The Democratic press. [volume] (Ravenna, O. [Ohio]) 1868-1901, 1893-06-14
10 sEssIoNs,s HENS.
NeIghbor Who Got the Better of the
willy Chautauqua Politician.

Ex-Congressman Loren B. Sessions
of Chautauqua county, who gained
considerable notoriety as a clever pol
itician in the days of election @button-
holing," and who. with his brother,
Walter l.. Sessions, for many years
engineered the republican politics of
the corner county, has seldom been
accused of being gullible. but he adj
mits with becoming magnanimity
that he was bested on two occasions.
Living next door to him in the little
rural village Of Panama is man
named John Baker. Baker glories in
the title of counsellor at law, but when
the legal business is dull he is never
averse to taking a painting or white
washing contract. Both Sessions and
Baker kept hens, and it was their GUS
tom to allow the hens to run at large
during the early spring months and
late in the fall.
Sessions had finished planting his
garden at the rear of his house and
shut his poultry up in the hennery.
One morning he discovered, much to
his disgust, that Bakers hens had paid
him an early visit and scratched up
Baker with his trouble and told him in
his usual good-natured way that un-
less he kept his hens confined they
would be shot and thrown into his
yard. Baker chuckled to himself, and
promised that his hens would cause
no more trouble to the newly planted
garden. Early the next morning he
arose and liberated the congressman's
hens, which were soon enjoying them
selves on the forbidden ground.
Suddenly he heard several reports
from gun, and, peering from win
dow, saw Sessions approaching his
house, bearing a number of the unfor-
tunate victims. "John! John!" yelled
the elated legislator, "I've kept my
promise, and here are your hens.
You'd better catch the rest of them or
I'll bag them, too"
"Why, Lo," said Baker, "my hens
are all shut up in the roost. Those
must belong to some other person"
go on!" returned Sessions. "Your
hens and mine are the only ones that
ever come into my yard, and mine
haven't been out of the house since
made my garden"
"Well, you'd better look and make
sure of it anyway" said Baker. So
the pair jumped the fence and went TO
Sessions's roost, where the chagrined
congressman discovered how he had
been sold. Sessions gathered up the
dead hens and took them to his own
house. where they were nicely pre-
pared, and the entire Baker family
was invited over to dinner.
Sessions declared he would get even,
and made several futile attempts to do
SO, but soon played into his neighbor's
hands again. Baker went to his friend
one day and said: "Lo, I want load
of hay, but l haven't the ready money
for it. Will you take my notep"
a don't suppose you'll ever pay fol
it, but rll take your note for thirty
days." said Sessions jokingly.
The hay was transferred and the
note given in payment. At the expira
ton of the thirty days and the courte.
Gus three days extra, Sessions asked
Baker if he would pay the note.
Certainly, when it becomes due"
"It's due now; the thirty days are
up" said Sessions.
II say it isn't DUE" retorted Baker
"Read it and see."
| The congressman read the note, ex
amining the date line closely, and, de
tecting no flaw in it, said: "This not
has run the stipulated time and wan
the money"
@Read it again, said Baker.
"What's thisP Thirty days afte
death Confound you, what d.
you mean by thatP Don't you intent
to pay this?"
Il will surely keep my contract,
said Baker. "Call around thirty day
after I'm dead and get your money. -
Buffalo Courier.