Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1895-01-26
JOKING WITH UNCLE SAM.
The Funny Thing n Travelling Man Saw
In Chicago.

The Funny Thing Travelling Man Saw
In Chicago.
"Snw q funny thing in Chicago
not long ago, remarked the drum
mer to the hotel clerk in his usual
nonchalant and insouciant manner.
what it is?" Queried the slangy
clerk.
lyon know that the government
is dead down on anybody who at
tempts to make anything in the
shape of government money!"
you don't mean in the way of
salaries?" inquired the clerk shyly,
"Of course not, you jack. What
mean is an imitation of tho paper
money of the United States, "
"Oh, ycs!"
"Wcll, an acquaintance of mine
who runs a saloon IN the unsalted
queen of the lakes put job upon
the entire commercial end of tho
government out there. He had had
a picture painted by an artist repre-
sontng II S. bill hanging in his place
for some time and was proud of it,
fol it attracted a lot of attention.
One day u government sharp hap
pcncd in there, and in about two
minutes he was after the saloon man
for initiating government money. OF
course that ended the picture, and
the saloon man was hot.
He took it down; but, 10 and be-
hold in two days there was another
in its place, so like it that anybody
would swear it was the same. Moth
ing was said about the trouble by the
owner, and his customers went on
admiring the genius of the artist
and his work. Then along came tho
government sharp again, and he saw
the picture. This time he got hot
and Went after the saloon man rough
shod The saloon man was sassy as
you please this time, though, and
when the government sharp de-
mandcd the removal of the picture
the saloon man not only refused to
take it down, but defied the other
fellow to touch it. He did, though,
and there was u scrap, III which tho
saloon man fired the offender. Then
he went after the authorities, and u
force visited the saloon, and there
was another row.
IN the meantime the saloon man
was getting a good deal of free adj
vertiSing for his place and having
his own fun. The authorities got the
picture at last, and then the saloon
man took Il lawyer and went after
them, They had a conference over
the offending picture, and an expert
was called in. He looked ut the bill
as it lay quietly under the protect
ing glass and finally decided that it
was a remarkably clever imitation
of a government s. bill and certain.
" came under the law made and
provided in such cases. The saloon
man was apparently knocked out,
but he asked to take the picture .
minute, and when they handed it
over to him he removed the frame
and glass, and taking out the card on
which the bill was thought to be
painted he carefully Slipped his knife
under it and took off genuine bill.
TAa government forces simply look
ed ut each other, and tho nun who
had started the trouble actually
turned green. When | left there,
they We're trying to find out where
they We're at, and the saloon man
had framed and mounted bill hang
ing on his wall, but whether it was
the genuine thing or an imitation
nobody dared 70 make an etfort To
discover.
"Um-um," said the clerk. Il
hadn't seen anything of that in the
papers.
That's because you don't SEQ
those that print all that's going on, .
said the drummer, With conHdencc.
Detroit Free Flena,