The record-union., 1892-07-07
STOCKTON CHATTER.
Sam'I and His Friend See Things
There and Talk.
They Make Some Criticisms on Electric
Cars and Stockton
Mules.

Thankee, sir, but 1 don't smoke.
Thankee all the same, fer / see you mean
it kindly, sir.
Yes, Pm waitin' for Sam'l. 'Tain't
often 1 come to town now, fer Pm gettin'
kind DWELL, not what you'd call old, ex-
actly, fer l feel jest as young as ever did,
but [ amt quite sp1y now as | used u
be. But Saml thought as how 1 might
like to see how things was gettIn' on in
town. He thought as how l might like
t. see that grand new Courthouse thets a
standip' there, with the grass a-growin'
round it an the leetle sprinklers on tn
hoses a-dashin' round in tn sun. Don't
you know I allus used t. think Cort-
house an awful grim, unsociable kind o.
place. Most all of'em are. But this one
don't peer t belize tn rest. Its grand an
high an mighty jest like th' law its built
in honor of, an still it seems sech pleas
ant, easy-goin' place. Minds me Of
a lazy Teller we he'd t. tn ranch
a spell = used t. set in tn shade
an look so cool an pleasant while tn
other boys sweat pitchin' hay. But
Sanl'l didn't stand thet long. Sam'ls n
great worker himself-takeS after-but
| never mind tibet now. AS l was Sayin' 1t
minds me ola great hulkin' feller settin' in
th' shade tho tact is, there amt no shade
round it,, with thu green grass smilin' at
| him, an thu leetle sprinklin' pots on tn
hoses tizzin' round t. keep him cool.
P'raps it don't look tibet way TO you, but
does t. me. Jest thet pleasant an easy
going-jest like ledge Tam there inside,
as I've hearn tell. Thet's tn Jedge's
place jest tother side TIL big doors there.
You can see it plain from here by th'
fountain. Thet's his windy (th' one jest
over my finger-so-) with th' flower pot
with tn red gera'm in it-as I've
hearn tell. But 'spose you know all
bout tibet, seein' as how you live right
here while L come from wayout in tn
! kentry.
But Sam'l takes tn principal paper, and
| be amt above readin' T. his OF dad once
in awhile of an evenin' wen tn chores
air all done am he amt too tired-for
! Sam'l's big worker himself-takes after
but never mind thet. Sam'l haint
much time to read nowadays, seein' as
| haryeSts' COMM on, an most time T. be-
gin threshin', but he ginerally makes up
fer it durin' winter time wen they haint
no 'skeeters to 'rupt him, and no rush o.
work t. bother him. By rights Sam'l an
me sh'd be home t-day fixin' up our OF
header leetle 9TH thresher IS up q Hollis
now gitten jiggered up Bit, but Sam'l
wanted me u come in am see how tn
town was gittin' on. AS l tole We, 1
nalnC D60u mere QllLG q sp0ll an sam
said as how L ought t. see them things
tibet he'd been readin' t me about lately.
Tn Courthouse, the Jail, Electric road an
| theater.
TIL theater's jist tother side the Co'rt-
house from here. y e can only see tn
end of it, fer the Courthouse IS so big it
hides all tn rest, but know how it looks
big square, red-taced buildin', with th'
front roof kinder smashed in, and a lot O
leetle windys, an a big door at tn bot
tom with ruff1e o. square rocks round
it; an vines and figgers sculptured on
'em.
Then jist down tn street a leetle ways
-th' Jail. Most as fine as the theater,
tibet Jail is. Fact, / didn't hardly know
which was Jail am which was theater at
fust, they air both sech gay lookin'
structures. But 'spose you people here
know th' difference, or will soon Qeast-
wise some on ye Will.
0, yes, / seen 'em all.
Sam1 an me got inter town airly the
smornin' an Saln'l he driv me ali round
in thu cart fore dinner. We took dinner
at thu Semitic. wanted Sam'1 t. git me a
bite down town here in some quiet place.
but Sam'l wouldn't hear to it.
"Nothin's too good ner too heightened
fer you, dad" says he, IAN We'll eat
at tn 'Semite."
So we did. Saml thinks heap o. me.
After dinner we went t. see tn Electric
road. But shucks! they want anv.
Sam'l seq lies git on thu cars an ride
down town." but / SEE to Sam'l, mot
much! I'd ruther a durn sight ride on
tn ston' sled hind oP Bill (he's our blind
goy'm ent mule then worry long on these
city snails." But Sam'l minded me tibet
we want on tn ranch now an tibet we'd
got t git used th' city ways. So we got
on.
After we'd rid few blocks we came t.
/ ,~l.... tl~T Il
out into two jest fore it went round th'
corner. Il war told afterwards tibet they
he'd got so fer with th' new road and then
drapped it, l was jist wonderful t.
Sam'l how tibet leetle car was goin' t.
straddle both tracks wen tn Teller as
was drivin' commenced t. turn a crank
an th' mule stopped. G'd often heard
tell tibet street-car mules was ginerally
cranky, but thet was th' frIst time I'd
seen it proved.) Then he got down an
unhitched th' whif1ie-trees am driv tn
mule round T. tother end of th' car am
hitched on thu whitfie-trees there.
WHATS th' matter, now?" SEE / t.
Saml. Air we goin' back? ''
Sam'l looked kind o. uneasy.
NO, l guess not" Then he lated
"Mabbe tn feller's got faint-hearted an
is goin' t. haul us back ways, SOS t. git
a rush on. an go over th' place at a
jump"
Cos SCI L, speaking hlnu D QrY an
lookin' at the mule, "git rush on and
go over at a jump
But jest then thu Teller came through
tR car turnin' over th' seats, an he
looked mighty heightened an stuck up
Mebbe he heard what [ said. Well, I
don't keer if he did. don't owe six bits
to nobody. am as Sam'l said II paid nv
nickel" Arter while th' felier came
down 'nuff t give us couple o. slips o.
paper which he said was transcripts or
something like tibet, an tole us tibet we
took 'tother car" didn't see no tother
car, but win / mentioned it t. Sam'l th'
fellow spoke up kind o. grumpy am said
tother car was ''cumin'." We climbed
down then an went an looked into th'
show-windy of tn store on thu corner.
Bein' a drug store they want much t.
see 'ceptin' lot o yeller sponges, an
N 30 20 20 "a