San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1895-08-19
AMERICANS LIKE HAY.
II They Don't, Why Do They Eat 1t When
ever They Get q Chance?

ever They Get q Chance?
"Hello!" said the policeman to the
reporter on East Main street the other
day. The reporter stopped, and the
policeman drew him into a doorway.
do you see that load of hay2" said he,
as he pointed to big wagon standing
near the curbstone. "Well, if you want
to see something funny just watch it
for few minutes"
The two stood there, says the Roches.
ter Post-Express, and soon a we'll
dressed man came along, evidently in
deep thought. He got opposite the hay
wagon, looked up, stopped, and then
took a piece of hay and went on in
deep thought. Pretty soon a we'll
dressed business man happened along,
saw the wagon, stepped up to it, and
took three pieces of hay. He began to
chew one meditatively and carried the
others off with him. A middle-aged
woman came near, and she, too, pulled
out a piece and carried it with her.
Then a pretty girl with blue striped
shirt waist and a straw sailor hat
with blue band came along, and had
nearly passed when she saw the wagon,
and after looking around to see that
there was no one whom she knew
watching, stole over and carefully Sc
lected a long, slender bit, which she
carried with much care. After that
everybody, from a dirty-faced urchin
with baseball bat to nurse girl with
baby carriage, stopped and selected a
piece of hay and departed happy. The
policeman and the reporter stood in the
doorway for twenty minutes and
watched the procession.
Strange, isn't it?' said the police
man. i've been on this beat for three
months, and I've never seen a man or a
woman or a child pass without taking a
piece of hay. 1t is not so with straw.
Why, load of straw could stay there
for a whole day and not one person in
five would think of taking a piece. l
think that the reason so many people
take hay is on account of the sweet
taste it has, for piece of hay, when it
is in good condition and not too dry, is
really very nice thing to chew on.
People who would rather die than chew
toothpick on the street think nothing
of going down the street with long
piece Of hay in their mouths as uncon-
cerned as three schoolgirls walking
abreast. FUNNY, isn't it?"
The reporter agreed that it was, and
then left. AS he passed the hay he in
] voluntarily reached out his hand, and
before he was aware of it he had long
piece Of hay in his mouth. He heard q
| queer noise behind him, and, looking
around, he saw the policeman, pointing
his club at the wagon and then at him,
and laughing. But when the reporter
returned in about hal: an hour he saw
blue-clad figure strolling down the
street with something sticking out in
front Of his shoulder. 1t was the po-
liceman, and the reporter smiled as he
passed him. He had big wisp of hay,
and was chewing it like the rest.
An Independent Barber.
Here is an entertaining story about a
Frenchman who was too proud to dc
things which were against his princi
pies. The story is vouched for as ar
actual fact by the man to whom the in
cident happened. While travelling II
Europe he stopped over night at Caen
and noting that his hair was unduly
long he went to have it cut by the 10
cal barber. He told the barber to takt
off very little, but before the scissor
had been at work many seconds he no
ticed favorite lock fall onto the cal
leo Jacket in which he had been ar
rayed. Whereupon he reproved tn,
barber for not following his instruc
tions, upon which the man observed, il
mingled tones of reproaGh and dismay
Monsieur must permit me to do m,
work in the way which seems best t
me; and what is more, l will take OF
some more" mot at ALL" said tn
traveller; II tell you 1 want very littl
taken off, and must insist upon you
doing as 1 direct you" The barber
however, was not to be put down i
this way, and said: Monsieur, it
possible that this is how things may
done in England, but here in Franc
. we are not slaves. / shall cut off a
much as l please. "-Harper's Roun
Table.
Not a day passes over the earth bu