San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1890-11-21
THE FLATVILLE RACE.

y
to be found one person who is singled
out by his fellow men as the butt of
Jokes, of one nature or another. Some
times it is a half witted fellow who
imagines himself bright; sometimes it
is very conceited individual whose
vanity is played upon; and at other
times, and in other places, it may be
a man of ability or worth, who has a
weakness or shows unusual feeling
when guyed. Flatville was no excep-
ton to the rule. 1t was a town Just
large enough, so that every one knew
everybody's business. 1t had its prac-
teal jokers, and it also had its special
victim of its many jokes.
Capt. Jackson wasn't devoid of aver
age intellect, nor was he at all con-
ceited. He was one of the jolliest,
largest hearted men in the town, and
his hospitality was known throughout
the whole county. But he always
took joke in such good nature that
the jokers kept at him with the main
purpose of seeing how long suffering
he would be, and incidentally to get
no end of sport out of the practical
jokes.
Capt. Jackson was a man of conSid-
cradle wealth, which he had inherited,
and as he was bachelor with no one
dependent upon him, the jokers felt
no qualms of conscience when their
little jokes resulted in the captain be-
ing forced to put his hand down into
his pocket for some of his loose cash.
At one time party of his acquaint-
ances laid a plot calculated to fairly
upset the jolly bachelor. They con-
cocted a formidable legal document
which had the appearance of a genuine
suit for breach of promise, and as tho
clerk of courts was one of the jokers il
was placed in his hands. A deputy
sheriff was induced to take the paper
and wait on the captain, and notify
him that suit had been entered. But
the joke didn't brighten the captain at
all After the sheriff had read the
document the captain Strengthened up
and said: We'll, well. l don't know
the woman, but if she thinks enough
of me to place the loss at ten thousand
dollars (the sum mentioned in the
papers,, why, drat it, I'll marry her.
and you can tell her. and that'll end
the case"
This disappointment didn't put a
quietus on the jollers, however. The
captain was forgetful, and one day he
left his gold headed cane at the Office
of lawyer The lawyer saw a chance
for joke, and the next day, meeting
the captain on the street, he quietly
intimated that party of young men
were planning a surprise for him, to
come off in couple of days. and that
the present was already selected
Capt. Jackson smiled and ordered a
spread for the appointed night. When
the night came, the lawer and num-
Der of choice spirits waited upon the
captain. One of the party made a
long winded speech and presented him,
on behalf of his associates, with a gold
headed cane. The captain responded
and invited the party to visit the dim
ing room. Here they found a grand
spread, and this was followed by cham
payne and cigars. The next morning,
III looking at his present, the captain
recognized it as the identical cane for
which he had hunted the house over
during the week previous. He took
the joke in good part, and did not let
the jokers know that he had discover
ed the trick.
The captain had one hobby, and that
was horses. He attended every race for
miles around, and always succeeded in
losing money on the result. He would
get tips" and bet on the strength of
them, only to find the horse on which
his money was placed bringing up the
rear He bought every horse war
ranted to beat the fastest i'll the town,
and matched each purchase against
the cracks. He always found that the
warrant was worthless, and the horse
would be sold for half what he cost
the captain. OF course the jokers had
hand in these horse sales, and reaped
golden harvests out of the private bets
with the sanguine owner.
Capt. Jackson lived on the old es-
tate, outside of the center. The woods
on the estate furnished the best hunt
ing ground to be found in the whole
county. The captain was fond of the
sport, and although he was generous
to a fault, a man must be a valued
friend to get permission to gun in the
Jackson woods.