The times., 1894-02-09

NE ELL ON liiE rLOOh
the one we've got hain't day over 10 years
old and orter do fur awhile yet. How ar
washdishes sellin nowadays?"
Fifteen cents for the small size and a
quarter for the largest; made of block tin
and warranted not to rust out"
whats sheep pelts a-fetchin!"
Sixty cents for big one"
wall, if you kin give me 75 cents for q
pelt and put that big washdsh down to 20
cents. mebbe we kin trade. You peddlers
are gittin to be the worst skinfiints in this
hull kentry!'
The pelt would invariably be small one,
shorn close of its wool and having two or
three bad cuts in it, and the peddler's high
est offer would not be over 45 cents. He
would also refuse to come down on the
price of his washdish, and after an hours
haggling he would drive on and Uncle Abe
would saunter into the kitchen and observe:
Aunt Bet, don't know what this ERE
world is comm to- but if folks continer to
grow mean thar's sure to be an awful bust
up. A tin peddler jist cum mighty nigh
cheatin me out o. 6 shillin's, and dunno
but it's my duty as an honest man to hev
him put behind the bars"
About 10 days before u certain St. Valen-
portance occurred in the life Of Uncle Abe.
A lawyer who attended TO lot of business
for him sent in bill for $40. He would
have charged any one else $50, and that
would have been considered reasonable
fee. Small as the sum was, il made Uncle
Abe almost faint away with surprise and
indignation. He had figured in his own
mind on about 81, and when he realized
that IS had been added he fairly jumped
over his chair as he shouted:
by the great horn spoon, but III never
pay it-never-never-ne That stin9y,
swindlin, robbin lawyer kin sue me and be
hanged to him, but I'll fight the case
from Dan to Hesheba and back agin Just
think of it, Aunt Bet--$l0 fur jest putteriE
around fur day or twoi Why, he never
even had his coat OFF,
Lands o. massy, but harvest hands will
be wantin 10 shilHngs day next we know
ofr' exclaimed Aunt Bet as she rolled her
eyes to the ceiling.
But, after declaring for the hundredth
time that he would never pay the bill, I'm
Gle Abe settled it. He knew he would be
sued If he didn't, and he knew that the
lawyer was sure of verdict and the de
fendant would have TO pay the costs. The
other event was call from poor widow
living few miles, away She had son Is
years of age who was promised work il he
could get down to certain place i'm Texas.
She had no money To help him, and some
body. probably for "a joke, advised her to
appeal TO Uncle Abe for a gift Of $50, which
was to be returned in the sweet by and by
When the old man found that she didn't
want to mortgage her land nor give chat
tel mortgage ON her yoke of oxen, and that
she didn't know two or three solid farmers
who would indorse n note of hand at l2 per
cent interest, he was greatly put out.
"Lend money without any securityp' he
shouted at her. why, you and that boy
had both better 40 Off TO some idiot asylum
I've bin beat out of millyons of dollars by
tryin to help folks along, but nobody can't
beat me agih"
1T would be casting bread upon the wa
ters," urged the widow
Waters be darnedr' snarled the old
man. II hain't the castin kind, hain'tl
wouldn't give ye a cent over $50 if you
wanted to mortgige them oyenp
Uncle Abe, however. agreed to take the