Evening journal., 1899-10-06
TIM M'CLURE'S STOVE.
c1-lM MCCLURE was foreman OF the
Paso del Norte roundhouse lie was
also the brcadwinner OF a family in

Tim started for Mexico in search Of em. /
ployment; but now that bis ability and /
imthiulness had been rewarded by rapid I
promotion from fireman to cnrucer. and /
thence TO foreman of the roundhouse. he
was receiving a monthly stipend that would /
enable him TO establish his household goods /
in Paso del Norte.
He had never taken kindly 10 sleepius I
on the hard earth floor of bare adobe |
house, nor could he eat with relish the food
served by the immobile-faced Wah Kee. |
who conducted the fashionable restaurant
Of the placei and be longed with the longing
OF a homesick sohoolboy for ihe coming of |
the time when a well-cookod supper and |
comfortable bed would await him at the
end Of a days work
Aud so when he converted his first months
pay as foreman into q money order. where
with his wife should defray the expenses
OF the iamily's transportation to Paso del
Norte, a thrill Of anticipatory pleasure ran
from the roots Of his hair to the tips OF
his toes.
The family arrived in due course of time.
and Tim proudly headed the procession that
wended its way from the depot TO the adobe
house he had prepared for Us domiciliation
lie had furnished the house as luxuriousiy
and artistically as his purse and taste would
permit; but he had been able TO accomplish
but little, if viewed from the standpoint
Of the average American woman. and Mrs.
Mcclure was one Of these.
Her Disappointment was keen, nevor;he.
less she made a brave effort to stine her
feelings, and succeeded fairly we'll ia doing
20 until, in her inspection of the premises,
she arrived in the kitchen. There, the tiny
sheet-iron camp-stove and the meagor array
OF culinary vessels that met her view caused
her utter collapse.
90, Tim, Timl" she gasped. "how even
viii / get enough cooked for the chitren
on that-that toyw
1T isn't much Of a stove" Tim admitted,
stroking his chin ruefully, "but it Is the best
that money would buy in Paso del Norte.
You know, my dear, cooking stoves are lit
tie used in Mexico"
'Well, why on earth did sou not order
one sent out from St. Iouisi" rejoined Mrs.
Mcclure.
'such a stove Is you are accustomed to
would cost 500 TO put it in the house"
"A hundred dollarsW snapped Mrs. Nc
Ciure, contemptuously. "Why, Tim, you
can get an elegant stove and an its furniture
for only $50"
In st. Louis, but not here replied Tim.
But say the stove, laid down in El psso.
Tex, just across the river, would cost lot
more than $40, it would cost 800 more to
get it brought over here
What" gasped Mrs. Mcclure. Sixty
dollars 10 move a stove one milel Tim Nc
Clure, have you lost your senses?'
"No, my dear, not quite, / hope, Tin
replied, humbly. "But You do not seen,
to know that an import duty must be paid
on everything brought into Mexico; and on
stoves the rate is about $50 per cent. of their
value"
1t required a lengthy explanation Of the
tariff question and his most solemn assur-
ances TO persuade her that he was not jest
ing.
"Why, Tim," sho exclaimed, when he had
finished, ''it's an Outrage, and no better
than highway robbery, Can't we have the
stove hauled across the riyer some night
and the customs officers know nothing
about itg II seems to me that we could, and
we don't care whether the government Of
Mexico has any money or mott
It was not q sense Of the moral wrong
or smuggling that caused Tim to hesitate
for he was no novice in the art Of clan.
destinely introducing articles of merchan
disc into the cactus republic, but be knew
that the entire frontier was patrolcd night
and day by a numerous and vigilant custom.
guard, past whom it would be all but i'm
possible to smuggle so cumbersome a thinl
as stove.
lie finally hit upon the plan Of taking Ia,
stove apart and lowering it, piece by piece
into the tank OF lei Buey" the sturdy
switch engine, on some occasion when i
would be on the Texas side Of the river
But upon obtaining the dimensions Of thl
stove Mrs. Mcclure wanted, he found tha
the larger parts would not pass in at th
manhole.
lie would have given up in despair has
rot his better half kept the subject fresl
ia his mind, not only with words, but witt
E the poor quality of the meals she set be
e fore him as well.
As last resort, he decided TO confer wit
some Of his iriends-those most adept a
2 eluding the vigilance Of the customs guard
at his request the men be selected gathere
r in his office one morning, conference thl
4 lasted am hour or more followed; every fac
was smilingly confident when it was cor
cluded.
"The schemen win, Tim, never fear,
cried one Of the party. "1he guards thin
they're getting mighty smart, and so the
are; they've caught on to nearly an the oil
tricks, but they'll never suspect this on
, just make a bold play and bring over th
2 stove in broad daylight, right under the
noses, and they'll never see it,
I The stove was az once ordered, and whe
: it arrived in 1l Paso the car in which
came was switched, at Tins request, to tl
connecting track, there to await the unloal
!, ing Of the stove. Along in the aftcrnoo
Of that day the switch engine, with li
standing on the forward foot board, wei
i, scurrying across the river. Il was gone bl
short time, and when 10 returned it ISL
3l observed by those Of the railroaders vi
were idling about the yard that there vi
~ something queer in i.s appearance.
Te Standing on the truck platform Of q
M engine, just in front Of the boiler, was dal
object that seemed 20 be a part OF the c
I. CINE; within it fire was burning Asrrel
Il. and from its slender pipe, which passed /
along the engines smokestack, a roll
d black smoke was pouring ont and mingli
,e with that Of the engine, to al appearance
,, emanating from a single chimney.