Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-02-21
THE LIME KILN CLUB.
Tho Subject Of Honesty Discussed by
wavaown Re1see and Elder Tooss

The Subject Of Honesty Discussed by
waydown Bei,ee and Elder Toos.
After the reading of the minutes of the
last meeting and other routine business,
Brother Gardner stated that he had been
asked to secure an expression Of opinion on
the question: does It Pay to be Strictly
Honestr He would call upon Sir Isaac Wal
pole, as the oldest rlember, first.
81 war in hopes { at queshun would nebber
cum up In dis club, said the old veteran In
reply. ut ar qieshun which has caused
me many sleeplesi nights, an which hev
nebber bin able to ssttle to my own satizfack-
shun On one occs shun found wallet In
de road. 1t conta ned $50, an when re-
stored IL TO de owner he handed me all de
money an thanked me besides. On several
other occashuns hsv found wallets and spent
80 worth OF time hiIntin up de owner an bin
rewarded wild 10 cents. A grocer once gin
me $40 dollar bill fur 81. l handed 1t
back an be CIV me half q pound Of tea De
very next week l Civ him IS bill fur a
50, an he kept it en- swore dat l was liar
"If buy meat lie butcher works mo- or
less bone in on me" continued the old man.
"If | buy wood or coal it ar allus a leetie
short. expect de dry goods man to cheat
me mo- or less, an de halter an shoemaker
doan' aIus stick to Jacks. If war strictly
honest reckon ST ould land In do poo'house
In about a year. / doan' advise any one to
be dishonest, but II ar my opinyun dat If
you find a pug dog 'unnin' around de streets
he should be taken home and tied up to de
bed post until some one advertisss a liberal
reward an no queshuns axed."
Waydown Bebee then spoke as follows:
Oar was time when l was so strictly
honest dat ober fifty Of the nayburs' chickens
used to roost in my back yard O. nights At
de same time dem nayburs borrowed money
Of me an dun forget to pay it back, an if |
left spade out doc hs ober night it was gone
In de mawnin'. If owed debt ached to
go an wake de man up at midnight an pay
him If found half dozen lead nickels in
my change, melted em up fur bullets to
shoot cats. If l discovered ten cents on de
floah in de postofflce | handed 1t to de post
master. Ipracticed dis course fur five long
years an doorin' ds.t time NO only run be-
hind $1,000, but heard myself spoken of on
all sides as a greenhorn, pancake an an
idiot, finally decided to change In Eve
years has picked up ober 1000, am out Of
debt an grocers an butchers send to nv
house and solicit NY trade When you ak
me if it pays to be strictly honest mus 70
ply dat it don't-not by a jug funI"
Elder Toots was tlen called upon. and he
said:
IF dar' am any ole ptsson in Detroit who
has had chicken fur dinner any oftener dan
hev should Ike to SEQ his photograph, an
yit whar' am de pusson who dare stan up an
say | steal chicsens | used to be strictly
no-est. II found &. cent in de road went
whoopin' up an down to find an ,wner ia
s25 lost dog crept under my hous to be taken
keer OF until advert ised drove him out an
let de man next doah get de money. not
only peid the house rent on tue day 1t was
due, but made ali repairs out o my own
pocket | run right down hill, an by on
by woke up to ind de old woman out
o Eaters flour, meat, sugar, tea and
eberything else sept Rough on Rats
an two bars o soap, while my toes
war out to Jinuary weather. On dat same
mornin', as was gvvine down town. heard
one man say to another: Say, Jim, see dat
pusson' He ar de fool niger OF Detroit. II
be had quarter wild a hole in it he would
frow 1t III de ribbsr fur fear OF accidentally
passin' 1t OF on uliAyonary.' Dat sot me
to thinkin'. Dat very night stole lot of
wood. three chickens, a bag o taters an q
pair OF outes, en- hey prosPared sber since.
spscks it will be q .eofle harder on me when
cum TO de gates OF heaven, but | am dom
powerfully well down yere below an increa.-
in my Eat cherry day Detroit Free Trcss.