Chicago eagle. [volume] (Chicago, Ill.) 1889-19??, 1893-06-03
COULDN'T PULL HIS POP.
Laughsbie Episode in the Experience Of an
Early Kansas Editor.

Laughabie Episode in the Experience Of an
Early Kansas Editor.
The land boom that swept Kansas
years ago was followed by virulent
outbreak of town sites County seats
that had been honest and slow NOV
ing under prohibition became restless
ceuters, and drug stores did a thriy-
ing ''back-counter" trade. Gold
tea" was openly placarded at the
small restaurants, real estate men,
loungers, SPECTATORS, and drum
mers began to come in, and the
Seather-lulged runners Of rival hotels
did a thriving business rOping in the
unwary as they. stepp,d OFF the trains
at Boomvilla. The air was full Of
talk ABOUT corner lots" 'subdivis-
ions," 'options,' ''loan trusts" and
other rhetorical paraphernalia that
gave boom rare and roseate tintings.
Two bold butcapitalless men, with
hand presses and two fonts of type,
went in with the speculative pioneers,
and startd semi-weeklies. They
were soon followed by two 'teditors"
with washington presses that started
to fill hewlett want with daily
publications. OF course one paper
got the county printing and the de-
linQuent tax list, and, the other had
TO content himself with. building up a
circulation by opening up the flood
gates Of abuse, shrawdly guessing
that abused parties would read the
paper to see what was said about
''the other fellow" Naturally enough
the latter paper rapidly accumulated
a large surplus of libel suits and red
ink notes OF curious photography
thr atening p2rsonafF vengeance
This was the state or affairs in the
town of Murchison when Editor
Reasley secured the post Office and
laughed at the discontinue OF nu-
merous rivals, even the hated oppo-
sitionswho held the delinquent tax
list. The Hon. Col. Sykes became
prominent figure id the shrievalty
contest and drew the concentrated
fire of Editor Reasley, who questioned
his titles and anything else, nay, not
only gu STONED, but scoffed and
abused him in a wild western way
that was at once painful and pictur-
esQue. The victim Of this public cas-
tigation was very large man, but
the unnatural rainfall ofabus9 moved
him, and he stated that after cleo
ton he would personally settle with
that ID editor"
Mr.. Editor Reasley, while sharp
shot with the pen, was not familiar
with arms in the western sense, but
when fond friends warned him of his
impending danger he hastily pur-
chased a revolver of the bulldog type
which he placed in his pocket. He
felt sense of strange oppression and
a disposition to rise every time he
sat down. One day the internal
machine accidentally went off, Sc
verely disturbing the editorial seren.
ity.
A fortnight passed, election was
over, and the editor had succeeded in
avoiding the yengeful man he had
defeated. One day he was walking
down the street with one OF the rival
editors when he came face to face
with the Hon. Col. Sykes. There
was no possible chance of escape; the
big man barred the whole sidewalk
The rival, expecting immediate
DloOdshed, fled up flight of neigh
boring stairs, The big man said,
We'll, I've met you at last, have T."
Editor Reasley thought time for ac-
ton had come. He reached for his
nip pocket, clutched the pistol all
right, but it would not pull out.
The hammer had worn a hole in his
trousers and was locked in the pocket
as securely as in a wise. A strategic
thought flashed through the Napole-
onic brain Of the editor. He
thought of pile of brickbats located
around the corner, and in the bland
est tone ne could command said.
Don't let's have scene here on the
street, but argue IL out around the
corner"
The big man, awed by the threat
ening demonstrations, began to
hedge, and said: II do not. care for
f.myselfy but when any one attacks my
wife
THAT was my chance" said Reas-
ley Al had never mentioned the
mans wife in my life, and convinced
hin oft In less than two minutes
The man was as much afraid OF me
rs | was of him, and the matter was
SETTLED without a shot | wont
home, prled that pistol out Of my
pants and gave it to the printers
devil for pieing an uncompllmentary
paragraph that had been left stand.
ing on Hon. Col Sykes account.
Congressman O'Nciu's Precious Secret.
Representative Joseph ONcll has
y passion and secret The passion
il for annie nip and tho SOC at lie tho