The morning news. [volume] (Savannah, Ga.) 1887-1900, 1897-09-17
BILL NYE's COSTLY DINNER.
The Practical Joke of Two Western
erS on the HumOrist.
From the Chicago Record.


While Nye was not a mountain man to
such an extent, there were frequent oc-
casions when he got into the same horizon
with Sam" Davis, and when they asso-
ciated there were hot time in the old
towns
After Nye had become famous and had
taken to lecturins he had an odd adven-
ture With Davis, whom often before he had
met joyousiy and parted from sadly. IL
Was such an affair as the humorist used
to delight to put into print, and IL seems
impossible that he has not told tho story.
II he has the man who has read IL here
tofore can skip ii In this column.
Davis WIS working on q San Francisco
paper, and Nye, meeting him asked If il
We're true that one could get royal ban
quet in the Golden Gate town for the
ridiculous prices mentioned by men who
had been there. Davis said the stories
were overdrawn, but stu one could man
age to exist on what was set before him.
even II he did not have a kegful of money
In his possession.
TN tell you what" he said; you come
along with me to dinner This evening and
I'll take you to a rotisserie-one of these
French restaurants, you know, where you
can get something for % cents. or If you
prefer a 15-cent meal
Il guess mott" cried Nye, who was
spending SIS day for being allowed to
breathe In the Palace hotel, "A quarter
meals cheap enough"
After they parted Davis hurried to one
of the finest eating houses in all the Coast
country and had a brief but convincing
conversation With the proprietor. He also
called In to his aid a man with whom he
knew Nye had had some pleasant corre-
spondence and whom the leCturing knight
desired to meet. In the evening the three
aourmets approached the lair of good eat
ing. The menu card was presented. II
was about as long as the Canadian Pa
cihcs timetable, and made mention of
wonderful things gastronomical. But
Davis ana the other San Franciscan be-
haved with ill-temper when they saw it.
There was no variety. II was no better
than the 10-cent meals provided on Kear-
ney-street, and here they were prepared to
pay two bits head. Finally these two
impatiently directed the walters to bring
everything that was on the bill, and they
would select something fit to eat out of
the lot Mr.. Nye had very little hair, but
what he had rose in epiky way
DO you mean to- say" he gasped, that
the price Of such meal as you are order
ing is a quarter"
well" said Davis IN confusion, "of
course Is cents would be about the right
price, but something seems to be wrong
with the chef to-day. Try TO make out
little, and wen go somewhere else to-mor-
row I am really filed with Shame at
bringing you here to such poor, dismal
excuse for a dinner, but hadn't been in
here for month and didn't know 1t had
run down So"
The two coastwise men objected to
everything. The wine was not more than
twenty years old, whereas they were pay
ing money enough TO get good stun. The
Holsters were wrong in some way, the sat
ads were faulty, they insisted; the blrd,
the fish the sirloin-everything clear
through TO the fruit and ice cream ana
pastrv and coffee and cognac was criti-
cised It might be considered passable at
a 20-cent place, but at shop where the
price was q cents it was inexcusable. The
worst of il was thatbthey had a guest
with them, and he would carry away a
poor opinion Of San Francisco hospitality.
They again called the proprietor over, ana
forced him to apologize to the visitor Tor
\ the wretched food he had served. Then
I Davis paid the checks, which were for %
cents apiece and Nye nearly tainted when
the cashier humbly thanked him.
The next day Nye slipped away from all
friendly hands and secretly went around
TO that restaurant. He wanted'to nave just
one more of those stupendous twenty-five
cent dinners. SO he ordered ABOUT one
third what he had taken on the previous
day. There's no use wasting food Just
because Il is provided so generously ana
at such a price" he reasoned. Ana ne
called for his check.
Somewhat to his surprise, the cheek
was for S2270.
The Davis dinner had been nice, pleas
ant little prearranged swindle put up by
"sam" and his friend and the restaura-
teur.
It was the same Sam" Davis who, pre-
yious TO this had been for one day chief
Justice of the supreme court OF the state
of North Carolina, though he had never
been in North Carolina.
Going east one winter, the man from the
coast stopped off at Laramie to renew his
troubles with Nye, who was then Justice
OF the peace The court was busy with
legal hearing, and when Davis appeared in
the doorway Nye Immediately called him
forward.
Gentlemen Of the bar" he said, address
ing the two attorneys, at affords me pleas
IRE 10 introduce Chief Justice Witherspoon
Of the North Carolina supreme court.
Judge. your arrival Is most opportune and
| want you to sit here with me and advise
me on this case Join me on the bench.
Then. in a whisper. Back me up, you out
law. or I'll commit you for ten days as
vagrant."
Never was case argued with more VI
gor. This was the first time these Wyom-
ing lawyers had ever confronted real
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