Evening capital. (Annapolis, Md.) 1884-1910, 1890-07-10
ANNAPOLIS, MD. THURSDAY EVENING. JULY 10. 1880.
He Has Hls House PaIntea.

repairs, are your"
well, not exactly repairs, but was
just thinking that | could make great
improvement.
How"
"Ths paint hasn't held its color, and /
think shall have the house gone over
again-just light coat, you know.
aMr Bowser, this house was painted
only six months ago. At that time we
had half dozen men around here for
nearly month.
Yes; but the color has faded.
Didn't warn you at the time that it
would fade? And didn't everybody
laugh at the idea of your putting pea
green on a red brick house?"
No, ma'am, they didn't! Everybody
complimented my taste. I've had dozen
people of cultivation and taste tell me
that it was perfect harmony and that
there was nothing in town to match it.
But it's just like you. Whenever de-
sire to make an improvement you are
the drag ON me.
"But let it go until spring, anyhow.
MRS. Bowser, did you ever hear the
word economy p"
"Yes, SIR"
"But you evidently do not understand
what it means. 1t means, in a broad
sense, to sell where you can sell the high
est and buy where ) on can buy the cheap
est The painting season is about closed,
lots of men are out of work, and can
get this house painted now $40 cheaper
than next spring. Isn't $40 worth saw
ing?"
Eyes; but the house doesn't need it.
@Not in your Judgment, perhaps. Peo-
ple who were brought up in log houses
In the country have tastes peculiarly
their own. The house will be painted. !"
He crossed his hands under his coat
tails, paced up and down the sitting
room, and, of course, I sunk into insig-
nificance and dropped the subject. Two
days later four or five hard looking fellows
with paint on their clothes came up and
looked the outside of the house over At
other brief intervals they measured the
width and length of the house with a
tape line. After hours hard work they
came to conclusion of some sort and
then went out to the barn to rest their
tired brains and wait for Mr.. Bowser to
appear. When he came home he con-
fabbed with them for half an hour, made
more figures on the back gate, and finally
told them to go ahead.
"They won't make the least muss
around, he said as he came in. They'll
skim right over in about 2 days, and
you'll hardly know they have been here. !"
1t was useless to say anything after
the bargain had been made, so held my
tongue Next morning a wagon came
with long ladders, 2 short ones, 4 step
ladders, pals, and so many cans and
brushes that / got tired of counting
them. / expected to see fully 10 paint
ers come with the outfit, but 10 must
have got lost on their way up. The 8
were enough, however, to take posses
sion of the barn, the kitchen, and the
basement.
Looks as if they wouldn't be over a
day and half, !" said Mr.. Bowser, as he
started off down town.
1t looked to me as if they meant to
take whole week for it, and went out
to consult the boss on the subject He did
some more measuring with tape line,
put down some more figures on the back
gate, counted his long and short ladders
over, and finally replied:
Il did say weeks at first, ma'am; but
If the weather holds good think - days
viii see the last of it. +"
twelve daysl"
1Not over 13, anyhow"
| -, I>0,,.r, 4I.:. I,.x kI,a so1,
@Oh, no, ma'am. Some of the scrubs
take jobsan rush 'em through and cheat
folks in the most horrible manner, but
we don't. We work by the day and do
our work well.
Then began circus, which lasted just
M days without change of programme.
Every painter went down into the base
lment to inspect the walls of the house.
They were gone just half an hour. When
they reappeared they inspected the in
lterior of the barn, and were invisible for
a long hour. Then they came out and
managed 10 raise a ladder against the
lside of the house. They might possibly
have raised another during the forenoon,
but one of them fortunately observed
that the first ladder was little shaky.
This brought about consultation, and
the ladder was taken down and inspected.
lBv a vote of to it was decided that one
of she rungs was loose. Then the five put
in just an hour and a half hunting for
hammer and nails, glue pots, wedges,
lcrowbars, jackscrews, pile drivers, and
other articles deemed necessary to make
repairs. When Mr.. Bowser came home
to dinner not thing had been done in
the way of painting. ] complained of
this; but he replied:
-Oh, give them a show. They have
got to get ready. When once they start
they viii move like cyclone.
~Why did vou hire them by the day 2"
To get good WORK.
| During the afternoon the painters raised
a second ladder, mixed about gallon of
color, drank pints Of Mr. Bowser's bot
tied beer, and carefully inspected and