-rate, but the
deacon has to hire an Irishman to NOV
his grass with Il scythe.
| ''And that's the reason why | think
the deacon ought to carry bell-puncf
when he takes up collection. DOM
you think it would be good scheme?'
-Boston Transcript.
| =