Helena weekly herald. [volume] (Helena, Mont.) 1867-1900, 1889-03-07
THE LIME KILN CLUB.
The Subject Of Honesty Discussed by
Waydown Bebee and Elder Toots.

The Subject Of Honesty Discussed by
Waydown Bebee and Elder Toots.
After the reading of the minutes Of the
last meeting and other routine business,
Brother Gardner stated that he had beer
asked to secure an expression of opinion on
the question: docs 1t Pay to be Strictly
Honest" He would call upon Sir Isaac Wal
pole, as the oldest member, first.
~ war in hopes dat queshun would nebbe1
cum up in dis club" said the old veteran in
reply. 1T ar a queshun which has caused
me many sleepless nights, an which hev
nebber bin able to settle to my own satisfack
shun. On one occashun l found wallet in
de road 1t contained $50, an when l re-
stored it to de owner he handed me all de
money an thanked me besides. On several
other occashuns hev found wallets and spent
81 worth Of time huntin' up de owner an bin
rewarded wild 10 cents A grocer once gin
me $40 dollar bill fur a 81. handed il
back an he Civ me half a pound Of tea De
very next week l Civ him S. bill fur a
81, an he kept it an swore dat l was liar.
eff 1 buy meat de butcher works mo- OF
less bone in on me-" continued the old man.
eff l buy wood or coal it ar allus leetle
short. expect de dry goods man to cheat
me mo- or less, an de halter an shoemaker
honest reckon should land in de poo'house
in about year. l doan' advise any one to
be dishonest, but it ar my opinyun dat il
you find pug dog runnin' around de streets
he should be taken home and tied up to de
bed post until some one advertises 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' chickem
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 doahs ober night it was gone
in de mawnin,. If l owed a debt l ached to
go an wake de man up at midnight an pay
him. If found half dozen lead nickels in
my change, l melted 'em up fur bullets to
shoot cats. If l diskivered ten cents on de
foah in de postoffice handed it to de post
master. | practiced dis course fur five long
years. an doorin' dat time not only run DO
hind $1,000, but heard myself spoken Of on
all sides as greenhorn, a pancake an an
idiot. l finally decided to change. In five
years has picked up ober $4,000, am out OF
debt an grocers an butchers send to my
house and solicit my trade. When you az
me if it pays to be strictly honest mus re-
ylu dot II dopH-pot hxy a i,,,r f,,llr,
Elder Toots was then called upon, and he
said:
IF dar' am any one pusson in Detroit who
has had chicken fur dinner any oftener dan
hev / should like to see his photograph, an
yit whar' am de pusson who dare STAN up an
say steal chickens! I used to be strictly
honest If found a cent in de road went
whoopin' up an down to find an owner. Ha
$25 lost dog crept under my house to be taken
keer of until advertised drove him out an
let de man next doah get de money. I not
only paid the house rent on the day it waa
due, but made all repairs out O. my own
pocket l run right down hill, an by an
by woke up to find de old woman out
O. taters -four, meat, sugar, tea and
eberything else cept Rough on Ra1
an two bars O. soap, while my toa
war out to Jinuary weather. On dat same
nornin', as was gwine down town, heard
one man say to another: Say, Jim, see dat
pussonl He ar de fool niger of Detroit. II
be had a quarter wild a hole in it he would
frow it in de ribber fur fear of accidentally
passin' it off on a millyonary.' Dat sot me
to thinkin'. Dat very night stole a lot Of
wood, three chickens, a bag O. taters an .
pair of butes, an hev prospered eber sinca
Ispecks it will be leetle harder on me when
Icum to de gates of heaven, but am doin'
powerfully well down yere below an increas
in my fat ebery day.'-Detroit Free Press