La Junta tribune., 1898-02-12
THE MAN ABOUT TOWN
MAS SOMETHING TO sAv Asour Ia
JvmTA HAPPENINGS.
The Stosy Of . Gun thst was tosded-
4 Trinidad Young Man and
His Trouhles-Notes.

1
A La Junta old maid, who has
parrot that swears, a stove that
smokes, dog that tracks mud in
on the carpet and has pants in
warm weather, wants to know what
particular need she has for hus-
band.
\ La Junta school marin, whom
rumor said was to be married soon,
told a lady friend that it was a mis-
take, as she had not the least in
tention of giving up any $50 job
for IS man. Why, the idea; its
absurd.
You have probably heard the
story of the man and the gun that
wasn't loaded. A little white
tombstone marks his resting place
inscribed with the epitaph: "Sa-
cred to the memory OF the victim OF
his own folly" There is new edi-
ton of the story out, however,
about the man and the gun that
was loaded, in which La Junta
merchant played the leading role
and was himself the victim of the
trap he set for others. One of our
manufacturing dealers, who is
something of an inventive genius,
/ rigged up man-trap in his store
for the purpose of soaring to death
the prowlers who go about in the
dead Of night searching for any
thing valuable that don't belong to
them. The man-trap consisted OF
an old gun loaded to the. muzzie
with an enormous charge of pow
der. 1t was cooked and primed,
and ready for business at a seconds
notice, a wire being attached to the
trigger which led to the front door,
and in the event of any festive bur-
lglar monkeying with it there would
be an explosion of gunpowder that
would probably make him think
the war wasn't over yet between
China and japan. The invention
proved decided success although
the festive burglar wasn't the first
to realize it. The merchant, him
self, came down early one morning,
and, intent on business affairs, for
got all about the burglar alarm.
When he opened the door there
was deafening report, and the
citizens for blocks around rushed
to the scene to see what was the
matter. They found the merchant
not yet fully recovered from the
shock OF surprise and he tried to
pass the matter off lightly as an
accident, but the telltale gun and
its unusual attachments soon ex-
| planned the mystery. The mer-
chant now acknowledges that there
is horse on him, but claims he
didn't have a fair shake because
the gun was loaded-for others.
There is bright spot in the
lives Of most people, one event
that stands out pre-eminent as the
happiest Of all times" Then again
there are events in our lives that
are SO full of misery that even the
happiness that comes afterward.
does not altogether allay the pam
Of them. This has probably been
the experience of young man in
Otero county who recently joined
the ranks Of the benedicts. In the
springtime when a young mans
fancy lightly turns to thoughts Of
love and he finally obtains the
maiden's consent, he little thinks
Of the necessary interview with
papa and i almost on the verge Of
giving up his fondest hopes ere
mustering up sufficient courage r.
have = show down with the stem
parent. This was the case with
The subject Of my story. Papa
ikept aSgEocefy store and SO ole
bright morning our hero resolved
r. tackle the lion IL his den. M
| twa11ed il with chalant k