The daily chieftain. [volume] (Vinita, Ind. Ter. [Okla.]) 1898-1902, 1899-01-09
IJIMMIE'S AMBITION.
Dy LESTER [. LOCKWOOD.
fIIELLo. jim! What's up now?"

nails in"
Sam Simmins vaulted the low fence,
and, standing with his hands In ms
rockets, watched Jim few moments.
Then he gave an amused whistle.
saw Jim. there's nothing like having
conveniences to work with. Now, II
were to build chicken coop l should
be silly enough to use new wire elghl'
pennies and steel-tipped hammer; but
/ daresay I'm quite behind the times,
and that assorted sizes of bent ana
rusty nails and a slippery stone to drive
them in with are the latest improVeu
implements sort of renaissance in
carpentry, eh?''
"Not exactly" replied Jim, laughing,
-sbut 1t gives you chance to air that
French pronunciation that you had 10
stay after school for last night. So
there's some good comes from my I'M
Droyised resources; after all, that was
the phrase | stuck on yesterday"
"Don't Miss Lamb put us through
the definitions and pronunciations for
all they are worth, though? Father
says if this thing keeps up he'll have to
buy new dictionary before the year is
.out-such wear on it, you know But
to resume the original theme wha,
are you going to put in your coop when
1t is done?"
"That is also Miss Lambs doing. You
see, she knows all about my poultry
.craze-knows I'm saving up to 60 into
the chicken business, | mean-and yes
terday she showed me chance TO be-
gin. The folks where she boards are
regular chicken cranks, you know
fine stock, incubators. and all thai.
We'll, yesterday she heard Mrs. Jansen
say that she had hen so determined
IL set that she couldn't break her up,
and that she'd sell her very cheap to gel
rid of her So Miss Lamb told her about
me. and she offered to sell me the hen
and setting of is eggs-all good stock,
TOO, mind you-for one dollar. Don
you call that layout, now?'
"'Tis, for fact. And you happened
do have the doilar?''
"Yes, I've saved up $1.15, and If | can
get the coop done I'm going after scho7i
Tonight for the hem
"And | suppose you will buy bicy-
Gle with the proceeds? But that does2 t
explain why you are using rusty nails
and stone hammer"
"Why, you see, our hammer is LOST,
as usual. Some of the children are al
ways getting away with it, and can't
afford to spend my extra Is cents On
mails. That has to go for chicken feed,
and | don't know when I'll have 1
chance to earn any more. So I'm draw
Ing these nails out of the boxes on the
kindlirg pile. They are really mine
you know. l worked for them at MI
Lakes grocery last vacation"
"Going into business on a strictly
cash basis. eh?"
"Yes, sir-ee That's my ticket, every
time"
Been reading the life of Rockefeller
.and all those penniless-boy millionaires'
Il suppose?"
Jim flushed.
"WeI, that's the right way to begin,
:anyhow," he said, sturd:ly, wrenching
a: a stubborn nail with the cold chisei:
s.but do wish they wouldn't always lose
the hammer"
why don't you wait till it turns
,up?"
TOO much risk You must make
shay while the sun shines, you know
in other words, set hens while they're
lin the notion"
aGoing into the poultry business
with one hen is too slow for me. I'm
going to Klondike as soon as school is
out. and when | strike it rich in mines
You'll be puttering away with an old
.clucking hen and half dozen scrawny
.chickens."
"All right" responded Jim, cheerily.
."It may be slow. but "a bird in the hand
is worth two in the BUSH
(Which, being translated, means "a
hen in the coop is worth two mines in
the ground suppose?"
"That's about the size of it. But
say. Sam, before you start for Klondike
won't you please hand me that stone
living at your feet-the smooth one
that looks like petrified potato? This
aoose granite chips off So"
at does look like potato-the white
elephant variety" said Sam, tossing the
stone to Jim.
Thank you. This will make fine
hammer-so hard and smooth"
"Ha! ha! ha! ! should say sol" for
at the first stroke on the rusty nail head
the stone broke in two. one-half falling
10 the ground and the nail head grazing
inns hand. As he turned his hand
tl foh hxo1