Evening star., 1895-08-31
THE TALE OF A BURRO
BIZ LEN OWEN.

the Conduit road. He is q much Travelled
burro If that adds anv value tn him and
p H. s.,na @ auus any ,fe ss.ae ~ mn, , .sa ano
.io .as ".ni 1p nv e'',, IL ms 'Ai &C
mohths residence IN washington than
first term Congressman working for rec
ord. He has established a las.iny ven
d.tt. do,,n ~, W. ,,,ost eoshion.h1a r.r+
tN-
VI n street. ne mas oroheh 'he heart Oh
one small white boy and the head OF an
other small black one, and he has cost a
wealthy and induleent thar moro money
-. -, -, -
i"i' "ouiu ne.p {" eooon oo poA ioi
SIX months. rms state OF anairs Is ag-
gravated by the fact that his cash value
on his native heath would be not over
six bite In foot tbera orc lot of his
-.
oiooo reiatiohs wandering arouho on the
hillsides Of Colorado. where he came from,
who could be had for their catching, and
not very hard to oatcb at that
"c.e... -
obtrs,,,a otnu - ;ntn ,,s InSb;n a4on an aho,,t
op.rusive shtry lhto Nashinseoh apou.
earee "a Honths aso, aI0hs win d cur Ioaa
OF western ponies. Inere was not much
can can ioI tne PONIES IN TINS part OF tne coun-
do,, 'ne ara thsea he n oaI for.
oowh, ana tnere was apsoluteIy no eau Ior
Sactus. IN rae. IL Is SOFT OF propieIn
now ne came 10 get into tnat STOCK car
anyway; Fropaply Gactus hlnseiI was Ine
Iesponsipie party. Like as not ne JUST oD-
truded himself; as ne has habit OF doing
ana got carried along Tor luck.
however that may be, Bishop found him
uowh u, IA .ne morse Dazaf, Wanoerlng around
IN democratic sort OF way, taking poll
TICS with the street car wrecks that were
tnere waiting TO be sold into fresh slavery.
Inc 1act Is Blshop had not much more
business at the bazar than Cactus for
tnousn ne Is porn morse trader. which,
oy tne way, Is pretty mean thing to say
ABOUT man, ne had only 81, and horse
trader cannot make very reckless play
with only seven dollars, even among a
ponies
th1oWn IN Tor make-weight.
Sut the western gentleman with look
OF alsgust ana greasy sombrero seemed
Wiling to talk trade even to Bishops
small capital. Finding that in Bishop he
was up against one of his own sort, he
look graceful parachute drop from his
fancy prices, and after good deal of bar
gaming, compromised on So. 70 out of Bish-
ops 81, as the cash value Of Cactus. With
the remaining quarter the twain went out
and had drink, under the soothing in
huence OF which the western gentleman
admitted that he had made a mistake in
bringing Cactus east at ALL and he also
conhded to Bishop that the 1915 would
Just reimburse the proprietor of the sales
stable for a fancy lap robe that Cactus
had breakfasted off of that morning. Even
SO early after his advent into Washington,
the omniverous character of Cactus anne
tite began to manifest Itself.
So, penniless for the time being but with
a burro to the good and followed nv a
string of children, like unto the Pied Piper
of Hamelin Bishop led his new ACQUISITION
home to his half town. half co,ntrW &C.
tablishment out on the Conduit road Mrs.
Bishop nearly wrecked the row of MIL
crooks she was hanging I'M on the u.hitaA
washed picket fence in the side ward when
she saw her long and shiftless better he aIf
parading up the road with his lonp.aorad
mouse-colored pet toddline aIonpsjda hin,
casually thrusting his nose into his ownar,s
side pocket occasionally on the. chance Of
something eatable.
While Rishon was loon,n, ro..e,,u
against the pump explaining To his v,ife
how he was sure to pet rid of his nnrchase
at an advance Cactus was taking stock Of
things in the back yard and thoueht he
had fallen into the lap of luxury when he
had eaten a tea towel and a half that was
drying on the sunny side of the grape
arbor and half a bucket of green cucumbers
that Mrs. Bishop was preparing to pickle
For this-his first offense-he was han
ished to the barn yard where he talked
free silver and free everything with the
notions into the two cows. so that they
kicked over their buckets of milk that yery
evening. Cactus was a wild western long
haired iconoclast, and he ached for a scrap
worse than Gov. Waite of whose state he
had been aforetime a resident
But Bishop was right; there was money
to- be made on him. His fame spread
through all that part of the country inside
of forty-eight hours, and the small house
on the Conduit road was besieged by yearn-
ing youngsters, who craved a sight of the
little tfenSy. wiensy mule and, say Mr.
Bishop, can't just ride him once?" Bishop
was judieiously accommodating in his ac-
cession to these requests. and Cactus. who
was really of fond and friendly disposition
when fed and treated well, became the
hearts. desire of half a dozen children
Finally the eldest hopeful of Maj. Mosher.
up on the Foxhall road. teased his father
into buying him for SO. said hopeful taking
sole credit to himself in the transaction, as
he mad earned I5 cents of the money pick
ing huckleberrles.
A hopeful of Judge Blackstone of the city
helped the Mosher hopeful to have fun
riding Cactus around the gravel walks.
When the youthful Blackstone started back
to his own house. he coveted Cactus great
ly, and the judge, being q liberal-minded
man whose wife had money, finally maoe
deal with the astute young Mosher. who
loved Cactus, but loved money more. for
So Young Mosher kissed Cactus at part
ing, and Cactus. in his affectionate way,
took a large mouthful out of the rim of
his straw hat as a parting remembrance
In his brief residence east, Cactus had
abundantly proved his ability to eat any
thing. He had been raised on cactus and
sage brush. and such esculents as straw
hats or rough-drted clothes were luxuries
His career in the palatial stables of
Judge Blackstone back of the family man.