The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-05-23


disappointed. Now why didn't the
man say it all and have done with it.
1nere's another fellow down there who
tninhs he is Lyle better than any
OF the balance. while Percy has been
Perkin UP for the place for months.
The annual story about some eastern
tourist going to the lake and fishing
all day off the pier at Garfield is now
due. 1t comes with that regularity
fthat characterizes the story Jimmy
Dickson tells at the opening of each
duck season, and should not be omit
ted.
Three years ago Dickson sprung that
tale the first time. The reporter to
whom ne told it thought it was a good
thing and printed it. 1t was to the ef-
feet that he (Dickson) made a mess of
decoy ducks and hung them outside the
house to dry. While there the game
J commissioner for the county came
along and saw them and at once ar
rested Jimmy for having ducks out of
season. 1t took Dickson an hour, so
he says. TO explain the. difference be
tween them and genuine ducks, and
even then he had TO cut one open.
@ 9 9
Next year at three days before duck
season Dickson approached the same
reporter and told the same story. The
newspaper man looked as if he had
heard it somewhere before. but printed
IL as good thing. But last year he
refused to be taken in. Dickson met
him and prepared to spring an anec-
dote, when the reporter pulled clip
pings from the papers of 1895 and 1894
with the remark, See here, isn't this
thing little old ?" The look Jimmy
gave was equal to that of the ancient
veteran.
The ancient veteran was a man who
had, so he said, fought, bled and almost
died IN every battle from Bull Run to
Appomattox. He would assemble in
the bar room just about drinking time
in the morning and remain there I'M
til after everyone had gone home and
borrow night cap from the bartender
One day a new arrival, with a fairly
developed thirst, struck the hotel and
somehow the ancient veteran managed
to ring in on every drink the fellow
took. One day afterward, the new ar
rival announced his intention of leav-
ing. To the intense surprise of the
ancient veteran, he bought a quart
bottle, had it wrapped up and started
to leave without buying the usual
dram. Stay" cried the ancient vet,
you are not going?"
Must" was the reply. Got to catch
train
Before you co. continued the an
Client veteran, ALLOW me. 1 have here
a sacred relic. After the surrender,
with my regiment I went TO Pittsburg
to take q train for my home. We had
to walt three hours in the depot A
small lad with the fire of secession in
his eyes. struck down from the wall
this little flag; this little American flag
and tramped upon it's starry field and
its crimson stripes. 1 took it from him,
lectured him on the evil of the act till
he shed a pint of tears and then folded
1t in my manly bosom. have carried
1t. sir, ever since. You, sir. have en-
deared yourself to me, and [ want YOU
to take from me this sacred relic, after
l shall have written my name and ad-
dress on the stripes. Take It and may
God bless you
The arrival looked at the flag in
tently for some seconds md then asked
with voice full of emotion. what
year did you say this WASP"
In So replied the ancient veteran,
his voice also clogged with either emo
ton or cotton.
Then, SIR remarked the new ar
rival with dignity, you have evidently
been touched for your flag or nave got
them mixed. Some one, sir. mas PLAYED
you a trick and traded a later edition
of flag for your treasure. This flag,
sir, has 45 stars in the field and at the
time you mention there were but So
Ia ta,' and he left the ancient veteran
with the relic of the dark days of re-
bellion in his hands.