Santa Fe new Mexican. [volume] (Santa Fe, N.M.) 1898-1951, 1898-06-21
MR.. BROWNS BUTTON.
1T WAS MISSING, AND HE WAS MUCH
DlSPLEASED.

When the Article Finally Turned Up He
erty-A True Tale With a Great Deal Of
Fun In 1t.
This story is true. The names Of the
distinguished p%ersonages involved are
not their real names, as it would cause
them more or less Inconvenience to be
too specific. The time was last week,
and the scene was laid principally in a
police station on the west side of the
city.
Brown-which is not a specific name
was and still is bootblack for the po-
lice station. His face is as black and
shining as the shoes he polishes. Brown
is patriotic, and he always wears a
Grand Army button in the lapel OF his
coat.
One day, after Brown had finished
polishing Sergeant Blanks shoes, he
looked up to the sergeant suddenly, his
face full of surprise and dismay.
go de Lawd, sarge, Alive done
lost M button-Grand Army button,
sarge"
"That SOP asked the sergeant. "It's
a shame. Where'd you lose it?"
Dunno" replied Brown. at was
there last night, sab, shuah's All live
and draw BRET"
"Guess that sweetheart Of yours with
the crinkly face borrowed it, didn't
she?' said the sergeant.
"No, she amt got it. She's shook me.
Say, Sarge, All wish you'd ask your
to look for dat button. 1t must
shuahly be hereabouts."
The sergeant promised to send out a
general alarm for the missing button,
and Brown stalked around the room
looking in the corners for his badge of
honor. After a fruitless search he left
the station house.
Ten minutes later a man came in and
told the sergeant that his hen roost
down by the river had been robbed Of
chickens the night before. The
sergeant sent out a detective to investi-
gate the matter. The detective came
back in an hour.
"Got any clew Of emp asked the
sergeant.
"Well, yes" replied the detective,
''but it don't amount to much-only a
Grand Army button. Might have been
there for some time, you see."
"This is curious, said the sergeant
to himself. Then he asked the detective
for the button, and called in the cap
tain. The three then held a conversa-
ton in a low tone, every once in awhile
breaking out into laughter. Then the
sergeant sent the doorman around to the
corner saloon to call the bootblaok.
Here, you coon," said the captain,
as Brown waddled in. you're in luck,
I guess. Is this your ~buttan?"
$50 shuah it u.s." said Brown.
Where on earth did 1t come from?"
"Sure it is yours, are you?" asked the
in a severe tone.
EYES," said Brown, with an air of
justification. "Ah'm shuah it is. See
dat little teenty- tonty nick in de side
theah? OATS NAH mark, captain"
"Now, Mr.. Brown, " said the captain,
''where'd you get those little chickens
pin feathers on your coat!"
Brown stammered, grew as white as
his complexion permitted, hid his face
and began to blubber like a child.
sob, Mr.. Captain, let me loose this
lime! All jess couldn't resiss the temp
1t wuz SO easy. All only took
lew, and dey never squeaked, and for de
'ife of me All don't see how OH earth All
dropped dat button, and me a grown up
man with no support but nah brush,
Mr.. Captain. Oh, ple-e.e-ese let me
loose this time, Mr.. Captain! Alive no
excuse but NAH longin for dem birds,
sab, but ple-e-ese"-
"That'll do" said the captain.
You've done this thing once too Of
.en. Take his pedigree, sergeant, and
.ock him up. Then get a new boot
Half an hour later Blank Brown, 4S
years old, born in the United States,