Los Angeles herald., 1891-12-14

Some days ago that ingenious indi-
vidual, who with rare diplomacy ex-
changes gilded lucky horseshoes for
quarters or half-dollars, dropped in on
Mayor Hazard during business hours,
and with gentle mien and eloquent
words assured his honor that the be-
ribboned shoe he displayed was from
the luckiest hoof of the mayors favorite
roadster. The city's executive curl
ously examined the shoe, and actually
recognized it as one which had been
worn by his own horse. When, there
for the visitor generously offered
the mascot as a token of his devotion to
the head of the city government, Mr..
Hazard deigned to accept it and picked
out for it conspicuous position among
the official bric-a-brac.
Yet his caller did not depart con-
tented, but dangled about the executive
chamber hemming and having, until
eventually he scared up nerve enough to
ask Mr.. Mayor for the loan of half dol
lar.
81 am very sorry, my dear SIR" re-
L
cannot establish precedent by comply
ing with your request, which might in
the future prove extremely irksome. /
desire to treat all persons alike in the
city, and, with slight mental effort,
you will understand that it would be
quite some undertaking, as they say in
Pasadena, to lend four-bits to each man,
woman and child in Los Angeles. am
compelled, therefore, to return your de-
mand without my approval. l veto it,"
The aged exponent of the film fam
game exercised his deep regret that
such should be the situation, and ex-
planned that he only asked the favor
because he was out of work and there
was danger of his soul and body lashing
parting for lack of proper nourishment.
What is your business" asked his
honor.
II am painter by trade"
Very we'll. I'll give you work out at
my house, where there is some painting
to be done. You may begin in the
morning."
Sure enough, the next day found the
horseshoe man hard at work painting
in the mayors house. That is, he was
hard at work as long as the
mayor was at home. No one
seems to know, however, what
happened after his honor departed for
his Office and started in to veto ordi-
nances and write an essay on street car
passes. So much is certain, that shortly
before noon the telephone alarm rang in
the mayors Office, and when Clerk Rob-
lnson answered it an excited female
voice remarked:
Hello, hellol Please tell Mr.. Haz-
ard to come home Immediately, for the
painter has gone crazy"
To say that the fighting mayor de-
parted in haste is probably superfluous.
When he got home he found the horse
shoe man in a suit of much bedaubed
overalls up on the roof making politi-
cal stump-speech to meeting of excited
domestics from the neighborhood, while
several hard-fsted gardeners and
grooms were preparing to mount the
gables with scaling ladders. The
hilarious devotee of art was dragged
from his lofty perch and ousted from the
premises in disgrace. When the mayor
entered his house, he found that the
horseshoe man had painted a whole
menagerie of sky blue monkeys and
shrimp-pink snakes on the kitchen
wall.
Yesterday afternoon the horseshoe
man stood in earnest conversation with
a seedy Milpitas tramp on Spring street.
Said he: 'Ye see, Jim, i was hired to
fresco the interior of the mayors house,
but Hazard treated me go id mean,
that resigned the contract"